PL-9

35g ( PL -9) 40 g ( PL- 9C)

The PL -9 is China's most advanced infrared -guided dogfight missile for short distances fight the third generation.

History

The development of the missile began in 1986 in parallel with the development of technically comparable PL -8 and builds on the previous models PL -5 and PL -7. The fact that China has made the development of two very similar missiles, probably the fact is due to that the agreement to license production of the Israeli Python 3 as the basis of the PL -8 prohibited the export of the weapon so that the infrared seeker of the PL -8 was installed in an airframe domestic design. On the export market, the PL -9 has been available since 1989; it came so far but to no business. It is - if at all - only a small number of air combat missiles in domestic service. Based on the PL- 9 is a surface to air missile, which was first publicly presented at the Paris Air Show in 1991 and from then improved in version PL- 9C (or DK -9 was taken at the " bycatch Industrial Company " ) was provided a lower number in the service of the Chinese air defense, and also unsuccessfully offered on the export market.

Specifications

Externally, the PL -9, the Python 3 is similar, but has only about a third of the reach of Israeli weapon and differs in type and arrangement of control surfaces, rather similar to the arrangement at the American AIM-9 Sidewinder. The steering of the PL -9 functions in a similar manner as in the Sidewinder control surfaces forward and the roles controlling masses in the tail fins. It has a liquid nitrogen cooled infrared homing head, which enables detection of a target in every aspect (back, front, side and all angles in between).