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PL-5

Luoyang Optoelectronics · Air-to-Air · China · Cold War (1970–1991)

PL-5 — Air-to-Air
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The PL-5 (霹雳-5) air-to-air missile is a short-range, Infrared homing missile used by Chinese fighters. It is based on AA-2 Atoll technology and resembles the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The PL-5 was designed and developed at China's Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC), also known as Institute 612; its design team members included Chen Jiali (陈家礼), Dong Chunfeng, Hu Rongchao (胡荣超), Huang Bin, Zhang Ming (张明), and Zheng Zhiwei (郑志伟). It was reportedly produced at the Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factory of the China Aviation Industry Corporation I.

Specifications

Category
Missiles
Sub-Category
AAM
Domain
Defence
Era
Cold War (1970–1991)
Country
China
Manufacturer
Luoyang Optoelectronics
Operator
China/export
Primary Role
Air-to-Air
Status
In Service
Service Entry
1986
Produced
10000
Unit Cost (2026$)
$150K
Propulsion
Rocket
Engine
Solid-fuel rocket motor
Thrust / Power
None (rocket)
Launch
Air-launched
Length (ft)
9.1
Wingspan (ft)
2.1
Empty Weight (lb)
90
MTOW (lb)
183
Payload (lb)
14
Endurance (hr)
0.01
Service Ceiling (ft)
52000
Range (mi)
10
Max Speed (mph)
1918
Max Speed (Mach)
2.5
Armament
Blast-fragmentation