PL-11 Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile

	Information HQ-61 Surface-to-Air Missile

Last updated: 27 October 2007

The PL-11 (PiLi-11) is a medium-range air-to-air missile (MRAAM) developed from the HQ-61C surface-to-air missile by Shanghai 2nd Mechanical-Electronic Bureau (now Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, SAST). The missile features a semi-active radar seeker based on the technology of the Italian Alenia Aspide MRAAM, which itself was derived from the U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow. The PL-11 saw limited service with the PLAAF mainly for test and evaluation purposes. It is China’s first indigenous MRAAM to have been deployed by the PLAAF.

The PLA obtained some examples of the Italian Alenia Aspide medium-range air-to-air missile (MRAAM), an Italian copy of the U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow with some modifications, in the mid-1980s. Later China signed an agreement with Italy to produce the missile locally under license. The first batch of the Chinese-built Aspide missiles using Italian-made kits rolled out in early 1989, but the supply of more kits was cut off by the Italian government as a result of EU weapon sanction imposed on China in the aftermath of the June 1989 incident.

In the early 1990s the PLA decided to use the Aspide technology obtained through its earlier co-operation with Alenia to develop its own indigenous MRAAM known as PL-11. The PL-11 was based on the basic design of the HQ-61C short-range surface-to-air missile developed by Shanghai 2nd Mechanical-Electronic Bureau. The missile uses a mono-pulse semi-active radar-homing seeker copied from the seeker of the Aspide missile. The first test fire of the missile was carried out on a J-8B fighter in 1992. The missile entered PLA service in the mid-1990s for test and evaluations. The final certification test of the missile took place in 2001, with four of five missiles fired hit the targets.

The PL-11 has a conventional aerodynamic layout which resembles that of the AIIM-7 Sparrow. The missile has four large clipped control surfaces located at the middle of the missile body, and four fixed smaller delta-shape stabilising fins at the missile tail. The missile also has two externally mounted wiring harness covers lasting from the missile nose to the aft edge of the main control surfaces.

Variants

PL-11: The basic variant based on the HQ-61C SAM and Aspide seeker technology.

PL-11A: The improved variant with greater range and more powerful warhead. The improved seek head requires the guidance of the fire-control radar of the carrier aircraft only during the final stage of its flight.

PL-11B: Also known as PL-11-AMR. This is an active radar-homing derivative of the PL-11A, with an AMR-1 active radar-homing seeker developed by the 607 Institute.

Specifications

Missile length: 3.89m
Missile diameter: 0.208m
Wingspan: 0.68m
Launch weight: 220kg
Warhead: HE fragmentation
Propulsion: Solid fuel
Maximum speed: Mach 4
Range: 40~75km
Guidance: Semi-active radar

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