PL-15 vs R-73 (missile): Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

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AMissiles

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

BMissiles

R-73 (missile)

Short-range air-to-air missile

Credit

Vitaly V. Kuzmin · 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

PL-15PL-15E

3.996 m

Length source ↗

R-73 (missile)Length

2.93 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

13 of 48 rows sourced on both sides

4mPL-15E

2.93m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

3.996 m

PL-15E

Single source

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

2.93 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

PL-15 and R-73 (missile) configuration
Specification	PL-15	R-73 (missile)
Speed	Mach 5+^[source]	Mach 2.5^[source]
Type	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]	Short-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	People's Republic of China^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
In service	2016–present^[source]	1984–present^[source]

Manufacturer	China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA)^[source]	Moscow Kommunar Machine-Building Plant , Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing , TAM Management^[source]

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

Guidance system	Active radar homing^[source]	All-aspect infrared homing^[source]

Launch platform	J-20 , J-35 , J-10C , J-15T , J-16 , J-11BG , JF-17 Block-3^[source]	MiG-21 (Upgraded), MiG-23-98 , MiG-25 , MiG-27 , MiG-29 , MiG-31 , MiG-35 Sukhoi Su-24 , Su-25 , Su-27 , Su-30 , Su-33 , Su-34 , Su-35 , Sukhoi Su-57 , Sukhoi Su-47 Yak-141 , Yak-130 HAL Tejas IRIAF F-14 J-10 J-11 Mirage 2000 ( Indian Air Force ) MAGURA V5 USV ( HUR Ukraine ) 9K33 Osa Gravehawk^[source]

Used by	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	See Operators^[source]

Used by

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

See Operators^[source]

Wars	—	Eritrean-Ethiopian War Yemeni civil war (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]

Warhead	—	7.4 kilograms (16 lb)^[source]

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