K-13 (missile) vs PL-15: Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

AMissiles

K-13 (missile)

Short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile

Credit

cliff1066 · CC BY 2.0 · Resized · CC BY 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

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

K-13 (missile)R-3R

3.48 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 32 rows sourced on both sides

3.48mR-3R

4mPL-15E

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2.83 m

R-13M

Single source

3.48 m

R-3R

Single source

Configuration

Details

K-13 (missile) and PL-15 configuration
Specification	K-13 (missile)	PL-15
Type	Short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile^[source]	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	Soviet Union^[source]	People's Republic of China^[source]
In service	1961^[source]	2016–present^[source]
Used by	See Operators^[source]	People's Liberation Army Air Force

Manufacturer	Vympel^[source]	China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]

Warhead	7.4 kg (16 lb)^[source]	—

Engine	solid-fuel rocket engine^[source]	Dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket^[source]

Guidance system	infrared homing^[source]	Active radar homing^[source]

Launch platform	MiG-21 , MiG-23 , MiG-19 , MiG-17 Sukhoi Su-17/20/22^[source]	J-20 , J-35 , J-10C , J-15T , J-16 , J-11BG , JF-17 Block-3^[source]

Guidance	(R-3S) infrared homing ; (R-3R) SARH^[source]	—

Launch weight	(R-3S) 75 kg (166 lb); (R-3R) 93 kg (205 lb)^[source]	—

Explosive content	5.3 kg (11.68 lbs) of TGAF-5 (40% TNT, 40% RDX, 20% Aluminium powder)^[source]	—

Fuze	type 428 proximity fuze and I-107 Contact fuze (R-3R)^[source]	—

Former operator · Bulgaria	Bulgaria^[source]	—

Former operator · Guinea	Guinea^[source]	—

Reported operators	Reported operator · Angola Reported operator · Bulgaria Reported operator · Congo Reported operator · Cuba Reported operator · Ethiopia Reported operator · Guinea Reported operator · Libya Reported operator · Nigeria Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Peru Reported operator · Sudan	—