Following the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025, reports suggest Pakistan is seeking to acquire China's next-generation PL-17 long-range missile.
This move comes after its currently equipped PL-15E air-to-air missile failed to achieve any confirmed kills against the Indian Air Force (IAF), exposing limitations in its performance when faced with India's advanced electronic warfare capabilities.
The situation has created a new strategic challenge, prompting the Indian defence establishment to accelerate plans to counter the emerging threat of extremely long-range aerial weapons and maintain air superiority in the region.
Operation Sindoor and the PL-15E's Ineffective Debut
The aerial engagements took place during "Operation Sindoor," a retaliatory strike launched by Indian forces on May 6-7, 2025. The operation was a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in 26 civilian casualties.In a coordinated tri-service effort, India targeted nine camps associated with terrorist groups Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), using indigenous systems like BrahMos cruise missiles and Akashteer air defence.
In response, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attempted to intercept Indian aircraft by launching several Chinese-made PL-15E beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) from its J-10C and JF-17 Block III fighters.
The PL-15E, with a stated range of 145 km and an advanced AESA radar seeker, is the export version of China's PL-15 missile and represents the most potent weapon in the PAF's current arsenal.
However, despite its on-paper advantages, the PL-15E failed to achieve any confirmed kills. Indian defence sources indicate that the missiles were successfully defeated by the advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems of the IAF.
The French-made Rafale's SPECTRA suite and the Israeli-supplied EL/M-8222 jamming pods on the Su-30MKI were reportedly able to disrupt the PL-15E's guidance systems.
Tactical errors, such as firing the missiles at their maximum range without adequate support from airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, further degraded their accuracy and allowed IAF pilots to evade the threats.
A New Threat: The PL-17 'AWACS Killer'
Having learned from the PL-15E's limitations, Pakistan is reportedly fast-tracking plans to acquire the formidable PL-17.This weapon represents a significant leap in capability. Unlike the PL-15E's conventional rocket motor, the PL-17 is believed to be powered by a ramjet engine, giving it a staggering estimated range of up to 400 km.
The missile is not designed for traditional dogfights but as a strategic weapon to eliminate an adversary's most critical assets.
Its primary targets would be the IAF's force multipliers: aircraft like the Phalcon AWACS, which provide battlefield surveillance and command, and the IL-78 mid-air refuelling tankers that extend the range of fighter jets.
By threatening these high-value aircraft from hundreds of kilometres away, the PL-17 could severely hamper the IAF's operational capacity in a future conflict.
India's Counter-Strategy and Future Preparedness
The events of Operation Sindoor, while a tactical success for India, served as a crucial learning experience.The deployment of the PL-15E, though unsuccessful, forced the IAF to adapt its tactics and underscored the growing challenge from advanced Chinese weaponry in the region.
The potential acquisition of the PL-17 by Pakistan represents a significant escalation of this threat.
In response, India is expected to fast-track its own indigenous weapons programs, such as the Astra series of air-to-air missiles, and enhance its EW capabilities.
For the IAF, developing a proactive strategy to counter these "very long-range" threats is now a top priority to ensure it can protect its strategic assets and maintain dominance in the skies over the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC).
