PL-9 air-to-air missile

The Chinese PL-9 (Pen Lung-9, or Air Dragon-9) third-generation anti-air missile can be used in both the air-to-air missile (AAM) and surface-to-air missile (SAM) roles. The missile combines aspects of the PL-5 AAM with other designs, possibly the PL-7 (see separate records).

This unusually designed missile seems to combine the large rear wings of both the R550 Magic AAM and the Sidewinder AAM, the diameter of the Magic and the clipped double-delta front fins of the Sidewinder.

The...