India shot down Chinese-made PL-15 missiles during Op Sindoor. Now, France and Japan want access to the fragments. Here’s why

The dust is settling on the India and Pakistan recent hostilities and new details from the country’s military strikes and Islamabad’s retaliatory counter-fire keeps emerging.

One of the many revelations from the military action is that the Indian Air Force deftly neutralised the Chinese-made PL-15E air-to-air missile fired by Pakistan — at the press briefing on May 12, Indian officials displayed the wreckage of the rocket with Indian Air Force’s Air Marshal AK Bharti confirming that Islamabad had employed advanced Chinese weaponry, including the PL-15E missile, in its strike against India.

Now, in a significant development, the international intelligence community, including the Five Eyes nations, have expressed interest in accessing parts of the missile for a detailed examination.

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But why are countries wanting the PL-15 missile wreckage? We analyse and get you the answer.

India recovers Chinese-made PL-15 missile

According to news reports, Indian authorities retrieved fragments of a PL-15 missile in a field in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district. This was after Pakistan rained down a swarm of drones and missiles on civilian and military infrastructure, targeting areas such as Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab.Pakistan had, in fact, launched an attack using up to 400 drones.

In these exchanges, parts of Pakistan’s Chinese-built PL-15E missiles fell inside Indian territory. This includes one missile that reportedly came down near the village of Kamahi Devi in the Hoshiarpur district of the Punjab region with significant portions intact.

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Fully intact Chinese PL-15 long range air-to-air missile recovered from Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Obviously fired from a PAF jet, likely a JF-17—Failed to detonate.

Yesterday HQ-9B AD system gets smoked in Lahore by an 🇮🇳Harop, now this. Tells you a bit about Chinese weapons quality🥲 pic.twitter.com/PUfTHSTILA

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) May 9, 2025

Moreover, smaller PL-15 parts were reportedly found elsewhere in Punjab after the air battle. Later, on May 12, in a press briefing, wreckage of the PL-15 missile was displayed. Additionally, wreckage of long-range rockets, loiter munitions and unmanned aerial systems, including Turkish-origin Yiha and Songar drones, which were brought down by India’s air defence systems, was also displayed.

Countries seek to investigate PL-15 wreckage

With India announcing that it had found the debris of the PL-15 missile, many global powers including the Five Eyes nations, along with France and Japan want access to it.

According to experts, the recovery of the Chinese-made missile is a boon, as it will be able to provide valuable details about its capabilities and limitations, which can then be used to help with the development of new countermeasures and tactics, techniques, and procedures.

In fact, France and Japan, which have heavily invested in advanced air-to-air missile systems, will gain knowledge from the secretive PL-15 missile. The foreign countries are hoping to ascertain the missile’s radar signature, motor composition, guidance technology, and possibly even the elusive architecture of its AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar.

France, especially, would be wanting to study the missile as it is considered a direct threat to the Meteor missile. With a ramjet propulsion system and a significant “no-escape zone", the Meteor has long been the benchmark for air dominance. However, the PL-15E’s longer range and AESA guidance have positioned it as a formidable rival.

Pakistan’s use of the PL-15 missile, a first in warfare, also highlights China’s growing role as a military supplier. The Five Eyes and Japan view Beijing’s expanding influence in Asia as a strategic challenge, especially in the Indo-Pacific security framework.

While experts note that the PL-15 missile wreckage presents a windfall, it is still be ascertained if intelligence can be gleaned from it. It is unclear if critical components of the missile are intact.

About China’s PL-15 missile

But what’s the big deal over the PL-15 missile. The PL-15 is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed by China’s Luoyang-based China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA).

It has a maximum operational range reportedly between 200 to 300 kilometres — and even up to 400 kilometres under certain conditions. The missile employs active radar guidance, satellite navigation and inertial navigation systems, and uses a dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor, allowing it to reach speeds greater than Mach 4.

Chinese media reports confirm that the PL-15 can be launched from multiple platforms, including the J-20, J-16, J-10C, J-11B, and the JF-17 aircraft. The advanced J-20 stealth fighter can carry four PL-15 missiles in its internal weapons bay.

The PL-15 is often compared to the US-made AIM-120D, which has a range of around 160 km and a top speed of Mach 4. The PL-15 is believed to perform better in both speed and range.

It is also comparable to the European Meteor missile, with a range of 100-200 km. The Meteor, manufactured by MBDA, is known for its ramjet propulsion and large no-escape zone.

Chinese analysts, however, have questioned the Meteor’s effectiveness. Military expert Song Xinzhi told state broadcaster CCTV that the Meteor’s ramjet engine could create drag due to its two large air intakes – potentially reducing its performance.

He added that the PL-15 used a dual-pulse solid rocket motor. “It rapidly accelerates to Mach 3+ in seconds during its initial phase, then coasts inertially before reigniting in the terminal phase – creating two ‘no-escape zones’ at different ranges,” Song said.

Until now, the PL-15 missile has been shrouded in mystery. In fact, as News18 reports that it has never before been recovered from a live conflict, let alone largely undamaged.

With inputs from agencies