Chapter 1188 New Generation Air-to-Air Missiles

After Liu Tao left Guifei Group, he came to QJ City.

Qujing Military Production Base, a military factory, produces air-to-air missiles.

There are six air-to-air missile production factories under the China Southern Ordnance Industry Group Corporation, producing three types of air-to-air missiles: PL-8 (PL-8, PLC-8), PL-12 (PL-12, PLC), and PL-15 (PL-15, PLC-15).

Among them, PL-8 (PL-8) is a short-range air-to-air missile for the Chinese Air Force. It is 2.87 meters long, weighs 85.5 kilograms, has a maximum speed of 2.5 Mach, a warhead weight of 10 kilograms, a maximum range of 18 kilometers, and uses passive infrared guidance.

PL-8 (PLC-8) is an export-type short-range air-to-air missile, and its performance is about 70% to 80% of that of the self-use type.

PL-12 is a medium-range air-to-air missile for the Chinese Air Force. It is 3.85m long, 0.203m in diameter, 674mm in wingspan, 160kg in weight, 90km in maximum range, 25km in maximum combat altitude, 4Mach in maximum speed, and 38G in maximum overload. It uses a mid-course radar semi-active/data link guidance + terminal radar active guidance system.

PL-12 (PLC-12) is an export model, with performance about 70% to 80% of that of the self-use model.

PL-15 is a long-range air-to-air missile for the Chinese Air Force. It is 4.32m long, 203mm in diameter, 260kg in weight, 180km in maximum range, and close to 5Mach in maximum terminal speed.

In the Iraq War, the PL-8 short-range air-to-air missile, the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missile, and the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile were very powerful and shot down many joint force air force aircraft and "Tomahawk" cruise missiles.

These three missiles have been in existence for 17 years.

Their excellent performance has been well received by air forces of various countries.

However, no matter what, after so long, their performance is still not advanced enough.

This time, Liu Tao came to upgrade these two air-to-air missiles and develop a long-range air-to-air missile.

The upgrade direction of the PL-8 is to improve the guidance method, computer system, fuel, etc.

The guidance method has been upgraded from passive infrared guidance to infrared countermeasures plus advanced inertial navigation systems, strengthening the guidance method and enhancing anti-interference capabilities.

After strengthening the guidance method, the "photoelectric tracking head" automatically and continuously searches for targets in the pilot's judgment area after launch, automatically discovers targets, and automatically locks targets.

The computer system was upgraded, and the computer power was 100 times higher than before. In order to solve the overheating problem of the missile computer, he simplified the calculation method and shortened the calculation time.

In terms of fuel, a solid rocket engine was used, which made its speed reach Mach 3.

As for the warhead, the performance of the explosive was enhanced, making the high-explosive fragmentation warhead more powerful whether it was close-range or impact.

The maximum range was increased to 26 kilometers.

This short-range air-to-air missile was named PL-9 by Liu Tao, and it is also a new generation of short-range air-to-air missiles in China.

PL-9 will be mainly equipped on the J-10 series fighters, J-11 series fighters, Sea Eagle carrier-based aircraft, and J-20 fighters.

For the upgrade of the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missile, the performance of the solid rocket engine was improved, so that the acceleration ability of the missile was improved, so that it only took more than three seconds to reach a speed of Mach 4. In addition, the range was increased from 90 kilometers to 180 kilometers.

In addition, the original guidance performance was enhanced, and a two-way data link and Beidou navigation device were added. This allows the missile to send back its status information to the carrier, early warning aircraft, and satellite after launch.

At the same time, Liu Tao strengthened the anti-interference capability of the air-to-air missile.

And this medium-range air-to-air missile, Liu Tao named it PL-13.

In addition to upgrading short-range air-to-air missiles and medium-range air-to-air missiles, Liu Tao began to upgrade long-range air-to-air missiles.

The upgrade direction of long-range air-to-air missiles includes solid engines, guidance methods, warhead methods, etc.

The upgraded solid engine and dual-pulse solid engine allow the missile to reach Mach 6 in just five seconds, and the maximum range is 400 kilometers.

The guidance performance is upgraded, equipped with an active phased array radar seeker and inertial guidance, and a two-way data link and Beidou navigation device are added to enhance the anti-interference capability. At the same time, the performance of the missile computer has been improved by more than a hundred times.

The warhead has become smaller, but the explosion power and impact power have not become smaller, but have become larger.

The upgraded missile was named PL-16 by Liu Tao.

The optimization effect of this air-to-air missile is still very obvious.

These new air-to-air missiles will basically not be exported in the next 10 years, but will be equipped to the troops.

After printing out the information of PL-9 short-range air-to-air missile, PL-13 medium-range air-to-air missile, and PL-16 long-range air-to-air missile, Liu Tao arranged for the air-to-air missile factory to produce them.

First produce a batch as a test, let the troops test, accumulate data, and wait until the test is almost done, and then mass production will be carried out.

As long as the production is confirmed, the troops only need to purchase it. In a few years, the production capacity of these three new missiles can produce tens of thousands of missiles per year.

After all, now China has a complete industrial system, extremely strong production capacity, and a very fast production capacity increase.

Of course, this does not mean that the original air-to-air missiles will not be produced. The original air-to-air missiles will still be produced, because the number of air-to-air missiles exported each year is still amazing.

Every Zhuhai Air Show, the orders for PL-8 and PL-12 missiles will be very considerable.

As for air-to-air missiles, as long as the fighter jets of Panshan Group are purchased, air-to-air missiles will inevitably be introduced, and they will be introduced every year, because as long as the fighter jets are in training, air-to-air missiles will inevitably be consumed.

If there is no training in normal times, there is no time for training in war.

And how many air-to-air missiles are consumed each year, how many air-to-air missiles need to be replenished.

Although each country will not purchase too much, the problem is that the cumulative amount of multiple countries is considerable.

The price of a PL-8 (PLC-8) is 60,000 US dollars, which is 240,000 RMB. If 1,000 missiles are exported a year, that is 240 million RMB.

The price of a PLC-12 is 450,000 US dollars, or 1.8 million RMB. If 500 are exported a year, it will be 900 million RMB.

And this price has been maintained for many years without any increase.

Of course, exporting aircraft is definitely more profitable, but the problem is that even a small amount of money is still money.

In this regard, he accepts all comers.

After all, Panshan Group is a large company with so many employees. The monthly salary is an astronomical figure. As the helmsman, he is under great pressure.

After dealing with this matter, he left, but did not return to Kunming City, but went to the Malong Military Training Base.

At present, there is a synthetic brigade stationed at the Malong Military Training Base all year round, and more than 12 brigades are accepted every year for tactical exercises, and the largest scale can reach the scale of military divisions.

Liu Tao came here not because there was a live-fire exercise here, but a group of employees of Panshan Group this year were here to receive military training with the freshmen of the 2004 class of Southwest Associated University.

Since the 1980s, Panshan Group has provided training to new employees before they join the company, and military training is part of the training. (End of this chapter)