India Reports Capture of Intact PL-15 Missile Acquired by Pakistan From China
During recent aerial skirmishes between India and Pakistan, the Indian side captured a Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile with minor damage, which had been launched from a fighter jet.
The National Interest reported on this, citing The War Zone.
The captured missile may have been launched from a J-10C or JF-17 fighter jet, which were actively involved in air defense operations and in shooting down Indian aircraft.
According to Indian sources, the PL-15 missile did not explode due to a malfunction in its self-destruct system. This allowed Indian specialists to gain access to its design and electronics.
The missile found on Indian territory, judging by the photo, lacks an active homing head, as well as the battery and fuse. At the same time, the warhead remained intact on the missile, which in such models is located closer to the forward fins.
The capture of this missile became a significant achievement for India, especially after initial losses in the conflict, during which Pakistani fighter jets equipped with Chinese PL-15 missiles shot down several Indian aircraft, including French Rafales, Russian Su-30MKIs, and MiG-29s.
In addition, the capture of the PL-15 will give India the opportunity to study Chinese technologies in detail and develop appropriate countermeasures.
As noted in the publication, according to information from some Indian sources, the missile will be studied by the Indian side and will likely undergo reverse engineering — that is, the copying of technologies for use in Indian systems, particularly the active homing head.
It should be noted that China actively uses Pakistan as a platform for testing and demonstrating its military technologies, which raises concerns among Western countries.
The capture of the PL-15 may influence India’s future strategies for modernizing its own weaponry and strengthening its defense capabilities.
Additionally, the transfer of technical information about this missile to third parties, such as France, the United States, or Japan, is not ruled out.
It should also be noted that these are not the first remnants of PL-15 missiles found on Indian territory. On May 8, 2025, it was reported that the debris from Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles had been found in the area of aerial battles where Pakistani pilots had shot down Indian fighter jets.
Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, a claim partially supported by footage showing wreckage from at least two Indian fighter jets.
Local residents have posted photos of the aircraft engine debris characteristic of French Mirage and Rafale fighters. The downing of the latter is confirmed by wreckage bearing the tail number BS-001, which is assigned to a single-seat Indian Dassault Rafale EH.
Additionally, in the Ramban area of the Jammu state, a K-36DM ejection seat was found, which is used on MiG-29 and Su-30MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force. The use of the latter in the region is further confirmed by the deployment of the air-launched version of the BrahMos cruise missile, for which it is the sole carrier.
