<hi style=hdr1>AIM-7 Sparrow, XJ 521 Sky Flash and Aspide</hi>
<p>The original Navy air-to-air missile program began near the end of World War II when BuAer advanced the concept of a beam-riding 5-in (13-cm) high-velocity aircraft rocket (<hi format=bold>HVAR</hi>). With this type of guidance system the launching aircraft illuminated the target with radar and the missile simply attempted to stay in the center of the radar beam. In May 1946, under Project Hot Shot, Sperry Gyroscope Co. of Bristol, TN, was asked to submit a proposal for a missile based on the HVAR with a range between 1,000 and 6,000 ft (305 and 1830 m) and fast enough to overtake a Mach 1.0 target.
</p>
<display id=\weapons\photos\aim12001.bmp>
<p>The following March, Sperry reported that the HVAR's 5-in (13-cm) diameter was too small to accommodate the design requirements. An 8-in (20-cm) diameter missile body was recommended, a standard which was maintained for the entire Sparrow family. Douglas Aircraft Co. was subcontracted to produce the airframe while Sperry concentrated on guidance. The development contract was signed in May 1947, with project being named Sparrow in July. Unpowered separation testing began at Pt Mugu in January 1948.
</p>
<p>In January 1951 the Navy placed an advance order for 1,000 <hi format=bold>Sparrow I</hi>s, officially designated air-to-air missile-Navy (<hi format=bold>AAM-N</hi>)<hi format=bold>-2</hi>. In September 1952 Sparrow became the first project of the newly established VX-4 of the Naval Air Missile Test Center at Pt Mugu CA.
</p>
<p>In 1955, nearly 10 years after development began, VA-83, equipped with the F7U-3M Cutlass, became the first squadron to receive the new missile. Fleet service began in 1956 with deliveries to F3D-1M Skynight, F3H-2M Demon, and other F7U-3M squadrons. However, the 140-in (355-cm) long Sparrow I's beam-riding design lacked a true all-weather capability because its APG-51 guidance radar required visual identification of the target. Eventually, the entire concept was abandoned, with the last of 2,000 of the 310-lb Sparrow Is being delivered in April 1957. In 1962, after it was out of service, Sparrow I was redesignated <hi format=bold>AIM-7A</hi>.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>AAM-N-3 Sparrow II</hi> was another Douglas project, but featured a completely different guidance system with an active radar seeker. This increased the missile's length to 144 in (365 cm), which set the standard for all subsequent Sparrows. It was designed originally for the F5D Skylancer, but when that program was canceled in 1956 it was taken over by the Canadian government for their CF-105 Arrow, but that, too, was canceled in 1959. The 420-lb missile was belatedly redesignated <hi format=bold>AIM-7B</hi> in 1962.
</p>
<p>The genesis of ultimate Raytheon 500-lb class AIM-7 Sparrow began in 1951 with their 380-lb <hi format=bold>AAM-N-6 Sparrow III</hi>. In reality, this was a completely new missile that featured SARH guidance behind a 'tangent ogive' radome, a 65-lb continuous-rod warhead, and a solid fuel rocket motor. The first guided launch occurred in February 1953, and it replaced the Sparrow I in production in 1956. (Although successfully tested in 1957, an infra-red guided version was canceled.) Reaching the fleet in August 1958, about 2,000 were produced to arm the F3H-2M Demon. The USAF had designated the Sparrow III as the <hi format=bold>AIM-101</hi> prior to 1962, when the joint designation system redesignated it the <hi format=bold>AIM-7C</hi>.
</p>
<p>The 440-lb <hi format=bold>AAM-N-6A Sparrow IIIA</hi> replaced the AAM-N-6 in production during 1959. It was the first Sparrow to supplement earlier rail launchers with an ejector launch capability. Its performance was increased by a limited proximity fuzing capability, enabling head-on intercepts, and a storable liquid fuel rocket motor which permitted supersonic launches and increased range. It was redesignated the <hi format=bold>AIM-7D</hi> in 1962, with 7,500 being produced to arm the F4H-1 and F-110A Phantom II.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>AIM-7E Sparrow IIIB</hi> entered production in 1963 and incorporated a new 7,600-lb thrust (33.81-kN), 2.9-second burn <hi format=underline>Mk 38</hi> solid fuel rocket motor which resulted in a 75 per cent range increase. The later <hi format=underline>Mk 52</hi> motor was similar, but weighed 3 lb more, at 157 lb. Its <hi format=underline>DPN-72</hi> GCS was composed of the CW-646 radome, OA-4137 target seeker, OA-4136 flight control group (/B through D/B versions), as well as the tunnel cable and waveguide. Although it had a launch envelope of Mach 0.7 to 2.2, from sea level to 90,000 ft (27,430 m) at targets up to 13 miles (21 km) away, its utility in Vietnam was severely hampered by a minimum range of 1 mile (1.6 km). There, it to be virtually useless against maneuvering, fighter-sized targets, especially at low level.
