PL-10 (ASR)

PL-10
Type	Short-range air-to-air missile
Place of origin	People's Republic of China
Production history
Manufacturer	Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC)
Specifications
Weight	89kg
Length	3.0m
Warhead	blast-frag, or expanding rod (RF-fuse)
Detonation mechanism	laser proximity fuse and impact
Engine	Solid-fuel rocket
Operational range	22+km
Guidance system	multi-element imaging infrared
Launch platform	Aircraft

The PL-10 is a short-range, infrared-homing air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by the People's Republic of China. It was designed by Dr. Liang Xiaogeng (梁晓庚) at the Luoyang Electro Optical Center, which is also known as Institute 612 and renamed in 2002 as the China Air-to-Air Guided Missile Research Institute (中国空空导弹研究院). Development of the missile commenced in 2004 for use on stealth fighters such as the J-20.

Design

The missile is fitted with a multi-element IIR seeker capable of +/-90 degree off boresight angles. The missile seeker can be slaved to a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD), allowing the pilot to track a target beyond the aircraft's radar scan envelope using the missile's high off-boresight capability, achieved by the pilot turning his head towards the target to lock-on, better known as “look and shoot”. Flight is controlled by a thrust-vector controlled solid rocket motor and free-moving type control wings on the missile's tail. The central portion of the missile has long, thin strakes, which help maintain missile maneuverability in the terminal homing stage after the rocket motor stops firing.

See also

• Air-to-air missile
• Infra-red homing