Recently, China's Thunderbolt-15 and India's "Astra" have become the focus of heated discussions because of the range.
So, are these missiles really as mythical as they are in the legends? Let's pick them up.
Let's start with China's Thunderbolt-15.
This missile, which is said to have a range of up to 200 kilometers, sounds quite scary? But don't worry, the US Air Force seems to have a different view on this matter.
They felt that this range might be a bit exaggerated, and there was a question mark over how far it could actually hit. On the Indian side, they are even more directly questioning, they say, unless the conditions are particularly ideal, how can the Thunderbolt-15 fly so far.
This is interesting, because the Thunderbolt-15E that Pakistan bought from China advertises that it can fight 145 kilometers, but according to the estimates of the US military, it may only be 105 to 110 kilometers.
This distance is about the same range as the AIM-120C missiles mounted on Pakistan's existing American-made F-16C/D fighters. This means that Pakistan originally wanted to rely on the Thunderbolt-15E to improve its air strike capabilities, but now it seems that this calculation may not have been realized.
Well, now let's take a look at the Indian "Astra" missiles.
Indian media say that the missile has a range of 110 kilometers, and may even be higher, with 130 kilometers.
Does this sound like "Astra" is quite capable of fighting? But if this is the case, then why does India still buy weapons from other countries? Isn't this a contradiction?
Moreover, India's evaluation of Chinese weapons always has a sour taste.
They always say that China's advanced weapons such as fifth-generation aircraft, aircraft carriers, and missiles are "exaggerated" and "shoddy." As for India's own weapons, they are "tested by war" and "trustworthy". This kind of double standard is really laughable.
However, in the final analysis, the range of missiles is only one aspect, and in a real fight, the performance of the fighters, the technical level of the pilots, and the use of tactics are all very important.
Therefore, simply comparing the range of missiles does not fully reflect the strength of a country's air force.
Let's take a look at the specific performance of the Thunderbolt-15E and "Astra".
The Thunderbolt-15E uses a dual-pulse engine, which is quite advanced and can improve the range and maneuverability of the missile to a certain extent. Although the research and development process of the "Astra" is quite bumpy, the Indian media have high hopes for it, believing that it can compete with the world's advanced missiles.
But then again, there is still a question mark over whether this kind of self-confidence is supported by enough strength.
For example, the American AIM-120 series of missiles, which have been continuously upgraded and improved since their inception, have now become a popular product in the international market.
And China's Thunderbolt-15, although it started late, is also expected to have a place in the market with advanced technology.