AIM-54 Phoenix vs PL-8 (missile): 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-8 (missile)

Short-range air-to-air missile Surface-to-air missile (land-based version)

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

AIM-54 PhoenixLength

3.9 m

Length source ↗

PL-8 (missile)Length

2.95 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

AIM-54 Phoenixlarger figure on 3 of 3

Length+32%
Wingspan+13%
Diameter+138%

PL-8 (missile)larger figure on 0 of 3

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

18 of 26 rows sourced on both sides

3.9m

2.95m

Length+32%

All recorded figures & sources

3.9 m

Length

Single source

12 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (3.9 m)^[source]

2.95 m

Length

Single source

2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)^[source]

900mm

800mm

Wingspan+13%

All recorded figures & sources

0.9 m

Wingspan

Single source

2 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (0.9 m)^[source]

0.8 m

Wingspan

Single source

800 mm (31 in)^[source]

380mm

160mm

Diameter+138%

All recorded figures & sources

0.38 m

Diameter

Single source

15 in (380 mm)^[source]

0.16 m

Diameter

Single source

160 mm (6 in)^[source]

460kgAIM-54C

115kg

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]

115 kg

Mass

Single source

115 kg (254 lb)^[source]

6,145km/h

≈ Mach 3.5

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 3.5^[source]

184kmOperational; AIM-54C

20kmOperational; 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]

20 km

Operational; Operational range

Single source

20 km (12 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-8 (missile) configuration
Specification	AIM-54 Phoenix	PL-8 (missile)
Type	Long range BVR air-to-air missile^[source]	Short-range air-to-air missile Surface-to-air missile (land-based version)^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	China^[source]
In service	1974–present^[source]	1988 to present^[source]
Used by	United States Navy (former) Iranian Air Force^[source]	China^[source]
Designer	Hughes Aircraft Company^[source]	—
Designed	1960–1966^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Hughes Aircraft Company Raytheon Corporation^[source]	Xi'an Eastern Machinery Factory and CATIC^[source]
Unit cost	US$ 477,131 (1974 FY)^[source]	—
Produced	1966-1993^[source]	PL-8A: 1988 to 1990’s^[source]
Warhead	AIM-54A/B - HE continuous rod AIM-54C – HE Mk 82; WDU‐29/B continuous rod^[source]	11 kg (24 lb) high explosive^[source]
Detonation mechanism	Proximity fuze^[source]	Impact / Proximity^[source]
Engine	Solid propellant rocket motor^[source]	Solid rocket^[source]
Flight ceiling	103,500 ft (31.5 km)^[source]	21 km (13 mi)^[source]
Guidance system	Semi-active radar homing and terminal phase active radar homing^[source]	Passive infrared homing^[source]
Launch platform	Grumman F-14 Tomcat^[source]	Aerial and ground^[source]
References	Janes^[source]	—
Propellant	—	Solid fuel^[source]
Flight altitude	—	.5 km (0.31 mi) minimum^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Iran	—

FORCETALLY

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AIM-54 Phoenix

PL-8 (missile)

Type

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

Short-range air-to-air missile Surface-to-air missile (land-based version)^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

China^[source]

In service

1974–present^[source]

1988 to present^[source]

Used by

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

China^[source]

Designer

Hughes Aircraft Company^[source]

—

Designed

1960–1966^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Hughes Aircraft Company Raytheon Corporation^[source]

Xi'an Eastern Machinery Factory and CATIC^[source]

Unit cost

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

—

Produced

1966-1993^[source]

PL-8A: 1988 to 1990’s^[source]

Warhead

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

11 kg (24 lb) high explosive^[source]

Detonation mechanism

Proximity fuze^[source]

Impact / Proximity^[source]

Engine

Solid propellant rocket motor^[source]

Solid rocket^[source]

Flight ceiling

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

21 km (13 mi)^[source]

Guidance system

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

Passive infrared homing^[source]

Launch platform

Grumman F-14 Tomcat^[source]

Aerial and ground^[source]

References

Janes^[source]

—

Propellant

—

Solid fuel^[source]

Flight altitude

—

.5 km (0.31 mi) minimum^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · Iran

—