Fighter Pilot Spy? | 747 Gift | China's PL-15

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Edited by: Sidney McAlear

FLIGHT LINE

🎯 Pilot's Treason: Ukraine Arrests Air Force Officer for Leaking Fighter Jet Details to Russia

Ukraine's domestic security agency has apprehended an air force officer accused of spying for Russia by providing critical location information about Western-supplied F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets. The officer, holding the rank of major, was assigned to one of Ukraine’s air brigades and served as an instructor pilot. The officer is alleged to have helped Russia carry out air strikes by providing coordinates and suggesting strike tactics. (more)

🎯 From Qatari Royal Jet to Air Force One: The Billion-Dollar Makeover

The U.S. government has formally accepted a luxurious Boeing 747-8 private jet, often referred to as a "flying palace," as an unconditional gift from the Qatari royal family. This jet is expected to be transformed into a potential Air Force One. The plane, which features plush interiors, will be stripped down and retrofitted to the highest U.S. security and communication standards. The estimated cost of this retrofitting could be as high as $1 billion. The funding for the retrofit will reportedly be drawn from the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program. (more)

A few unique capabilities of VC-25A, the official designation of the 747:

• Aerial Refueling

• Electromagnetic Pulse Protection

• Defensive & Electronic Counter Measures

• Robust Communication Suite

• Medical Facility

If we ignore the security piece for a moment…and that is a rather large piece IMO, retrofitting the gifted 747 to provide the same capabilities as the current VC-25 fleet (and future VC-25B) is going to be a significant task. The VC-25B, expected in 2027 or 2028, will not possess aerial refueling capability; this was a decision driven by cost savings.

The VC-25B are two 747-8i’s that were originally built for a Russian Airline that went bankrupt. The Air Force announced the 747 as the replacement in 2015 and in 2018 awarded Boeing a $4 billion dollar contract to modify the 747s. Boeing currently estimates it will lose approximately $650 million dollars on the fixed price contract.

🎯 Lockheed's THAAD Reload: A $2B Deal After Middle East Missile Mayhem

Lockheed Martin has secured a hefty $2.06 billion contract modification to replenish the U.S. government's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors. The THAAD system, a key component of U.S. ballistic missile defense, saw intense usage during a recent 12-day conflict in the Middle East. The U.S. and Israeli forces used more than 150 THAAD interceptors to counter Iranian ballistic missiles. The new contract heightens the total value of the current production agreement to over $10.4 billion, with work scheduled to continue until December 2029. (more)

🎯 Hackers Swing Digital Hammer, Crack Open CIA's Tech Vault

Unidentified hackers have breached the Acquisition Research Center (ARC) website, a key platform used by the CIA and other U.S. agencies to manage sensitive contracts. Among the compromised data was information from the classified Digital Hammer initiative, a key tech development program central to U.S. intelligence gathering and counterintelligence operations. (more)

🎯 F-16s Consolidation Test Phase II Commences at Osan AB

The U.S. Air Force's F-16s are on the move, marking a major milestone in their Super Squadron Test. They're relocating from Kunsan Air Base to Osan Air Base in a strategic move to evaluate the efficiency of larger consolidated fighter squadrons. A total of 31 F-16s and 1,000 airmen will be temporarily reassigned for Phase II of the test. Phase I saw nine F-16s and 150 airmen moved to the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan AB. With Phase II set to continue through October 2026, the focus will be on assessing maintenance, manpower, and logistics requirements on a larger scale. (more)

🎯 Man Overboard: USS George Washington Scours Timor Sea for Missing Sailor

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington suspended a search-and-rescue operation in the Timor Sea after receiving reports of a sailor who went overboard. The sailor was reported missing on Monday off the coast of Northern Australia. The Navy suspended the search Wednesday afternoon. (more)

🎯 Air Force Grounds M18 Pistols, Swaps for M-4 Rifles After Fatal Incident

Following the death of an active-duty airman on July 20 at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, the Air Force Global Strike Command has suspended the use of Sig Sauer M18 pistols. The suspension affects both operational and training activities, and the weapon is to be replaced by the M-4 rifle until further notice. The Sig Sauer P320, two versions of which (M18 and M17) were adopted as standard sidearms by all U.S. military branches in 2017, has faced numerous allegations of unintentional injuries due to accidental discharges and alleged design flaws. (more)

SNAPSHOT

🚩 Ground testing has begun on the production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy ahead of an expected first flight before the end of this year and eventual acquisition of 76 drones. (more)

🚩 Boeing receives approval to kickstart the next phase of 777-9 certification from the U.S. FAA. (more)

🚩 C-130J transport plane flies again after five years post-hard landing in Germany, undergoing the first-ever wing replacement in the field. (more)

🚩 Coast Guard offloads more than $74 million in illicit drugs interdicted in the Eastern Pacific. (more)

🚩 Delta Air Lines Flight DL56 makes emergency landing after plunging 1,000 feet mid-flight, with 25 individuals hospitalized for evaluation. (more)

🚩 An F-35C Lightning II fighter jet crashed into a field in Fresno County, California, with the pilot ejecting safely. (more)

🚩 The U.S. Air Force has showcased a new HQ-16 surrogate target vehicle for advanced pilot training against modern air defense threats. (more)

🚩 Ukraine arrests Chinese father and son, both accused of spying on Neptune anti-ship missile program. (more)

THREAT OF THE DAY (TOD)

The PL-15 is a Chinese long-range, active radar-guided air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by the China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA) based in Luoyang. Its development began in the early 2010s, with initial test firings in 2011 and public references by Chinese state media from 2015 onward.

Initial Operational Capability Date:

• Around 2015 to 2017, the PL-15 was inducted into service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF).

Primary Role and Capabilities:

• Designed as a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).

• Intended to replace the earlier PL-12 as the standard long-range missile for Chinese fighter aircraft.

• Capable of engaging targets at very long ranges, reportedly between 200 and 300 kilometers…or 120 to 190 “ish” nautical miles…a.k.a. that’s not great news

• Equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar seeker, allowing autonomous target tracking and engagement in electronically contested environments.

Technical Specifications and Variants:

• Length: Approximately 4 meters (enabling four missiles to fit inside the internal weapons bay of the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter)

• Propulsion: Dual-pulse solid rocket motor for sustained high speed which enables speeds exceeding Mach 5, enhancing range and maneuverability.

• Guidance: AESA radar seeker for active radar homing

• Variants include:

  • PL-15E: Export version with reduced range, possibly due to different propellant or motor design; displayed at the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow.

  • PL-16: A thinner, compressed carriage variant developed to fit six missiles inside the J-20’s internal bay; features folded fins and a high-performance dual-pulse motor to maintain performance comparable to the PL-15. Confirmed in 2024 and shown with folding rear fins at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow.

Recent Activities or Deployments (2020-2025):

• Integrated into multiple Chinese fighter platforms including the Chengdu J-10C, Shenyang J-16, Chengdu J-20, and Shenyang J-11B.

• The PL-15E export variant has been publicly displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2021 and 2024.

• In 2025, Indian forces reportedly recovered debris of a PL-15E missile, providing valuable intelligence on its propulsion and guidance systems, marking the first known recovery of this missile from a live conflict environment.

• The PL-16 variant development and deployment efforts continue to enhance internal weapons carriage on stealth fighters, increasing missile payload capacity.

Answer: D) Appox 190 miles.