PL-5 vs R-73 (missile): Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

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AMissiles

PL-5

Short-range air-to-air missile

Credit

Carlos E. Perez S.L · 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-5PL-5B, PL-5C

3.128 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

19 of 55 rows sourced on both sides

3.13mPL-5B, PL-5C

2.93m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

3.128 m

PL-5B, PL-5C

Single source

2.893 m

PL-5E

Single source

Configuration

Details

PL-5 and R-73 (missile) configuration
Specification	PL-5	R-73 (missile)
Speed	Mach 2.5^[source]	Mach 2.5^[source]
Type	Short-range air-to-air missile^[source]	Short-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	China^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
Manufacturer	Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC), Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factory^[source]

Produced	1982^[source]	—

Warhead	6kg blast-frag , or expanding rod (RF-fuse)^[source]	7.4 kilograms (16 lb)^[source]

Detonation mechanism	Active infrared , laser proximity fuse(PL-5EII)^[source]	—

Engine	Solid-fuel rocket^[source]	Solid-fuel rocket engine^[source]

Guidance system	Infrared homing , multi-element, dual band detector(PL-5EII)^[source]	All-aspect infrared homing^[source]

Launch platform	Aircraft, helicopter gunships^[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]

In service	—	1984–present^[source]

Used by	—	See Operators^[source]

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

Reported operators	Reported operator · Bangladesh Reported operator · China Reported operator · Burma Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Iran Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Sri Lanka Reported operator · Sudan Reported operator · Tanzania Reported operator · Venezuela Reported operator · Zimbabwe	Reported operator · Bangladesh Reported operator · China Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Iran Reported operator · Sudan Reported operator · Venezuela Reported operator · Algeria Reported operator · Angola Reported operator · Armenia Reported operator · Azerbaijan Reported operator · Belarus Reported operator · Bulgaria Reported operator · Cuba Reported operator · Eritrea Reported operator · Ethiopia Reported operator · Georgia Reported operator · India Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Kazakhstan Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Malaysia Reported operator · Mongolia Reported operator · Myanmar Reported operator · Peru Reported operator · Poland Reported operator · Russia Reported operator · Serbia Reported operator · Turkmenistan Reported operator · Uganda Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · Uzbekistan Reported operator · Vietnam