A Pakistani J-10CE fighter jet likely shot down an Indian Rafale aircraft at a distance of approximately 200 kilometers, using a PL-15 air-to-air missile.
The assessment is contained in a study published by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), based on statements from Pakistani government officials.
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According to the report, the aerial engagements between Pakistani and Indian forces during Operation Sindor in May 2025 provided a relevant—though still incomplete—insight into the combat capabilities of aircraft and missiles of China’s People’s Liberation Army compared with Western and Russian platforms.
The study indicates that, during a series of long-range engagements, at least one Rafale of the Indian Air Force was shot down. In addition, a Su-30MKI fighter is also believed to have been downed, with indications that two or three other Indian aircraft may have been hit.
According to RUSI, the destruction of an aerial target at a distance of around 200 kilometers is considered extremely rare in air combat. The effective range of an air-to-air missile depends on several factors, including the speed and altitude of the launching aircraft, the target’s movement parameters, and the geometry of the engagement.
Although the officially stated range of the export version of the PL-15E missile is approximately 145 kilometers, the analyzed data suggest that the impacts may have occurred at a significantly greater distance. This discrepancy could indicate that Pakistan employed a non-export version of the PL-15, whose declared range varies between 200 and 300 kilometers.
Pakistani specialized publications had previously reported that, about a week before the outbreak of hostilities, China transferred to the country a batch of missiles drawn directly from its own armed forces’ stockpiles, not subject to export limitations.
The PL-15 was originally developed to equip the Chinese stealth fighter J-20, which influenced the more compact design of its fairings to allow carriage in internal weapons bays. The missile uses an active radar guidance system and features a two-way data link, enabling trajectory updates from the launching aircraft and the transmission of telemetry data during flight.
Its extended range is provided by a dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor, designed to maintain high kinetic energy in the terminal phase of the trajectory, increasing the probability of hitting maneuvering targets at long distances.
Source: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI). This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
