ISLAMABAD: A recent report from the Royal United Services Institute hasdisclosed that during the May 2025 aerial engagements between the PakistanAir Force and the Indian Air Force, at least one Indian Rafale fighter jetwas shot down by a Chinese-made PL-15E missile fired from a PakistaniJ-10CE aircraft at a distance of approximately 200 kilometres, marking themissile’s first combat use at such unprecedented ranges.
The RUSI paper, focusing on the evolution of Russian and Chinese air powerthreats, states that several advanced Indian Air Force fighters, includinga Rafale and a Su-30MKI, along with potentially two to three others, werestruck by PL-15E missiles launched by J-10CE fighters in long-rangebeyond-visual-range combat during Operation Sindoor.
According to the report, Pakistani officials claimed the specific PL-15Emissile that downed the Rafale was launched from 200 kilometres away,highlighting the export variant’s capabilities despite being less advancedthan the domestic versions used by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
The analysis emphasises that these engagements provided valuable, thoughincomplete, insights into Chinese missile and aircraft performance comparedto Western counterparts, with the PL-15E demonstrating significant rangeadvantages in its combat debut.
RUSI notes that regardless of exact loss figures, multiple relativelysophisticated Indian fighters were hit at distances previously unseen inair-to-air combat, underscoring the tactical implications of long-rangemunitions.
The report cautions that the PL-15E variants employed by Pakistan arelikely inferior to the latest frontline Chinese models, which featureongoing upgrades in software and hardware since their initial service entryaround 2015.
Experts cited in related coverage, including RUSI’s Justin Bronk, havedescribed the PL-15 as clearly capable at long ranges, contributing tosurprise elements in the clashes where Indian pilots reportedlyunderestimated the missile’s reach.
This incident has raised questions about intelligence assessments regardingexport-variant weapon ranges, with some sources indicating Indian forcesassumed a shorter effective distance of around 150 kilometres.
The RUSI findings align with broader observations that Chinese air-to-airmissiles, including the PL-15 family, outrange many Western equivalentslike the AIM-120 AMRAAM series in certain parameters.
Furthermore, the paper highlights the J-10CE’s integration of advanced AESAradar and datalinks, enabling effective employment of such munitions innetworked operations during the conflict.
Read Top Stories
Implications extend to global air power dynamics, as the combat validationof Chinese systems against Western platforms like the Rafale promptsreassessments of technological balances.
The report stresses the need for caution in drawing definitive conclusions,given incomplete data on exact engagement parameters and outcomes.
Nonetheless, the documented successes at extreme ranges signal a shift inbeyond-visual-range combat capabilities favouring systems with superiorkinematic performance.
In conclusion, the RUSI analysis positions these events as a benchmark forevaluating emerging threats from advanced Chinese air power technologies inreal-world scenarios.
Source:https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/insights-papers/evolution-russian-and-chinese-air-power-threats
Tags: Pakistan, India, RUSI, PL-15E, Rafale, J-10CE, Su-30MKI
ogimageimage-name
