India to integrate features of downed Chinese PL-15 missile into its own system

India is set to integrate advanced technologies from a Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile into its indigenous Astra Mark 2 system — after recovering an intact PL-15 that was fired by Pakistan during May’s cross-border clashes.

The Chinese missile — launched by a Pakistani Air Force jet — failed to hit its target and landed in farmland in India’s northern Punjab state. Indian military sources now told local media outlets that the missile did not feature a self-destruct mechanism, allowing engineers to retrieve and study it in full, according to an article by The Defence Post.

The analysis revealed that Pakistan had used an export variant of the Chinese PL-15, a beyond-visual-range missile believed to have an effective range of around 145 kilometres.

Experts at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) found several advanced features in the recovered weapon, including a compact active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, high-efficiency propellant capable of propelling it to speeds over Mach 5, and enhanced anti-jamming systems.

These findings are now being applied to India’s ongoing missile development program. According to defence sources, DRDO has decided to incorporate select PL-15 design elements — particularly its radar technology — into the Astra Mark 2, currently in advanced stages of testing.

The Astra Mark 1, already deployed on India’s Su-30MKI fighters, has a range of up to 110 kilometres and speeds reaching Mach 4.5. The Astra Mark 2 is expected to extend engagement distances to 160 kilometres, with a longer-range variant under development that could exceed 200 kilometres.

India also operates the Meteor long-range missile for its Rafale jets purchased from France in 2019, but the Astra program represents a push for self-reliance in advanced missile technology — now bolstered by insights gained from a Chinese system used by its regional rival.

By Nazrin Sadigova