China's first BVR PL-4 (and J-9)

In the Chinese boards, there is an interesting post on the China’s first attempt at an advance fighter/interceptor armed with a bvr SARH missile:

In the 60’s, with the Soviet Union as the projected adversary, China began to develop an all-weather operational fighter aircraft – J-9 – to intercept nuclear weapon-loaded Soviet strategic bombers. The craft’s key necessary project is the 206 “single pulses” radar and PL-4 missile.

The J-9 was a delta-canard with a layout similar to the Saab Viggen. It was supposed to go Mach 2.5 with a side intakes, canards attached to the tops of side intakes and a turbofan engine.

In 1965, research began with a American AIM-7E house sparrow -3 missile which was obtained. Obtains its correlation principle and the data. In 1966, the SARH PL-4 project began, its technical specification was:

1) speed: Mach 3,
2) the effective radar “transmission” range or “firing” range (SARH depends on signals the missile can receive from the transmitting aircraft): 12 kilometers,
3) the detection unit (radar) must be able begin interception lock from 18 kilometers away.

The PL-4 follows the Soviet system of having both semi-active radar and the passive infrared detection heads. The code number respectively is PL-4A for the SARH and PL-4B for the ifrared one. These, at the time, were advanced specs.

As a result of Great Cultural Revolution’s disturbance, the PL-4 development bogs down for a long time. In 1980, the PL-4 completed its ground type test in the same year that the J-9 was cancelled.

The PL-4 was allowed to be developed for the J-8II. In 1984, PL-4 first batch was completed and the program judged a success but by this time the main adversary (the former Soviet Union air force) was already equipped with the R-27. The R-27 far surpassed the PL-4 in the antijamming ability and firing distance. Adding the former Soviet Union fourth generation fighters like Mig -29, Su-27 and the overall advancement of electronic warfare, China finally decided to give up the PL-4.

It introduced an advanced overseas air-to-air missile in the following years. This was the Italian Aspide.