Developed by Hughes for use with the F-14A Tomcat interceptor, the Phoenix is a long-range fleet-defense 'fire and forget' radar-homing missile with mid-course inertial guidance and active-radar terminal homing. It boasts a blazing top speed of nearly Mach 5, and a maximum range of over 100 miles. Not yet proven in combat, the Phoenix is primarily intended to destroy incoming bombers and is likely to be less effective against smaller, maneuvering fighters.
