The SD-10 air-to-air missile is an improved version of the PL-12 active radar medium-range missile, and with the export of the JF-17 Thunder fighter to Pakistan, the SD-10 has also become one of the main medium-range missiles of the Pakistani Air Force.
[SD-10A missile]
The SD-10 is highly regarded among Pakistani pilots and is known as a "sprinter", believing that with the right way to use it, the SD-10 is enough to crush all the air-to-air missile models owned by the rival Indian Air Force.
Domestic sword with eagle
Before the SD-10 air-to-air missile was equipped with the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistani Air Force was a traditional user of US-made air-to-air missiles, but considering the balance of military power in South Asia and the relationship between the United States and India, the United States has always had some restrictions on the export of Pakistani radar medium-range missiles.
First, it refused to upgrade the F-16 fighter jets purchased for Pakistan to have the ability to fire AIM-120 active radar medium-range shells, and could only use the AIM-7 guided by semi-active radar.
[Pakistani F-16]
Later, Pakistan finally got its hands on the AIM-120 and was told that it could not be used in Kashmir, where the conflict between India and Pakistan was most intense.
What's more, the United States has also been selling its own fighter jets to India, and has also made it clear that it will provide the same AIM-120 missiles as Pakistan, which will obviously make the Pakistani Air Force targeted by the Indian Air Force.
【AIM-120C】
But with the SD-17 active radar medium-range bomb equipped with the JF-10 Thunder fighter, Pakistan has obtained the coveted advanced radar bomb.
The comprehensive level of SD-10 has surpassed the AIM-120A / B and reached the level of AIM-120C.
The SD-10 has practically reached the performance standards of the world's top medium-range air-to-air missiles.
【SD-10A】
The performance of the active radar medium-range missile is mainly determined by the three core technologies: First, the radar seeker of the missile is good enough, and the earlier the start-up time, the sooner the missile carrier aircraft can end the guidance of the airborne radar.
Begin to perform defensive maneuvers such as a three-nine switchback or F-POLE to avoid being hit by missiles fired by the opposing side.
The second is the aerodynamic design of the missile, simply put, the smaller the drag, the better the acceleration of the missile, the better the storage velocity, and the higher the energy left for the terminal maneuver, AIM-120 is a leader in this regard, its miniaturization is very good, and the diameter of the bomb is smaller than the PL-12 of the mainland and the R-77 of Russia.
The third is the engine technology of missiles, such as AIM-120 and SD-10, both use solid rocket engines, not to mention that the rocket engine will turn off after a few seconds of operation, but it is enough to accelerate the missile to several Machs, which is why Pakistani pilots call them sprinters.
【SD-10A】
After the SD-10 was equipped with the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistani fighter finally obtained excellent BVR over-the-horizon combat capability, and the missile was subsequently improved and upgraded to the SD-10A missile, and its combat capability is close to that of the AIM-120C7.
Coupled with the technical superiority of the Thunder in fire control radar, the over-the-horizon combat capability of the Thunder fighter equipped by the Pakistan Air Force has steadily surpassed the Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force.
Chinese missiles that never stop
The combination of the SD-10A air-to-air missile and the JF-17 fighter is the world's top BVR configuration, but with the implementation of the Thunder III upgrade project and the J-10CE introduction project, the Pakistani Air Force has obtained another more advanced missile, the PL-15E.
[PL-15E missile]
PL-15E is the PLA's own version of the PL-15 missile export model, the official maximum range of the missile is 145 kilometers, which is nearly double the previous SD-10A, it is said that the self-use version of the PL-15 can reach a maximum range of 200 kilometers.
You must know that even the most mainstream AIM-120C7 on American-made fighters has an extreme range of only 120 kilometers, and Chinese missiles have actually overtaken American missiles.
Coupled with the fact that both the Thunder 3 and the J-10CE have obtained better performance active phased array radars (AESA), the combination of Chinese fighters and missiles has actually overwhelmed American-made fighters and missiles.
【Thunder Dragon Fighter】
In 2024, the Pakistani Air Force took the JF-17 BLCOK III to the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries to participate in joint military exercises.
In fact, whether it is Saudi Arabia's F-15SA or Qatar's F-15QA, they are the top customized version of the F-15, which is more powerful than the U.S. Air Force's own F-15C MSIP II.
Coupled with the huge advantage of heavy aircraft in terms of production capacity, the countries of the Middle East did not think that they would be at a disadvantage beforehand.
【F-15SA】
The KLJ-7A radar of the Thunder 3 is at the same level as the AN/APG-63 (V)3 of the F-15SA in terms of detection range, and it is an active phased array radar, with a maximum detection range of 160 to 170 kilometers.
But the problem is that the range of the AIM-120C7 carried by the F-15SA is 25 kilometers shorter than that of the PL-15E, which means that the Thunder can fire before the enemy and gain a huge first-mover advantage.
The reason why the PL-15E can far surpass the US missile in range is that it solves the problem of a short power section of a solid rocket engine and is equipped with a new dual-pulse solid rocket engine to achieve a combination of long power section and high specific impulse.
[PL-15E missile]
Interestingly, the idea of a dual-pulse solid rocket engine was originally proposed by the Americans, who claimed that this technology was used in the AIM-120D.
As a result, it was not until the PL-15 began to equip the troops that the Americans admitted that the AIM-120D was not equipped with a dual-pulse rocket engine, at least until the legendary AIM-260 came out.
This also means that the mainland's medium-range air-to-air missiles have actually formed a certain cross-generational advantage over American products.
[PL-15E missile]
With the super radar of domestic fighters, the lethality of Chinese fighters and radars can be said to be unique in the world.
Sources:
【1】AIM-120 AMRAAM Air-to-Air Missile．Military-today [引用日期2023-03-10]
[2] Jane's: Thunderbolt-15 missiles are installed in the Chinese Air Force. Popular Science China [Citation date: 2023-09-08]