Brimstone (missile) vs PL-15: Specs Compared

AMissiles

Brimstone (missile)

Air-to-surface missile Surface-to-surface 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

Brimstone (missile)Length

1.8 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

1.8m

4mPL-15E

Length

All recorded figures & sources

1.8 m

Length

Single source

1.8 m (71 in)^[source]

3.996 m

PL-15E

Single source

399.6 cm (13 ft 1.3 in) (PL-15E)^[source]

180mm

203mmPL-15E

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.18 m

Diameter

Single source

180 mm (7.1 in)^[source]

0.203 m

PL-15E

Single source

20.3 cm (8.0 in) (PL-15E)^[source]

50kg

200–230kg(PL-15) ≤

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

50 kg

Mass

Single source

50 kg (110 lb)^[source]

200–230 kg

(PL-15) ≤

Single source

210 kg

PL-15E

Single source

200–230 kg (441–507 lb) (PL-15) ≤210 kg (463 lb) (PL-15E)^[source]

1,620km/hMaximum; Supersonic, ~ ~ Mach 1.3

Mach 5+

Speed

All recorded figures & sources

1,620 km/h

Maximum; Supersonic, ~ ~ Mach 1.3

Single source

Supersonic, ~450 m/s (~ Mach 1.3)^[source]

Mach 5+^[source]

12km

150–200kmOperational; PL-15

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

12 km

Operational; Brimstone I 20+ km (12+ mi) from fixed wing from rotor wing Brimstone II 60+ km (37+ mi) from fixed wing, 40+ km (25+ mi) from rotor wing

Single source

Brimstone I 20+ km (12+ mi) from fixed wing, 12 km (7.5 mi) from rotor wing Brimstone II 60+ km (37+ mi) from fixed wing, 40+ km (25+ mi) from rotor wing^[source]

150–200 km

Operational; PL-15

Single source

145 km

Operational; PL-15E

Single source

150–200 km (93–124 mi) (PL-15) 145 km (90 mi) (PL-15E)^[source]

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

Configuration

Details

Brimstone (missile) and PL-15 configuration
Specification	Brimstone (missile)	PL-15
Type	Air-to-surface missile Surface-to-surface missile^[source]	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	United Kingdom^[source]	People's Republic of China^[source]
In service	2005^[source]	2016–present^[source]
Used by	Royal Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force German Air Force Armed Forces of Ukraine^[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	Operation Telic Operation Herrick Operation Ellamy Operation Shader Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]	—
Designer	GEC-Marconi^[source]	—
Designed	1996^[source]	—
Manufacturer	MBDA UK , Henlow^[source]	China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]
Unit cost	(Dual mode variant) £105,000/unit £175,000 inc. development^[source]	—
Produced	1999^[source]	—
Variants	Single mode Dual mode sensor Brimstone 2 Brimstone 3^[source]	—
Warhead	6.3 kg (14 lb) HEAT tandem shaped warhead^[source]	—
Detonation mechanism	Crush (impact) fuze Command fuze^[source]	—
Engine	Solid-fuel rocket^[source]	Dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket^[source]
Guidance system	94-GHz millimetric-wave active radar homing and INS autopilot; dual-mode, II, and III adds laser guidance^[source]	Active radar homing^[source]
Steering system	Flight control surfaces^[source]	—
Accuracy	Sub-1 m CEP^[source]	—
Launch platform	Tornado GR4 Eurofighter Typhoon Hydra drone (UK) (under development) Protector (planned)^[source]	J-20 , J-35 , J-10C , J-15T , J-16 , J-11BG , JF-17 Block-3^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Brimstone (missile)

PL-15

Type

Air-to-surface missile Surface-to-surface missile^[source]

Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]

Place of origin

United Kingdom^[source]

People's Republic of China^[source]

In service

2005^[source]

2016–present^[source]

Used by

Royal Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force German Air Force Armed Forces of Ukraine^[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

Operation Telic Operation Herrick Operation Ellamy Operation Shader Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]

—

Designer

GEC-Marconi^[source]

—

Designed

1996^[source]

—

Manufacturer

MBDA UK , Henlow^[source]

China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]

Unit cost

(Dual mode variant) £105,000/unit £175,000 inc. development^[source]

—

Produced

1999^[source]

—

Variants

Single mode Dual mode sensor Brimstone 2 Brimstone 3^[source]

—

Warhead

6.3 kg (14 lb) HEAT tandem shaped warhead^[source]

—

Detonation mechanism

Crush (impact) fuze Command fuze^[source]

—

Engine

Solid-fuel rocket^[source]

Dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket^[source]

Guidance system

94-GHz millimetric-wave active radar homing and INS autopilot; dual-mode, II, and III adds laser guidance^[source]

Active radar homing^[source]

Steering system

Flight control surfaces^[source]

—

Accuracy

Sub-1 m CEP^[source]

—

Launch platform

Tornado GR4 Eurofighter Typhoon Hydra drone (UK) (under development) Protector (planned)^[source]

J-20 , J-35 , J-10C , J-15T , J-16 , J-11BG , JF-17 Block-3^[source]