ISLAMABAD: In the brief but intense aerial clash that marked the latestIndo-Pak border flare-up, the Pakistan Air Force has demonstratedunprecedented beyond-visual-range combat dominance through itsChinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missile carried by J-10C fighters.
The PL-15, equipped with active electronically scanned array radar, two-waydata link and dual-pulse rocket motor, retained lethal energy throughoutits flight and struck Indian aircraft before they could react or deploycountermeasures.
Multiple Indian Air Force jets, including Rafale, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000 andMiG-29, were reportedly destroyed by PAF J-10C squadrons operating thelong-range weapon, marking the first combat use of the advanced missile.
The engagement, which lasted only minutes, highlighted the inability ofIndian fighters to counter the PL-15’s superior kinematics and electroniccounter-countermeasures suite, leaving their own BVR missiles outranged andoutmanoeuvred.
Pakistan has officially recorded the longest air-to-air kill in history atapproximately 200 kilometres, far surpassing previous global records andestablishing the PL-15 as the region’s most lethal long-range air-to-airweapon.
Military analysts note that the clash has fundamentally shifted the aerialbalance, with PAF achieving first-shot capability that neutralisedhigh-value IAF assets before they entered their own missile engagementzones.
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The swift outcome has prompted urgent reviews within the Indian defenceestablishment regarding the effectiveness of its multi-billion dollarRafale and Su-30 modernisation programmes against fifth-generation missiletechnology.
Source:www.defence.pk/pdf/threads/paf-j-10c-pl-15-combat-performance.2025/”>https://www.defence.pk/pdf/threads/paf-j-10c-pl-15-combat-performance.2025/
Source:www.janes.com/defence-news/air/forces/pakistan-pl15-bvr-engagement”>https://www.janes.com/defence-news/air/forces/pakistan-pl15-bvr-engagement
