AIM-54 Phoenix vs PL-12: Specs Compared

AIM-54 Phoenix — licensed reference photograph

AMissiles

AIM-54 Phoenix

Long range BVR air-to-air missile

Credit

Don S. Montgomery, USN · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BMissiles

PL-12

Medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air BVR missile

First system

Second system

Measured figures

Head to head

10 of 24 rows sourced on both sides

3.9m

—

Length

All recorded figures & sources

3.9 m

Length

Single source

12 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (3.9 m)^[source]

900mm

—

Wingspan

All recorded figures & sources

0.9 m

Wingspan

Single source

2 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (0.9 m)^[source]

380mm

—

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.38 m

Diameter

Single source

15 in (380 mm)^[source]

460kgAIM-54C

180kg

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

443 kg

AIM-54A/B

Single source

460 kg

AIM-54C

Single source

AIM-54A/B - 976 lb (443 kg) AIM-54C – 1,015 lb (460 kg)^[source]

180 kg

Mass

Single source

180 kilograms (400 lb)^[source]

6,145km/h

Mach 4+

Speed

All recorded figures & sources

5,256 km/h

Maximum; AIM-54A/B - Mach 4.3 (

Single source

5,266.944 km/h

Maximum; ) AIM-54C – Mach 5 (

Single source

6,120 km/h

Maximum; Maximum speed · source measurement 3

Single source

6,144.768 km/h

Maximum; Maximum speed · source measurement 4

Single source

AIM-54A/B - Mach 4.3 (1,460 m/s; 4,800 ft/s) AIM-54C – Mach 5 (1,700 m/s; 5,600 ft/s)^[source]

Mach 4+^[source]

184kmOperational; AIM-54C

70–100kmOperational; Operational range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

135 km

Operational; AIM-54A/B

Single source

184.1 km

Operational; AIM-54C

Single source

AIM-54A/B - 72.9 nmi (135.0 km; 83.9 mi) AIM-54C – 99.4 nmi (184.1 km; 114.4 mi)^[source]

70–100 km

Operational; Operational range

Single source

70–100 kilometres (43–62 mi)^[source]

60.3kgWarhead weight

—

Warhead mass

All recorded figures & sources

60.33 kg

Warhead weight

Single source

133 lb (60.33 kg)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

AIM-54 Phoenix and PL-12 configuration
Specification	AIM-54 Phoenix	PL-12
Type	Long range BVR air-to-air missile^[source]	Medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air BVR missile^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	People's Republic of China^[source]
In service	1974–present^[source]	2005-present^[source]
Used by	United States Navy (former) Iranian Air Force^[source]	People's Liberation Army Air Force People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force Pakistan Air Force Myanmar Air Force^[source]
Designer	Hughes Aircraft Company^[source]	—
Designed	1960–1966^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Hughes Aircraft Company Raytheon Corporation^[source]	—
Unit cost	US$ 477,131 (1974 FY)^[source]	—
Produced	1966-1993^[source]	—
Warhead	AIM-54A/B - HE continuous rod AIM-54C – HE Mk 82; WDU‐29/B continuous rod^[source]	—
Detonation mechanism	Proximity fuze^[source]	—
Engine	Solid propellant rocket motor^[source]	Dual thrust solid fuel rocket^[source]
Flight ceiling	103,500 ft (31.5 km)^[source]	—
Guidance system	Semi-active radar homing and terminal phase active radar homing^[source]	Active radar homing^[source]
Launch platform	Grumman F-14 Tomcat^[source]	Aircraft^[source]
References	Janes^[source]	—
Reported operators	Reported operator · Iran	—

FORCETALLY

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AIM-54 Phoenix

PL-12

Type

Long range BVR air-to-air missile^[source]

Medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air BVR missile^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

People's Republic of China^[source]

In service

1974–present^[source]

2005-present^[source]

Used by

United States Navy (former) Iranian Air Force^[source]

People's Liberation Army Air Force People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force Pakistan Air Force Myanmar Air Force^[source]

Designer

Hughes Aircraft Company^[source]

—

Designed

1960–1966^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Hughes Aircraft Company Raytheon Corporation^[source]

—

Unit cost

US$ 477,131 (1974 FY)^[source]

—

Produced

1966-1993^[source]

—

Warhead

AIM-54A/B - HE continuous rod AIM-54C – HE Mk 82; WDU‐29/B continuous rod^[source]

—

Detonation mechanism

Proximity fuze^[source]

—

Engine

Solid propellant rocket motor^[source]

Dual thrust solid fuel rocket^[source]

Flight ceiling

103,500 ft (31.5 km)^[source]

—

Guidance system

Semi-active radar homing and terminal phase active radar homing^[source]

Active radar homing^[source]

Launch platform

Grumman F-14 Tomcat^[source]

Aircraft^[source]

References

Janes^[source]

—

Reported operators

Reported operator · Iran

—