The PL-8 is a Chinese air-to-air missile

Air-to-air missile

An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...

 (AAM) originated from the Israeli Python-3 AAM, (PL short for Pili (Pi Li, 霹雳), meaning thunderbolt). Experience gained from PL-8/Python-3 had helped China greatly in developing its next missile, the PL-9.

China's PLAAF

People's Liberation Army Air Force

The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...

 was quite impressed with this missile, and paid for licensed production as the PL-8 AAM in the 1980s. The program was code named "Number 8 Project" (八号工程) and formally started on September 15, 1983. The major supplier of the missile was Xi'an Eastern Machinery Factory (西安东方机械厂) located in Xi'an

Xi'an

Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...

. From March, 1988 to April, 1989, technology transfer to China was complete while license assembly and license built parts continued, and by the spring of 1989, the complete domestic Chinese built missile received state certification.

China has also developed a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) system for the PL-8. Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems Ltd. is one of the world's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit employs 11,000 people worldwide....

 DASH (Display And Sight Helmet) helmet mounted sight (HMS). However, it’s not clear that if this was part of the Python-3 deal or a separate deal instead.

The seeker of the original Python-3 AAM was able to be slaved to either the airborne fire control radars or DASH HMS. These capabilities initially did not exist on PL-8 at the earlier stage of its service in Chinese hands, because the missile is only compatible with western radars, but not compatible with Chinese radars. The only exception was that capability of being slaved to airborne fire control radars could be achieved by PL-8 only when it is used in conjunction with the few western radars in Chinese inventory, such as the British GEC-Marconi

Marconi Electronic Systems

Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...

 Skyranger airborne radar and Italian FIAR Grifo series airborne radar on Chengdu J-7

Chengdu J-7

The Chengdu Jian-7 is a People's Republic of China-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. Though production ceased in 2008 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor, in several air forces, including China's.-Design and development:...

, but for most part, the seeker of PL-8 could only be fixed, pointing to the front when deployed on aircraft with domestic Chinese radars. These capabilities would not be fully achieved until the advent of PL-9, the next Chinese AAM, when the missile became compatible not only with western radars, but also Chinese and Russian radars as well, and these capabilities of PL-9 were eventually incorporated to PL-8 AAMs in its upgrades so that PL-8 is fully capable as Python-3.

Versions

Unlike the conventional Chinese designation practice where a missile is given a Chinese name after at least 70% of it is made in China, Python 3 received a Chinese name at the very beginning, receiving PL-8 when it was purchased. It was speculated that China did so because it did not want to further reveal its tie with Israel, so that the original Israeli name was replaced with a Chinese one to avoid harming the relationship between Chinese and Muslim countries.

As PL-8/Python 3 AAM has wing span much larger than PL-2/PL-5 (which has dimensions close to AIM-9 missiles), Chinese fighter jets were modified to carry extended pylon to carry PL-8 missiles. Wingtip pylon of newly released J-15 carrier based fighter jet is also extended for this purpose, and become a visual signature of J-15 comparing Su-33.

• PL-8: Python 3 AAM provided by Israel
• PL-8A: License assembled AAM in China with Israeli supplied components
• PL-8B: Chinese built AAM with 100% domestic Chinese components
• PL-8H: Surface-to-air version with slightly smaller warhead weighing 10 kg

The surface-to-air version is developed by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation

China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation

China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation is a leading trading corporation of China, its core business is aviation defense product, both import and export.-A Brief Introduction of the CATIC:...

 (CATIC). According to the developers, there are minor improvements incorporated in each version, but they have not specified the exact upgrades.

User

: People's Liberation Army

People's Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

• • People's Liberation Army Air Force
    People's Liberation Army Air Force
    The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
    
    
  • People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force