Winston
Lorenzo von Matterhorn
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Messages
- 9,560
- Reaction score
- 1,748
The AIM-9X Sidewinder May Finally Evolve Into A Completely New And Longer-Range Missile
The Navy is still funding work on a new rocket motor and other features that could fundamentally change the character of this "dogfighting" missile.
3 Sep 2019
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...nto-a-completely-new-and-longer-range-missile
When it comes to air-to-air combat, no missile on earth is as iconic as the AIM-9 Sidewinder. It has seen service in many forms and adaptations for over six decades and its continued development is as much a history lesson in jet-age air combat as anything else. Now, Raytheon and the Pentagon are quietly working at developing the next major capability leap for the Sidewinder that will take full advantage of many other developments that have been incorporated into the missile in recent years. As a result, the AIM-9X may finally morph into a missile that is made up of components that are all, or nearly all, different than those found on its predecessor, the AIM-9M.
Arguably the biggest upgrade the Sidewinder had ever seen came in the form of the AIM-9X, which entered service in 2003 and brought with it major and long in the works changes in capabilities, including high-off boresight targeting, thrust vectoring, and an advanced imaging infrared (IIR) seeker. Today's AIM-9X Block II, also known as the AIM-9X-2, which just entered service in 2015, offers another big leap in capability with its data-link and lock-on-after-launch capabilities, among other improvements. These advances are in addition to the missile's constantly improving software that makes the most out of its latest physical additions and enhancements.
Exactly how much extra range a Block III AIM-9X might offer remains unclear, but our sources have said the missiles could be able to fly as much as 50 percent further than what it can in its current form. The Navy itself said the goal was a 60 percent increase in total, which the missile would gain from the improved rocket motor, new flight programming, leveraging its cook-off sensor, and by receiving mid-course updates from its launch platform. Either way, this would equate to a huge boost in combat capability and it would push the AIM-9X even farther into the intermediate-range envelope than it already is.
Currently, the AIM-9X Sidewinder has a published range of roughly up to 20 miles, although the unpublished numbers are usually more impressive. Still, range figures overall are dubious at best and the missile's true real-world range is based on the flight profile dictated by each engagement, which can vary wildly. In other words, that range can be drastically reduced to just handful of miles if a lot of maneuvering energy is needed to reach its target.
Imaging IR sensor:
The Navy is still funding work on a new rocket motor and other features that could fundamentally change the character of this "dogfighting" missile.
3 Sep 2019
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...nto-a-completely-new-and-longer-range-missile
When it comes to air-to-air combat, no missile on earth is as iconic as the AIM-9 Sidewinder. It has seen service in many forms and adaptations for over six decades and its continued development is as much a history lesson in jet-age air combat as anything else. Now, Raytheon and the Pentagon are quietly working at developing the next major capability leap for the Sidewinder that will take full advantage of many other developments that have been incorporated into the missile in recent years. As a result, the AIM-9X may finally morph into a missile that is made up of components that are all, or nearly all, different than those found on its predecessor, the AIM-9M.
Arguably the biggest upgrade the Sidewinder had ever seen came in the form of the AIM-9X, which entered service in 2003 and brought with it major and long in the works changes in capabilities, including high-off boresight targeting, thrust vectoring, and an advanced imaging infrared (IIR) seeker. Today's AIM-9X Block II, also known as the AIM-9X-2, which just entered service in 2015, offers another big leap in capability with its data-link and lock-on-after-launch capabilities, among other improvements. These advances are in addition to the missile's constantly improving software that makes the most out of its latest physical additions and enhancements.
Exactly how much extra range a Block III AIM-9X might offer remains unclear, but our sources have said the missiles could be able to fly as much as 50 percent further than what it can in its current form. The Navy itself said the goal was a 60 percent increase in total, which the missile would gain from the improved rocket motor, new flight programming, leveraging its cook-off sensor, and by receiving mid-course updates from its launch platform. Either way, this would equate to a huge boost in combat capability and it would push the AIM-9X even farther into the intermediate-range envelope than it already is.
Currently, the AIM-9X Sidewinder has a published range of roughly up to 20 miles, although the unpublished numbers are usually more impressive. Still, range figures overall are dubious at best and the missile's true real-world range is based on the flight profile dictated by each engagement, which can vary wildly. In other words, that range can be drastically reduced to just handful of miles if a lot of maneuvering energy is needed to reach its target.
Imaging IR sensor:
