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PL-5 SHORT-RANGE AIR-TO-AIR MISSILE

The PiLi-5 (PL-5) is the short-range air-to-air missile (SRAAM) developed by Luoyang-based 607 Institute and manufactured by Hanzhong Nanfeng Machinery Factory (202 Factory). The missile has been the standard short-range air-to-air missile weapon for the PLAAF and PLANAF fighters. The PL-5 is comparable to the U.S. AIM-9G Sidewinder in size and general performance. It lacks real all-aspect attack capability and will be gradually replaced by the more capable PL-8.

PROGRAMME

The PL-5 development began in 1966 at Luoyang-based 706 Institute (now China Air-to-Air Missile Research Academy). The development programme followed the Soviet pattern of developing both semi-active radar-homing and infrared-homing variants in parallel. The development of the PL-5 began in April 1966, with the initial airborne tests carried out between 1967 and the early 1980s. The development programme was seriously delayed mainly due to technical difficulties such as making an adequately reliable IR or RF fuse system, though the political impact of the ‘Culture Revolution’ also contributed significantly to the painfully slow progress in the programme.

The first live test of the semi-active radar-homing PL-5A took place in August 1982, but the development was finally cancelled in 1983 as a result of the budget cut in defence R&D programmes to give priority to economic development. The IR-homing variant PL-5B survived the budget cut and received its design certificate in September 1986. The missile entered service with the PLA in the late 1990s to replace the ageing PL-2 SRAAM. 607 Institute continued to upgrade the missile by introducing the improved PL-5C (comparable to the AIM-9H and L) and PL-5E models in the 1990s.

Based on the obsolete 1960s Soviet K-13 (AA-2 Atoll) technology, the PL-5 only has a very limited off-boresight, though this was improved on the later variants. Early variants (B and C) are only capable of tail attacking, but the latest PL-5E is claimed to possess all-aspect attack capability. As well as serving with the PLAAF and PLANAF, the PL-5 has been exported to Albania, Bangladesh, Burma, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

DESIGN

The PL-5 is almost identical to the U.S. AIM-9G Sidewinder in appearance. The missile features four canard control surfaces located near the missile nose, and four large stabilising fins at the tail. The improved PL-5E features double-delta clipped front control surfaces similar to the AIM-9P.

The missile comprises an IR seeker, an IR or RF fuse, HE warhead section, rocket motor, and control mechanism.

GUIDANCE

The PL-5 uses an indigenous infrared seeker developed from the Soviet R-13 (AA-2) technology. The seeker is cooled using compassed air to provide high detection sensitivity and resistance to the background radiations such as the Sun. However, the missile may not be fired when the Sun is within 16 degrees of the missile’s off-boresight targeting in normal weather conditions. Early variants such as PL-5B and PL-5C only has tail attacking capability, while the improved the PL-5E can attack target from any aspect.

WARHEAD

The PL-5 can be fitted with two types of warhead: the blast fragmentation warhead with an infrared (IR) proximity-fuse, and the expanding rod warhead with a radio-frequency (RF) proximity-fuse. The two types of warhead can be exchanged easily. The maximum effective blast radius of the warhead is 10m.

SPECIFICATIONS

This page was last updated 9 April 06