Summary
The PL-11 (Chinese: 霹雳-11; pinyin: Pī Lì-11; lit. 'Thunderbolt-11') is a medium-range semi-active radar homing (SARH) air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by a subsidiary of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology in the People's Republic of China. It is a development or copy of the Italian Aspide AAM, which in turn was developed from the American AIM-7 Sparrow. The PRC may have started license production of the Aspide using imported parts but the license was cancelled following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Development started in 1990,[2] and the first live-fire test occurred in 2002 from a Shenyang J-8 IIB.[3]
| PL-11 | |
|---|---|
| Type | air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| Used by | People's Republic of China |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)[1] |
| Warhead | High explosive blast-fragmentation |
| Engine | Solid fuel rocket |
Operational range | 75 km (47 mi)[1] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4[1] |
Guidance system | Semi-active radar homing[1] |
Launch platform | aerial |
Description edit
The PL-11 was the People's Liberation Army Air Force's main medium-ranged AAM until the PL-12.[2]
The HQ-61 is the surface-to-air missile (SAM) variant of the PL-11.[2]
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ a b c d Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, p. 41.
- ^ a b c Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, p. 37-38.
- ^ Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, p. 19.
Bibliography edit
- Wood, Peter; Yang, David; Cliff, Roger (November 2020). Air-to-Air Missiles: Capabilities And Development In China (PDF). Montgomery: China Aerospace Studies Institute. ISBN 9798574996270.