CM-501 vs PL-15: Specs Compared

AMissiles

CM-501

anti-ship , anti-tank , land-attack missile / loitering munition

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

CM-501CM-501X

3.2 m

Length source ↗

PL-15PL-15E

3.996 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

12 of 21 rows sourced on both sides

3.2mCM-501X

4mPL-15E

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2 m

CM-501GA

Single source

3.2 m

CM-501X

Single source

2 m

CM-501XA

Single source

CM-501GA: 2 m (6.6 ft) CM-501X: 3.2 m (10 ft) CM-501XA: 2 m (6.6 ft)^[source]

3.996 m

PL-15E

Single source

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

—

203mmPL-15E

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.203 m

PL-15E

Single source

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

170kgCM-501X

200–230kg(PL-15) ≤

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

150 kg

CM-501G

Single source

100 kg

CM-501GA

Single source

170 kg

CM-501X

Single source

100 kg

CM-501XA

Single source

45 kg

CM-502

Single source

CM-501G: 150 kg (330 lb) CM-501GA: 100 kg (220 lb) CM-501X: 170 kg (370 lb) CM-501XA: 100 kg (220 lb) CM-502: 45 kg (99 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]

70kmOperational; CM-501G

150–200kmOperational; PL-15

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

25 km

Operational; CM-5012

Single source

70 km

Operational; CM-501G

Single source

40 km

Operational; CM-501GA

Single source

70 km

Operational; CM-501X/XA

Single source

CM-501G: 70 km (43 mi) CM-501GA: 40 km (25 mi) CM-501X/XA: 70 km (43 mi) CM-5012: 25 km (16 mi)^[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

CM-501 and PL-15 configuration
Specification	CM-501	PL-15
Speed	CM-502: Mach 1.1^[source]	Mach 5+^[source]
Type	anti-ship , anti-tank , land-attack missile / loitering munition^[source]	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	China^[source]	People's Republic of China^[source]
In service	2019-present^[source]	2016–present^[source]
Used by	People's Liberation Army^[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
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)^[source]	China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]
Unit cost	depends on models^[source]	—
Produced	2010s-present^[source]	—
Warhead	CM-501G: 40 kg (88 lb) HE CM-501GA: 20 kg (44 lb) HE CM-501X: 20 kg (44 lb) HE CM-501XA: 8.5 kg (19 lb) HE CM-502: 11 kg (24 lb) HE/SAP-HE^[source]	—
Detonation mechanism	Impact / Proximity / Semi-armor-piercing^[source]	—
Engine	CM-501G/GA/CM-502: solid-fuel rocket CM-501X/XA: turbojet with rocket booster^[source]	Dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket^[source]
Propellant	solid fuel^[source]	—
Guidance system	All variant: Datalink + Satellite + INS CM-501G: Combined IIR , SAL CM-501GA: Combined IIR , TV CM-501X/XA: TV / IIR / passive radar / combined IIR with mmW CM-502: TV/ IIR /SAL^[source]	Active radar homing^[source]
Launch platform	Air-launched, vertical launch system on ground, naval vehicles.^[source]	J-20 , J-35 , J-10C , J-15T , J-16 , J-11BG , JF-17 Block-3^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · China Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Turkmenistan	—

FORCETALLY

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CM-501

PL-15

Speed

CM-502: Mach 1.1^[source]

Mach 5+^[source]

Type

anti-ship , anti-tank , land-attack missile / loitering munition^[source]

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

Place of origin

China^[source]

People's Republic of China^[source]

In service

2019-present^[source]

2016–present^[source]

Used by

People's Liberation Army^[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

Manufacturer

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)^[source]

China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]

Unit cost

depends on models^[source]

—

Produced

2010s-present^[source]

—

Warhead

CM-501G: 40 kg (88 lb) HE CM-501GA: 20 kg (44 lb) HE CM-501X: 20 kg (44 lb) HE CM-501XA: 8.5 kg (19 lb) HE CM-502: 11 kg (24 lb) HE/SAP-HE^[source]

—

Detonation mechanism

Impact / Proximity / Semi-armor-piercing^[source]

—

Engine

CM-501G/GA/CM-502: solid-fuel rocket CM-501X/XA: turbojet with rocket booster^[source]

Dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket^[source]

Propellant

solid fuel^[source]

—

Guidance system

All variant: Datalink + Satellite + INS CM-501G: Combined IIR , SAL CM-501GA: Combined IIR , TV CM-501X/XA: TV / IIR / passive radar / combined IIR with mmW CM-502: TV/ IIR /SAL^[source]

Active radar homing^[source]

Launch platform

Air-launched, vertical launch system on ground, naval vehicles.^[source]

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

Reported operators

Reported operator · China
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · Turkmenistan

—