</p>
<p>The Italian <hi format=bold>Aspide</hi> missile used the AIM-7E as a jumping-off point. Work began in 1969 to incorporate an Italian SAR seeker to the Sparrow airframe. It is believed to have finally replaced the AIM-7E on Italian F-104Ss in the late 1980s.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>AIM-7E-2</hi> was an AIM-7E with the ALMC No. 27 'dogfight' modification, to give the missile a shorter minimum range (1,500 ft/457 m), as well as maneuverability and fuzing improvements. It was introduced in 1969 to correct AIM-7E performance shortcomings and was also exported to Britain for use with the F-4K/M. This version of the Sparrow was rushed to Southeast Asia where it replaced the AIM-7E within months.
</p>
<p>Combat AIM-7Es were overall FSN 17925 gloss white, except for the radomes, which were left unpainted (a very light gray color). Color bands included a '1 to 3-in' wide FSN 23538 yellow band at the front of the warhead, and a '2 to 3-in' wide FSN 30117 brown band on the rocket motor beginning about three in behind the aft launch hook. The AIM-7E-2 (and subsequent versions of the AIM-7E family) were identifiable by the 1-in wide FSN 17038 black 'L' markings on their wings.
</p>
<p>All AIM-7E serial numbers were prefixed by 'R-' and suffixed by 'b'. This nomenclature was applied to both the target seeker and flight control sections. As a missile was upgraded, its suffix would reflect the version it had been upgraded to (e.g. R-8956-b would become R-8956-b-2 if it was upgraded by ALMC No. 27 to the AIM-7E-2 standard). Also, there were no leading zeros on the numbers applied to the missiles. Finally, the table only reflects original production, not upgrades. All blocks beginning with the letter 'b' denoted AIM-7E-2 production. In the following table, the first suffix and last prefix in each sequence have been omitted. Of the 20,650 missiles built, 8653 (almost 42 per cent) were originally built as AIM-7E-2s. In FY65, the USAF allotted serials 65-995 to 2194 for AIM-7E production, but the order was canceled.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>AIM-7E-3</hi> was an E-2 modified by AWC-78 (dated 27 August 1976), the 'reliability and fuze improvement modification'.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>AIM-7E-4</hi> was an E-3 modified by AWC-93, also called the 'spillover modification', to allow it to be used with early F-14A Tomcats. Its <hi format=underline>DPN-85</hi> GCS was composed of the CW-646 radome, OA-8888(V)2 target seeker, OA-8886(V)1 flight control group, as well as the tunnel cable and waveguide.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>RIM-7E-5 Sea Sparrow</hi> was a short-range self-defense weapon for ships that was used with the basic point defense surface missile system (BPDSMS). Unlike later RIM-7s, it had fixed wings. AIM-7E-2s were modified to RIM-7E-5 standard by AWC-78, Amendment 3 (dated 30 April 1979). AIM-7E-3s were modified by AWC-78, Amendment 4 (beginning 30 April, further modified on 29 August 1979).
<row><c>Miscellaneous<c><c><c>5.1<c>waveguides and tunnel cable
<row><c>All Up Round<c>AIM-7E-6<c>143.97<c>437.9<c>
</table>
<p>The final 'E' was the <hi format=bold>AIM-7E-6</hi>, which incorporated the Mk 38 Mod 1 warhead as AWB 110, Rev. A. Over a period of 10 years 25,000 AIM-7Es, of various versions were produced at a unit cost of about $74,000, but none remain operational with the USAF or USN. Up to this point, the configuration of AIM-7s had been guidance and control section, wing, warhead, and rocket motor.
