China recently tested an advanced air-to-air missile which resists electronic jamming and other counter-measures, according to reports. The Pili, or Thunderbolt series missile, successfully hit all its targets, the Web site of the Beijing-based China Aviation Industry Corporation said. The report did not specify the model of the missile, but analysts said it could be the PL-12 or an even more advanced weapon. 'This is the first time in China that a missile [has been tested] with a digital system and an anti-interference capacity,' the report said. China first revealed its intention to develop a missile with an active radar guidance system in 1996. The new missile was developed by the Chinese Academy of Air-to-Air Missiles at a cost of 15 million yuan (HK$14.1 million), which was raised by the academy, the report said. The research team was making progress despite limited financial resources, programme spokesman Dr Liang Xiaogeng was quoted as saying. Professor Lin Chong-pin, a Taipei-based military expert and senior adviser to the island's National Security Council, said he was not surprised to learn about the development. 'Once the target is locked and this missile is launched, the target will not be able to escape,' he said. Beijing made the test results public in order to send a message to Taipei and Washington that the PLA was making progress in developing its own missile technology, he added.
