The PL-8 is a licensed copy of the Israeli Python-3 AAM. The Python-3 was developed by Israel to be used on their F-15, F-16 and Mirage fighter aircraft. Production of the PL-8 began in the year 1983 after the People’s Liberation Army Air Force test fired the missile. They were impressed by the missile´s performance. Israel has supplied about 1,200 Python-3 kits for Chinese production. The resulting missiles entered operational status in the year 1988. The contents which were Israeli-made were reduced so that China was able to produce the missile by the 1990s completely independent from Israel.