The PL-12 is an active-radar, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile that is part of the arsenal of fighters in the Chinese tech tree, specifically the J-8F, J-10A, and J-11B. The export variant of the PL-12, the SD-10A, is found on the JF-17. The PL-12 currently modelled in the game, in comparison with other ARH missiles in the same class, is a jack of all trades, master of none. In terms of outright range, the R-77-1 and AIM-120A/B variants are superior to the PL-12, but the PL-12 still can hold its own, especially as the PL-12 performs better at closer ranges than the AIM-120A/Bs. In the upcoming update, however, some changes to the battlefield environment may render the current PL-12 not enough, especially as China will not be receiving a 14.0 fighter as of this update, and the earliest one can come is the update after Leviathans.
Recently, new evidence has come to light (courtesy of player @Yamahagi ) that details sources that may help Gaijin model the performance of the PL-12 more accurately. If changes do occur, the PL-12 and SD-10A will receive a notable increase in range and narrow the gap with the upcoming AIM-120C-5 that will be implemented on the F-15E and rumoured for the Eurofighter. When AIM-120C-5 is finally modelled correctly, it will outperform the AIM-120A/B in both BVR and WVR performance.
One confusing aspect that needs to be addressed before I continue is that SD-10 is actually not the PL-12. The SD-10 shares the same aerodynamic configuration as the PL-12, but it is shorter in length than the PL-12. The SD-10 is 3.85 meters long, while the PL-12 is 3.9 meters long. The PL-12 weighs 200kg, whereas the SD-10 weighs only 180kg. The difference in weight will affect the acceleration (but the PL-12 with more fuel will negate that), and also the resulting inertia will be greater once the motor burns out in the PL-12’s case, as well as ever so slightly lower drag from the length increase.
The SD-10 was developed before the PL-12 and has less performance in terms of range. The SD-10A is actually the PL-12 and shares the same characteristics as it.
“Authoritative Report on China’s Most Advanced Active Radar Air-to-Air Missile - Interview with SD-10 Deputy Chief Designer Liang Xiaogeng” [J]. Ordnance Industry Science Technology, 2004(5):17-23.
SD-10 measures 3.85m in length, 0.203m in diameter, 0.674m wingspan, with total weight of 180kg. Operational altitude 0-25km, maximum speed ~Mach 4 (achieving 38G maximum usable overload at Mach 4/6,000m altitude). At 10km altitude with 1.2 Mach head-on engagement, maximum launch distance reaches 70km (this is the shared criteria used by China for evaluating the range performance of all BVR missiles)
In addition, the source cites Chief Designer Liang Xiaogeng stating that the improvement of the SD-10 (which is SD-10A, still in development when this interview was conducted) reaches ~100km launch range under the same conditions. Chief Designer Liang Xiaogeng also said that the Delta V of the SD-10 is over Mach 3 (which is 1020 m/s).
With this information in mind, we can look at the current implementation of the PL-12. The speed we will be using is True Airspeed, or TAS. And by converting Mach 1.2 to TAS we get approximately 1293 km/h (which is the speed in the criteria and this will be both for the missile carrier and the target.)
Thrust
Mass
Mach Number
Courtesy of statshark, we can see that the total burn time of the PL-12’s motor is 7.5 seconds, the more powerful initial burn of 35KN of thrust lasts for 2.5 seconds while the less powerful 12.9KN of thrust lasts for 5 seconds. This would mean a total engine impulse of 152KN.
But most importantly, we can calculate the Delta V from the maximum mach number that the PL-12 reaches in flight, at an altitude of 10,000 meters launched at a head-on target (both aircraft are flying at mach 1.2), and ingame the PL-12’s maximum speed is approximately Mach 3.87.
Through math, we can calculate the total Delta V (3.87 - 1.2 = 2.67 which is equal to 915.81 meters per second.)
So we can see that the Delta V of the PL-12/SD-10A in War Thunder is worse than the real life Delta V of the SD-10 which is a earlier development before the PL-12/SD-10A, and does not even reach the real life maximum speed of over Mach 4. Liang Xiaogeng’s statement would mean the SD-10 will hit a maximum speed of Mach 4.2 (Mach 1.2 + over Mach 3 Delta V). At the very least, The Delta V should be comparable and not be worse, and to the point that there is over a 100 meter per second difference in favor of the predecessor. The PL-12 should also have more space for fuel given the increase in missile length, and also 20kg difference in weight for fuel allocation, leading to a higher total impulse than the SD-10 and have less drag than it. And these factors combined help the PL-12 achieve a ~30km increase in range.
We can see a table of the PL-12’s weight distribution in “Air-To-Air Missile Conceptual Design,” written by by Fan Huitao, who is the second chief designer of the PL-12.
In War Thunder the PL-12 and SD-10A is modelled as 198kg full, 132kg empty (Yamahagi says it should be approximately 128kg when empty.) To implement the PL-12’s actual range, the total engine impulse should exceed 160KN (currently 152KN) which would allow for a Delta V that is comparable to that of the real-life SD-10 (over mach 3, which is 1020 m/s). And based on the parameters of achieving approximately 100km range under launch conditions of 10,000m altitude in a 1.2 Mach head-on engagement, adjust the guidance duration of the PL-12, and in the end, the range will be accurate to the real-life counterpart.
The PL-12 is important as it will be the only ARH BVR missile China would field before it has access to the PL-15 and PL-15E. Gaijin can add the PL-12A and keep the PL-12 in its current state, but there is even less information on the PL-12A other than it has a launch range of ~120km and a total weight of 214kg, so it would be ironically easier for Gaijin to follow up with the information provided above and buff the PL-12, as the sources are much more authoritative. PL-15 will not be coming anytime soon, and the introduction of AIM-120C-5 on 14.0 fighters puts top tier Chinese air in an awkward position because of it.