</p>
<p>Work on the British <hi format=bold>XJ 521 Sky Flash</hi> began in 1972. It was essentially an AIM-7E-2 with an indigenous monopulse seeker and a new fuze, giving it performance similar to the AIM-7M's seeker against low-flying targets, but with the lower aerodynamic performance of the older missile. Sky Flash entered service with the RAF in 1979 on the F-4K/M and was also exported to Sweden where it entered service with JA 37 Viggens in 1981 as the <hi format=bold>Rb 71</hi>. Also in 1981, production of the Tornado essential modification package (<hi format=bold>TEMP</hi>) <hi format=bold>Sky Flash</hi> began, with these missiles becoming basic equipment for the Tornado F.Mk 2/3. Continued improvement led to the 1985 introduction of the <hi format=bold>Super TEMP Sky Flash</hi> for both British and Saudi Tornado F.Mk 3s. These missiles featured modest aerodynamic changes for drag reduction, an improved seeker, thinner wings, and a boost/sustain rocket motor. Beginning in 1988, earlier versions of Sky Flash were brought up to Super TEMP standards. Development of a Thomson-CSF active seeker began in 1989, with a formal <hi format=bold>Active Sky Flash</hi> proposal being made to the RAF in January 1992. The original Swedish designation of this missile was Rb 71A when it was initially proposed, but changed to Rb 73 for a second proposal (for the JAS 39 Gripen).
</p>
<p>Development the <hi format=bold>AIM-7F</hi> began in 1966, although it did not enter service until 1975. This virtually new missile used a <hi format=underline>CW-1178B/D</hi> 'von Karman' radome to cover the nose of the new <hi format=underline>OA-8877</hi> target seeker section, which used either pulse-Doppler (<hi format=bold>PD</hi>) or continuous wave (<hi format=bold>CW</hi>) guidance and was designed to make the missile more capable against maneuvering, low-altitude targets. Avionics improvements enabled the primary <hi format=underline>WAU-10</hi> continuous rod, or newer <hi format=underline>WAU-17</hi> high explosive, blast-fragmentation warheads to be located in front of the <hi format=underline>OA-8878</hi> flight control group, allowing the <hi format=underline>Mk 58</hi> rocket motor to be enlarged (5,750-lb/25.6-kN 4.5-second boost, followed by 1,018-lb/4.5-kN 11-second sustainer), thus improving range. Four <hi format=underline>BSU-56</hi> wings were attached to the flight control group, while <hi format=underline>BSU-57</hi> fins were attached to the rocket motor. The forward AIM-7F waveguide was 59.8 in (152 cm) long, while the aft was 61.5 in (156 cm) long. The missile had an 8.0-in (20-cm) diameter from the back of the radome to 8 in (20 cm) from the tail, when it tapered to a 6.6-in (17-cm) diameter. Production began in 1972 and ended in 1980, with the missiles costing about $276,000 each. All missiles eventually went through a product optimization program (<hi format=bold>POP</hi>) retrofit, which was probably indicated by the <hi format=bold>AIM-7F-11</hi> designation. AIM-7Fs were withdrawn from service by 1994 after being used to arm the F-4E/G/S, as well as the F-14, F-15, F-16ADF, and FA-18. The <hi format=bold>CATM-7F-3</hi>, also known as the Goldenbird airborne inert missile simulator (<hi format=bold>AIMS</hi>), was the captive trainer Sparrow for the AIM-7F, M, and P. The <hi format=bold>RIM-7F Sea Sparrow II</hi> was a version of the AIM-7F.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>AIM-7G</hi> was intended to arm the F-111D. However, it was canceled.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>RIM-7H-2 Sea Sparrow</hi> was developed from the AIM-7E-2 as a short-range self-defense weapon for ships. This was the first Sparrow fitted with folding wings and clipped fins (23.5-in/57-cm span). Its <hi format=underline>DPN-84A</hi> GCS was composed of the CW-646 radome, OA-4137B target seeker, OA-4136D flight control group, as well as the tunnel cable and waveguide. It could be launched six seconds after commitment. After AWC-97 (the 'rapid runup' modification), if fitted with the proper wings and fins, it could be used as an air-to-air missile (although the reverse was not true of the AIM-7E-2).
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>RIM-7H-5</hi> was a RIM-7H-2 modified by AWC 78, Amendment 4-1 (dated 30 April 1979). It was developed at the same time as the AIM-7E-4 for use with the NATO Sea Sparrow surface missile system (<hi format=bold>NSSMS</hi>). Its <hi format=underline>DPN-84B</hi> GCS was composed of the CW-646 radome, OA-8888(V)1 target seeker, OA-8886(V)1 flight control group, as well as the tunnel cable and waveguide. In addition to AWC-97, it incorporated parts of AWC-78.
