PL-7

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Description

The PL-7 (Chinese: 霹雳-7), a reverse-engineered version of the Matra R550 Magic 1 obtained from Pakistan, is an IR AAM exclusively for Mainland China's export jets and was introduced into the game in Update "Apex Predators".

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

Missile characteristics
Mass 89 kg
Guidance IR
Aspect Rear-aspect
Lock range (rear-aspect) 5.5 km
Launch range 10 km
Maximum speed 3 M
Maximum overload 35 G
Missile guidance time 25 secs
Explosive mass 9.6 kg TNTeq

The overall performance and appearance of the PL-7 is exactly like the Magic 1; all characteristics of the Magic 1 are retained, so players of French jets will soon find themselves at home.

Effective damage

The 6 kg of HBX (at 9.6 kg TNT equivalent) ensures the missile will make short work of enemy aircraft with its explosive content and shrapnel upon explosion; even if the missile doesn't hit the target dead-on, the proximity fuse will make sure the target will have a hard time returning to base.

Comparison with analogues

  • Matra R550 Magic 1 - the missile that the PL-7 is based on, sharing the exact same performance.
  • AIM-9G - one of the most manoeuvrable missile in US service, having impressive burn time but lacking in close range combats.
  • PL-5B - Chinese domestic IR AAM with impressive thrust and slightly less overload.
  • R-60 - Soviet IR AAM with excellent close-range manoeuvrability but lacks the range for farther targets.

Usage in battles

Like its French brother, the PL-7 has high G overload and combat capability within 2.5 km. If players are already used to Magics on French jets, the combination of Warsaw Pact/Chinese jets and NATO weapons will give a unique experience: the limitation of Soviet jets (such as Fishbeds) is a lack of reliable IR AAMs for longer ranges; the PL-7 ensures otherwise, as in most cases, if the enemy doesn't notice the missile or it isn't fooled by flares, the PL-7 will make sure the enemy meets their end quickly with its 35G overload after launch.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Rather high G overload
  • Able to be slaved to aircraft radar
  • No pre-launch overload limit

Cons:

  • Prone to flares
  • Short burn time and high manoeuvrability result in lower range

History

China acquired some examples of the R.550 Magic 1 around the early 1980s, likely from Pakistan who had obtained them alongside their batches of Mirage 5s in 1979 and were unable to domestically produce their own[1], or from Jordan who had also imported them in 1979. Reverse-engineering of the missile was started by Factory 331 (now AECC South Industry) in March 1982, and the new PL-7 missile was the produced in 1985 and passed for certification by April 1987.[2]

Due to its compatibility on both exported PLAAF jets and French jets, some countries such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh acquired PL-7 for their jet fighters while PLAAF opted for the PL-8 (licensed Rafael Python 3) instead. Most of these countries opted for the later PL-5EII as their new missiles, as well as new jets that would eventually replace the launch platforms of PL-7; only Iran is known to still equip these missiles in service as of the late 2010s.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Missiles
USA 
AAM  AIM-54A Phoenix · AIM-54C Phoenix · ATAS (AIM-92)
Sparrow  AIM-7C · AIM-7D · AIM-7E · AIM-7E-2 · AIM-7F · AIM-7M
Sidewinder  AIM-9B · AIM-9C · AIM-9D · AIM-9E · AIM-9G · AIM-9H · AIM-9J · AIM-9L · AIM-9M · AIM-9P
AGM  AGM-22 · APKWS II (M151) · APKWS II (M282) · BGM-71D TOW-2
Bullpup  AGM-12B Bullpup · AGM-12C Bullpup
Hellfire  AGM-114B Hellfire · AGM-114K Hellfire II
Maverick  AGM-65A · AGM-65B · AGM-65D
ATGM  LOSAT/MGM-166A
TOW  BGM-71 · BGM-71A · BGM-71B · BGM-71C
SAM  FIM-92 Stinger · MIM-72 · MIM146
Naval SAM  RIM-24A
Germany 
AAM  AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder · Flz Lwf 63/80
AGM  9M14M Malyutka · Flz Lwf LB 82 · HOT-1 · HOT-2 TOW · HOT-3 · PARS 3 LR
AShM  AS.34 Kormoran
ATGM  HOT-K3S
SAM  Roland
USSR 
AAM  9M39 Igla · R-3R · R-3S · R-13M1 · R-23R · R-23T · R-24R · R-24T · R-27ER(1) · R-27ET(1) · R-27R(1) · R-27T(1) · R-60 · R-60M · R-60MK · R-73(E)
AGM  9K127 Vikhr · 9M17M Falanga · 9M120 Ataka · 9M120-1 Ataka
  Kh-23M · Kh-25 · Kh-25ML · Kh-29L · Kh-29T · Kh-29TE · Kh-29TD · Kh-66 · S-25L
ATGM  3M7 · 9M14 · 9M113 Konkurs · 9M114 Shturm · 9M123 Khrizantema · 9M133 · 9M133FM3 · 9M133M-2
SAM  95Ya6 · 9M311 · 9M311-1M · 9M331 · 9M37M
Naval SAM  Volna-M
Britain 
AAM  Fireflash · Firestreak · Red Top · Skyflash · Skyflash SuperTEMP · SRAAM
AGM  AS.12 · ZT-6 Mokopa
AShM  AJ.168
ATGM  BAe Swingfire · MILAN · MILAN 2 · ZT3
SAM  Starstreak
Japan 
AAM  AAM-3
AGM  Ki-148 I-Go Model 1B
ATGM  Type 64 MAT · Type 79 Jyu-MAT
SAM  Type 81 SAM-1C · Type 91
China 
AAM  PL-2 · PL-5B · PL-5C · PL-7 · PL-8 · TY-90
AGM  AKD-9 · AKD-10 · HJ-8A · HJ-8C · HJ-8E · HJ-8H
ATGM  302 · HJ-73 · HJ-73E · HJ-9 · QN201DD · QN502CDD
SAM  HN-6
Italy 
AAM  Aspide-1A
AGM  CIRIT · L-UMTAS · Spike ER
ATGM  Spike-LR2MR
Naval AShM  Nettuno
SAM  Mistral SATCP
France 
AAM  AA-20 Nord · Matra R511 · Matra R530 · Matra R530E · Matra Super 530D · Matra Super 530F · Matra R550 Magic 1 · Matra R550 Magic 2 · Mistral
AGM  9M14-2 Malyutka-2 · AS-20 Nord · AS-30 Nord · AS-30L Nord · HOT-1 · HOT-2 TOW · HOT-3 · Spike ER
ATGM  HOT · SS.11
SAM  Roland · VT1
Sweden 
AAM  RB24 · RB24J · RB71 · RB 74 · RB 74(M)
AGM  Rb05A · RB 53 Bantam · RB 55B Heli TOW · RB 55C Heli TOW · RB 75
ATGM  Rbs 55 · Rbs 56
SAM  Rbs 70
Israel 
AAM  Shafrir · Shafrir 2 · Python 3
ATGM  Spike-MR
  AAM = Air-to-Air Missile   AGM = Air-to-Ground Missile   AShM = Anti-Ship Missile   ATGM = Anti-Tank Guided Missile (Ground mounts)   SAM = Surface-to-Air Missile