India Examining Wreckage Of China's PL-15 Air-To Air Missile Used By Pakistan

India is studying the wreckage of the Chinese-built PL-15 air-to-air missile and other missiles and drones used by Pakistan in its failed attempt to hit Indian aircraft and bases in response to Operation Sindoor.

"Some of their missiles have fallen in our territory. We have recovered a lot of wreckage, which is now being studied so that we can make out...what features they have," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said at the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Lecture in Bengaluru earlier today (9 August).

"That study is going on in coordination with the DRDO. If required, we will take help from other industries," the Air Chief said.

Although Air Chief Marshal Singh did not mention the Chinese-made PL-15 by name during his speech, more than one of these missiles is known to have landed largely intact in Punjab’s fields and been recovered by India.

Given that the IAF is already well-acquainted with Pakistan’s other missile systems, having tracked their development closely for over two decades, it is likely that he was referring to the PL-15, though the wreckage of the other systems will also be examined.

The Pakistanis have credited PL-15s fired from Chinese-built J-10C fighters with bringing down multiple fighters, including a Rafale, though they have yet to produce any proof. India has accepted that it lost some aircraft but has not confirmed either the number or the type.

There is some debate over whether the Pakistanis have the export variant of the PL-15 or the same version as the People's Liberation Army Air Force of China.

The range of the export versions is believed to be capped near 145 km. The version used by China has a range between 200 and 300 km.

A report in Reuters, quoting both Pakistani and Indian sources, has claimed that an Indian Rafale fighter had been brought down by a PL-15 "fired from around 200 km (124.27 mi) away." The report also claimed that the IAF may have misjudged the range at which Pakistan’s J-10Cs could employ their PL-15 missiles.

The Air Chief, meanwhile, confirmed that India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large aircraft in Operation Sindoor.