PAF’s JF-17s Now Carry Long-Range Missiles With Hundreds of Kilometers Range

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has officially confirmed the integration of long-range PL-15 missiles with its JF-17 Block III fighter jets, marking a significant boost to the country’s aerial combat capabilities.

According to a report by Janes, a trusted defense intelligence outlet, the PAF revealed video footage showing a JF-17 Block III armed with four PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs). The imagery appeared in a PAF video on combat readiness, published on the service’s official YouTube channel on April 29.

Janes notes that while Pakistan had already acquired its first batch of PL-15s in 2021, this is the first visual confirmation of their operational integration with the JF-17 Block III. The Block III variant was earlier reported by Janes to have entered PAF service in 2023.

The PL-15, developed by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), is a next-generation missile featuring an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system.

With a top speed of Mach 4 and an estimated range of up to 300 kilometers, it far outpaces the older PL-12 model it replaces.

The same PAF video also showed a J-10C fighter jet in a green-grey camouflage scheme outfitted with PL-15 missiles mounted on dual-launch wing hardpoints—an indication of its maritime strike role, previously reported by Janes.