<row><c>Miscellaneous<c><c><c>6.62<c>waveguides and tunnel cable
<row><c>All Up Round<c>AIM-7M<c>141.48<c>509.22<c>
</table>
<p>The 509-lb <hi format=bold>AIM-7M (F-1)</hi>, featured an inverse monopulse seeker, active radar fuze, <hi format=underline>WAU-17</hi> focused blast fragmentation warhead and numerous other evolutionary improvements to increase reliability and decrease cost (to $225,000 each). First produced by General Dynamics-Camden (Arkansas), it entered service in 1983, with production ending in 1992. The <hi format=underline>WGU-5</hi> GCS (A/B through E/B versions) was composed of the CW-1178B/D radome, WGU-6 guidance (A, B, or C/B versions), WCU-5 control sections (/B through D/B versions), as well as the tunnel cable and waveguide. To eliminate a wing-buzz problem discovered with the BSU-56A/B wings used by the AIM-7F, the AIM-7M's <hi format=underline>BSU-56C/B</hi> wings each had 0.25-lb weights affixed to their tips. The 510-lb <hi format=bold>AIM-7M (H-Build)</hi> missile featured GCS modifications including inertial observer guidance (IOG), improved ECCM, and a more sophisticated interface between the missile and its launch aircraft. It could be distinguished from other AIM-7Ms by the 'H' suffix to its serial number. Aircraft equipped with AIM-7Ms included the F-14, F-15, and F/A-18.
</p>
<p>The 502-lb <hi format=bold>RIM-7M</hi> was developed at the same time as the AIM-7M to replace the RIM-7F. It differed from the air-launched version by having 43.9-lb, <hi format=underline>BSU-64</hi> folding wings, 12.4-lb, <hi format=underline>BSU-63</hi> clipped fins (with 7.99-in/20-cm spans), and a 212.3-lb, <hi format=underline>Mk 58 Mod 4</hi> remotely armed rocket motor. These missiles were used with the self-defense surface missile system (SDSMS), comprised of the Mk 57 NSSMS and the Mk 23 target acquisition system (TAS). They could also be used with the older Mk 41 and Mk 48 NSSMS.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>ATM-7M</hi> and <hi format=bold>RTM-7M</hi> were AIM/RIM-7M missiles with the warhead replaced by a <hi format=underline>AN/DKT-61</hi> telemetry unit.
</p>
<p>The 503-lb <hi format=bold>AIM-7P</hi> and <hi format=bold>RIM-7P</hi> missiles incorporated a new autopilot, computer, and fuze to improve the Sparrow's capability against cruise missiles. Initial flight testing ran from October 1989 through March 1991, with FOT&E conducted from July 1993 through March 1994. Both modifications of AIM/RIM-7M, F1 and H-Build missiles and new missiles were procured. There were two types of modification kits: Block I, which incorporated new <hi format=underline>WGU-6D/B</hi> guidance section with the new <hi format=underline>DSU-34/B</hi> fuze (150 in FY91 and 390 in FY92), and Block II with <hi format=underline>WGU-6E/B</hi> guidance section, the same fuze, and a new rear antenna (474 in FY94 and 422 in FY95). Eventually all missiles will be brought up to Block II standards. New missiles were built at a rate of 800 per year in both FY92 and FY93. AIM-7Ps were only used by the F-14 and F/A-18 (although they also underwent testing on the USAF's F-15). Its inverse monopulse seeker was compatible with either CW or pulse-Doppler illumination. The initial new production contract was released in June 1992, with Hughes-Tucson producing the largest share. Eventually, all surviving USN AIM/RIM-7M missiles were upgraded to AIM/RIM-7P standards. These missiles were also offered to NATO countries, including in a vertical launch configuration. The <hi format=bold>ATM-7P</hi> and <hi format=bold>RTM-7P</hi> designations were assigned to identify AIM/RIM-7P missiles with the warhead replaced by a <hi format=underline>AN/DKT-61A</hi> telemetry unit.
</p>
<p>The 514-lb <hi format=bold>AIM-7R</hi> and <hi format=bold>RIM-7R</hi> were only used only by the USN. A modification of Block II AIM-7Ps by the missile homing improvement program (<hi format=bold>MHIP</hi>), it incorporated a dual-mode high-speed missile infra-red (<hi format=bold>HSMIR</hi>) IR/SAR seeker. Infra-red guidance was provided by a nose-mounted seeker, only about half the size of that used by the AIM-9, but with a comparable performance. The IR terminal guidance was incorporated without compromising the performance of the existing SAR seeker. After launch, the IR seeker was activated and its dome cover ejected. It then began a preprogrammed search pattern to lock onto the same target as the SAR seeker, whereupon the missile could transition to IR guidance, allowing the illuminating radar to break lock and engage a new target. If the transition to IR guidance did not occur (e.g. because equipment malfunction or bad weather), the missile could still be guided to the target using the illuminating radar. Initial flight testing was scheduled from October 1993 through September 1994, with FOT&E scheduled to begin in January 1996.
</p>
<p>The 507-lb <hi format=bold>RIM-7R</hi> was developed as the same time as the AIM-7R. It was basically the same as the RIM-7P, but with the new seeker fitted.
</p>
<p>The <hi format=bold>ATM-7R</hi> and <hi format=bold>RTM-7R</hi> designations were assigned to identify AIM/RIM-7P missiles with the warhead replaced by a AN/DKT-76 telemetry unit.
</p>
<p>The first public disclosure of the operational use of a passively-guided version of the Sparrow (<hi format=bold>AIM-7R?</hi>) was made during the spring of 1994. One of these missiles, said to be fitted with either an infra-red or charge coupled device (CCD) TV seeker, reportedly shot down the first Iraqi aircraft of the 1991 Gulf War.
</p>
<p>The evolved Sea Sparrow missile (<hi format=bold>ESSM</hi>) was a virtually new missile, with a new airframe, bigger motor, and tail control. The ultimate program goal was a missile with a three-fold improvement in aerodynamic performance at twice the range of the RIM-7P. Initial designations for ESSM are <hi format=bold>RIM-7PTC</hi> and <hi format=bold>RIM-7RTC</hi> (the TC standing for 'tail control'). It was also proposed as a replacement for the canceled AAAM Phoenix-replacement program.
</p>
<p>Launchers included the AERO 7A (F-4 fuselage), LAU-17A (F-4 pylon), LAU-92 (F-14), LAU-106 (F-15), LAU-115 and -116 (F/A-18), and F-16 (16S1500).
<row><c>Miscellaneous<c><c><c>6.62<c>waveguides and tunnel cable
<row><c>All Up Round<c>AIM-7R<c>145.86<c>513.92<c>
</table>
<hi style=hdr1>AIM-9 Sidewinder</hi>
<display id=\weapons\photos\aim9p001.bmp>
<p>Development of the 200-lb class Sidewinder missile family began in 1951 at the Naval Ordnance Test Station (<hi format=bold>NOTS</hi>) at China Lake, CA. At that time, 10-to-30-man groups were empowered to design, develop and produce cheap, effective weapons using approximately 10 per cent of the test director's budget. The Sidewinder program benefited from this management system, being developed as an unofficial, in-house program to produce a cheap, effective AAM. Preliminary aerodynamic testing was conducted by constructing a small model of the missile and mounting it on a simple mechanism stuck out the side window of a 1949 Kaiser. The engineers gathered their 'wind tunnel data' while hanging out the window as the car was driven back and forth over the dry lakebed at 90 mph (145 km/h).
</p>
<p>Forty years and nearly 30 versions later, the Sidewinder was by far the most successful and deadly air-to-air missile in the world, copied by friend and foe alike. Produced mainly by Ford Aerospace and Raytheon, the AIM-9 has evolved from a missile which could only be launched at close range from directly behind a non-maneuvering target, to an all-aspect, 'I wish you were dead', weapon with up to five times the range of the original. It also served as the basis for the MIM-72 Chaparral and AGM-122 Sidearm. Beginning as a Navy missile adopted by the Air Force, requirements soon drove the two services along separate development paths. This persisted throughout the Vietnam war, until costs forced common development of the AIM-9L and subsequent versions. The AIM-9L (introduced in the mid-1970s) and AIM-9M (introduced in 1982) are standard armament on all USN/USAF tactical fighters except F-111s, which use the AIM-9P-3.
