【By Liu Bai, Observers Network】Just after boasting about the "Rafale" fighter jet "defeating Chinese missiles," India was exposed to seek insights from China's PL-15 missile to develop its own weapons.

According to a report by "Hindustan Times" on October 18, sources said that after a detailed technical analysis of an unexploded missile fired by Pakistan's aircraft, the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) decided to incorporate advanced features of the Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile into its domestic "Astra Mark-2" missile project.

The report stated that on May 9, a PL-15E missile was recovered intact in a field near Hoshiarpur in Punjab, providing Indian defense scientists with a rare intelligence opportunity.

A source who did not wish to be named said that the export version of this advanced Chinese beyond-visual-range missile has a range of 145 kilometers and did not explode due to the lack of a self-destruct mechanism. It is reported that the missile was launched by a Pakistani Air Force JF-17 or J-10C fighter and failed to hit its target, eventually falling in India about 100 kilometers away.

One of the sources said that although the DRDO kept its analysis report submitted to the Ministry of Defense confidential, it had found several outstanding characteristics of this Chinese weapon, including an advanced propellant that can maintain speeds over 5 Mach, a micro active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and precise anti-jamming capabilities. All these advanced technologies, especially radar technology, are being incorporated into the development of India's indigenous "Astra" missile program.

J-10C at an air show carrying the PL-15 and PL-10 air-to-air missiles IC Photo

On the early morning of May 7, the Indian Air Force launched "Operation Crimson," attacking "terrorist facilities" in Pakistan, and the two sides even engaged in an aerial battle. The Pakistani military claimed that the J-10C used the PL-15E missile to shoot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafales, but India never gave a direct response.

The Hong Kong English media "South China Morning Post" noticed that shortly before the aerial battle in late April, the Pakistan Air Force publicly displayed JF-17 fighters equipped with PL-15 missiles, calling them "a powerful punch for the Pakistan Air Force."

Interestingly, when talking about the reason for the "Rafale" being shot down, two Indian officials and three Pakistani officials interviewed by British media said that the performance of the "Rafale" was not the core reason for its being shot down. There was a miscalculation by Indian intelligence agencies regarding the range of the Chinese-made PL-15E missile launched by the J-10.

Indian officials said that incorrect intelligence gave the "Rafale" pilots a false sense of security, thinking they were outside the range of Pakistan's firepower. They believed that the range of the PL-15E missile was approximately 150 kilometers.

To salvage the reputation of the "Rafale," some Indian media once claimed that the aircraft successfully fully suppressed the Chinese PL-15E air-to-air missile with its advanced "spectrum" electronic warfare system.

Analysts said that for decades, the outside world has always considered Chinese air-to-air missiles as Western-designed imitations. However, the PL-15E of the Pakistan Air Force once again reminds people that the performance advantages of Chinese air-to-air missile systems, along with their growing fleet of advanced fighter jets, cannot be ignored.

A commentary pointed out that the PL-15 missile is no longer the most advanced air-to-air missile of China. A missile called the PL-16, which has learned from the service experience of the PL-15, is more compact than the PL-15, yet has a longer range, demonstrating the next generation of results in China's expanding beyond-visual-range missile family.

A source in India said that after the Operation Crimson, Pakistan is seeking to expand its arsenal and plans to purchase the PL-17 missile, which has a longer range against large aircraft, from China, 2000 YIHA suicide drones from Turkey, and has already submitted a list of high-tech weapon requirements to the United States.

One of the sources also firmly stated that the Indian domestic weapons performed well during the Operation Crimson, and the "Brahmos" and "Storm Shadow" missiles equipped by the Indian military also showed excellent performance.

However, Indian defense planners are planning to procure more "Meteor" air-to-air missiles for the "Rafale" fighter jets to ensure that the Indian Air Force will not be constrained by missile stockpiles in future operations. At the same time, a new generation of "Brahmos" missiles with a range of 800 kilometers is also under development, and its range can almost cover the entire territory of Pakistan.

On October 18, India and Pakistan once again made tough statements. Indian Defense Minister Singh openly threatened that the "Brahmos" missile can cover "every inch of Pakistan's territory," and the May Operation Crimson was just a trailer. On the same day, Pakistan Army Chief General Munir stated that Pakistan would not be intimidated or coerced by words, and would not hesitate to make a decisive response even to minor provocations.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562816577356284467/

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