Taiwan & western countries interested to study chinese PL-15 BVR missile fragments in india

By maria ali -(defence & I.R affairs)

(DEFENCE AFFAIRS) – Taiwan has become the latest country to reportedly want to cooperate with India to inspect and study fragments of a Chinese-made PL-15 long-range Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile found in its hinterland.

The PL-15 missile is believed to have been launched by Pakistani Air Force fighter jets.

As a country that has to deal directly with Chinese-made weapons systems, Taiwan certainly has a great interest in studying and inspecting the PL-15 air-to-air missile.

Taiwan wants to take a closer look at the PL-15 missile so that it can study its strengths and weaknesses and develop tactics and strategies to deal with it if it has to face it.

Every day, Taiwan Air Force fighter jets have to face Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jets such as the J-20 "Mighty Dragon", J-10C equipped with PL-15 air-to-air missiles during their patrol missions.

"Access to the PL-15 air-to-air missile fragments will directly assist Taiwan in developing countermeasures or improving the indigenous missiles it is currently developing."

Previous reports stated that several Western intelligence agencies and their allies have reportedly “shown interest” in working with India in studying and analyzing fragments of Chinese-made PL-15 long-range Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missiles found at several locations in India.

Pakistan Air Force fighter jets, especially the J-10C and JF-17, are known to have used the BVR PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile during the recent Pakistan-India conflict.

The Pakistan Air Force claims that its J-10C fighter jets shot down six Indian Air Force fighter jets using PL-15 missiles during the Pakistan-India conflict.

In addition to the J-10C fighter jet, the Pakistan Air Force's JF-17 fighter jets are also equipped with the PL-15 BVR air-to-air missile.

As a result of its success in shooting down six Indian fighter jets, the name of the PL-15 missile has been on the lips of the media, observers and analysts who want to know more about this powerful Chinese-made air-to-air missile.

The six Indian Air Force fighter jets that were successfully shot down by Pakistan during the conflict included three Rafale fighter jets, a Sukhoi Su-30MKI, a MiG-29 and a Mirage 2000.

Although the Pakistan Air Force's J-10C fighter jets managed to shoot down six Indian fighter jets, the PL-15 BVR air-to-air missile also missed.

Fragments of PL-15 missiles, including some still in good condition, have been found by the Indian military.

Indian media reported that local residents had found fragments of Pakistan's PL-15 missile in Kamahi Devi village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab province and in several other locations.

And the fragments of the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile found by the Indian side are what intelligence agencies of certain Western countries are trying to obtain for the purpose of gathering information.

According to Indian defense media, the Western intelligence agencies that want to "take a closer look" at the Chinese-made PL-15 missile fragments are from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the so-called "Five Eyes" countries.

Apart from the "Five Eyes" intelligence cooperation countries, other countries including France and Japan have also reportedly shown interest in working with India to enable them to analyse fragments of the Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missile.

The analysis will allow Western countries to take a closer and more detailed look at China's most advanced defense technology, which is now capable of competing with and even surpassing Western defense technology.

For intelligence agencies such as the CIA, NSA, as well as US military intelligence and its allies, missile fragments such as the PL-15 are a very valuable 'treasure' to be analyzed from various technical and strategic angles.

Among their main goals is to conduct forensic tests on missile components, including the guidance system, engine propulsion, radar seeker, and data communication system.

Through this analysis, they can learn more about the radar frequency, the type of target seeker wave, and the missile's electronic jamming capabilities — important information for building more effective jamming systems and electronic defense methods.

If the PL-15 missile was launched by a Pakistani aircraft, then it would confirm that China has now transferred new generation missile technology to Pakistan, something that was previously only associated with the Chinese Air Force.

This indirectly provides an early warning to Western countries about the extent of China's deployment of advanced weapons in the South Asian region, and how it could change the balance of military power in the area.

In addition, the intelligence agency also wants to ascertain whether the actual specifications of the PL-15 missile — including the claimed maximum range of over 300km and anti-stealth capabilities — are truly authentic or just Chinese military propaganda.

This information is important for streamlining Western air strategy, especially in the face of potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific involving Chinese assets or its allies.

Intelligence experts will also examine whether there are Russian-made components in the missile system, given that China has previously used engine and radar technology from Moscow.

Such findings could help uncover traces of "silent" cooperation between the Chinese and Russian defense industries, which is currently a major focus for Washington and its allies in the context of arms export sanctions and controls.

From a geopolitical perspective, the information obtained through analysis of these fragments can be used by Western countries to pressure China and Pakistan on the international stage, as well as defend India's position on regional security issues.