| PL-9 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Short-range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | c. 1989 |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC) Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factory Xi’an Eastern Machinery Factory |
| Produced | 1989—present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 123kg (PL-9) 115kg (PL-9C) |
| Length | 2.9m (PL-9/C) |
| Diameter | 0.157m (PL-9C) |
| Wingspan | 0.856m (PL-9C) |
| Warhead | 11.8kg blast-frag, or expanding rod (RF-fuse) |
Detonation mechanism | laser proximity fuse |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 15km (PL-9) 22km (PL-9C, air-to-air) >8km (DK-9, surface-to-air) |
| Flight altitude | 4.5km (surface-to-air) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2+[1] |
Guidance system | multi-element infrared |
Launch platform | Aircraft, helicopter gunships, ground-launched |
The PL-9 (Chinese: 霹雳-9; pinyin: Pī Lì-9; lit. 'Thunderbolt-9') is a short-range, infrared-homing air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by the People's Republic of China.