Astra (missile) vs PL-15: Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

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AMissiles

Astra (missile)

Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile

BMissiles

PL-15

Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile

Credit

颐园居 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Astra (missile)Length

3.84 m

Length source ↗

PL-15PL-15E

3.996 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

13 of 23 rows sourced on both sides

3.84m

4mPL-15E

Length

All recorded figures & sources

3.84 m

Length

Single source

3.84 m (12.6 ft)^[source]

3.996 m

PL-15E

Single source

Configuration

Details

Astra (missile) and PL-15 configuration
Specification	Astra (missile)	PL-15
Speed	Mk-1: Mach 4.5^[source]	Mach 5+^[source]
Type	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	India^[source]	People's Republic of China^[source]
In service	2019 ( 2019 ) –present^[source]	2016–present

Used by	Indian Air Force Indian Navy^[source]	People's Liberation Army Air Force^[source]Operator listed in the retained article; inventory date not specified People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force^[source]Operator listed in the retained article; inventory date not specified Pakistan Air Force^[source]Operator listed in the retained article; inventory date not specified

Used by

Indian Air Force Indian Navy^[source]

People's Liberation Army Air Force^[source]Operator listed in the retained article; inventory date not specified

People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force^[source]Operator listed in the retained article; inventory date not specified

Pakistan Air Force^[source]Operator listed in the retained article; inventory date not specified

Wars	2025 India–Pakistan conflict^[source]	—

Designer	Defence Research and Development Laboratory ( DRDO )^[source]	—

Manufacturer	Bharat Dynamics Limited^[source]	China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]

Unit cost	Mk-1: ₹ 7−8 crore (US$−830,000)^[source]	—

Produced	2017 − Present^[source]	—

Variants	Mk-1 (Operational) Mk-2 (LSP) Mk-3 (Trial-phase) VL-SRSAM (Trial-phase)^[source]	—

Warhead	High-explosive pre- fragmented HMX / PU^[source]	—

Detonation mechanism	Mk-1: Radio proximity fuze Mk-2: Optical proximity fuze^[source]	—

Engine	Mk-1: Solid-propellant rocket Mk-2: Dual-thrust pulsed rocket motor Mk-3: Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet^[source]	Dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket^[source]

Propellant	Solid fuel^[source]	—

Flight ceiling	20 km (66,000 ft)^[source]	—

Guidance system	Mid-course: FOG - INS + Mid-course update via datalink Terminal: ARH^[source]	Active radar homing^[source]

Launch platform	Su-30MKI MiG-29K Tejas Mk.1/1A MiG-29UPG (Trial-phase) HAL Tejas Mk2 (Planned) AMCA (Planned) TEDBF (Planned) Rafale Marine (Planned)^[source]	J-20 , J-35 , J-10C , J-15T , J-16 , J-11BG , JF-17 Block-3^[source]