Five Eyes nations, France and Japan express interest in obtaining wreckage of Chinese PL-15E missile shot down by India during Operation Sindoor

Days after Indian military displayed the debris of Pakistan’s Chinese PL-15E missile shot down by India’s air defence system, several major global powers have expressed interest in obtaining the parts of missiles. As per reports, the Five Eyes nations along with Japan and France want the wreckage of the PL-15 air-to-air missile fired by Pakistan.

The Five Eyes is a multilateral intelligence-sharing network among five English-speaking countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The alliance focuses on surveillance-based and signals intelligence (SIGINT).

Fragments of the PL-15E missile were recovered by Indian authorities in a field in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur on 9^th May. During the press briefing on 12 May, Air Marshal Bharti revealed that Pakistan used advanced weaponry, including the Chinese PL-15E air-to-air missile to hit targets in India. However, India’s integrated air defence system, including the S-400 and Akaash Teer systems, succeeded in intercepting them before they could hit their targets.

VIDEO | Special Defence Briefing on India-Pakistan military action: DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai says, "Our airfields are operational by all means. The air defence grid failed attack launched by Pakistani drones and weaponised UAVs. Rest of the drones were shot down by our… pic.twitter.com/2LpvlefjDM

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 12, 2025

Visuals of the likely debris of the missile were shown during the press briefing. Indian defence forces also showcased wreckage of long-range rockets, loiter munitions, and unmanned aerial systems, including Turkish-origin YIHA and Songar drones, which were destroyed by India’s air defence systems.

The PL-15 is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by China, designed to engage enemy aircraft at extended ranges. It is an active radar-guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, part of a new generation of Chinese weaponry that showcases the country’s increasing sophistication in military technology, particularly in air combat.

It can reach speed of up to Mach 5 and has a maximum range of about 300 km. However, the range is less in the export version, PL-15E. It has inertial navigation system (INS) with datalink for midcourse updates. The PL-15 has an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar seeker. It is also speculated to have some jam-resistant features and passive homing capabilities. The missile is powered by a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, which provides sustained thrust and extended range. The missile has been integrated with Chine fighter jets J-10C, J-16 and J0-20.

What the wreckage may contain

Notably, one PL-15E missile found in Hoshiarpur was almost intact, and it contain the propulsion system including the dual-pulse motor, two-way DataLink, Active Radar Seeker and inertial reference unit of the missile. Fragmented parts of other PL-15E missiles also have been found in the region.

The missile is one of the most advanced technologies developed by China, and for its global rival, any information about the missile is crucial in countering potential threats from China in the future.

They would provide Five Eyes and other nations valuable insights about the system. The information will be important for France as there are reports that a Rafale jet of IAF was shot down by a PL-15E missile. Similarly, neighbouring Japan will also like to have information about the missile.

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