</p>
<p>Modification of the original <hi format=bold>AERO 3B</hi> launcher rails to accept the AIM-9L/M/R missiles resulted in the <hi format=bold>LAU-7</hi> (Navy), <hi format=bold>LAU-57</hi>, <hi format=bold>LAU-58</hi>, <hi format=bold>LAU-100</hi>, <hi format=bold>LAU-101</hi>, and <hi format=bold>LAU-105</hi> (Air Force), the difference being that the Navy launchers contained a bottle of gaseous nitrogen for cooling the missile seeker, while Air Force missiles were internally cooled. Later launchers for Sidewinders included the 93.5-in (237-cm) long <hi format=bold>LAU-114</hi> (Air Force) which had a much more angular appearance than earlier launchers, as well as three AMRAAM launchers with Sidewinder capability. The AMRAAM launchers could be distinguished from the LAU-114 by their blunter noses and included the 115.5-in (293-cm) long <hi format=bold>LAU-127</hi> (F-14/18), 106-in (269-cm) long <hi format=bold>LAU-128</hi> (F-16 wingtip), and <hi format=bold>LAU-129</hi> (F-15). The <hi format=bold>LAU-139</hi> was a LAU-127 modified to accommodate carriage of Swiss AIM-9P-5s.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9A</hi> was also known as <hi format=bold>XAAM-N-7 Sidewinder 1</hi>. About 300 produced for USN.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9B</hi> was the initial production missile. Its original designations were <hi format=bold>AAM-N-7 Sidewinder 1A</hi> (USN) and <hi format=bold>GAR-8</hi> (USAF). About 71,700 of the 155-lb missiles were built, beginning in 1951; IOC was 1956 at a unit cost of $3,000. Swedish designation was <hi format=bold>Rb 24</hi>. The 24.5-in long guidance control section (<hi format=bold>GCS</hi>) had an uncooled, lead-sulphide (<hi format=bold>PbS</hi>) IR seeker, covered by a glass dome, and had 15-in (38-cm) span fins. 13.5-in (34-cm) long, 10-lb, Mk 8 blast-fragmentation warhead. 3-in (7.6-cm) long Mk 303 (contact) and Mk 304 (influence) fuze section. 75-in (190-cm) long Mk 17 rocket motor (2.3-nm/4.24-km range) with 22-in (56-cm) span wings.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9B FGW Mod 2</hi> was a European-built AIM-9B that weighed 167 lb. Its Swedish designation was <hi format=bold>Rb 324</hi>. Some 9,200 were built. GCS had improved electronics, carbon-dioxide (<hi format=bold>CO<sb>2</sb></hi>) cooled seeker and silicon (<hi format=bold>Si</hi>) dome.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9B-2</hi> was an AIM-9B with 75-in (190-cm) long improved-performance SR116 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9C</hi> was a USN-developed SARH variant, similar in appearance to the AIM-9B. The original designation of this 185-lb missile was <hi format=bold>Sidewinder 1B</hi>. One thousand were built for the USN. 25.5-in (65-cm) long seeker with 16-in (40-cm) span BSU-14 fins. Eventually modified for use as AGM-122 seekers. 6.5-in (16.5-cm) long Mk 15 target detection device (<hi format=bold>TDD</hi>). Positioning of warhead and fuze reversed from AIM-9B. 11.5-in (29-cm) long, 22.4-lb, Mk 48 continuous-rod warhead. 71-in (180-cm) long Mk 36 rocket motor (11-nm/52-km maximum range) with 25-in (64-cm) span Mk 1 wings.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9D</hi> was an AIM-9C except with an IR seeker. This 194-lb missile's original designation was <hi format=bold>Sidewinder 1C</hi>. Some 1,000 were built for USN beginning in 1956.
</p>
<p>24-in (60-cm) long Mk 18 GCS had a ogive-shaped, anodized nose. PbS seeker, covered by a magnesium-floride (<hi format=bold>MgF<sb>2</sb></hi>) dome. GCS was nitrogen (<hi format=bold>N<sb>2</sb></hi>) cooled from a bottle contained within the LAU-7 launcher rail.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9E</hi> About 5,000 AIM-9Bs were modified to this 164-lb configuration for the USAF beginning in 1967. 26.5-in (67-cm) long GCS had ogive nose and a Peltier thermoelectric cooler.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9E-2</hi> was an AIM-9E with SR116 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9F</hi> This designation reserved for possible USAF purchase of FGW Mod 2 variant known as the Mod 14K.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9G</hi>was an AIM-9D with improved GCS. A total of 2,120 of these 191-lb missiles was built for the USN. Incorporated the off-boresight, Sidewinder expanded acquisition mode (<hi format=bold>SEAM</hi>).
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9H</hi> was an AIM-9G with solid-state GCS, decreasing the missile's weight to 186 lb. Some 7,720 were built for the USN from 1972. Believed to have been used by Sweden with designation of <hi format=bold>Rb 24H</hi>.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9I</hi> was not assigned as a designation.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9J</hi> About 13,000 built from 1970, both AIM-9B/E/J modifications and new-builds. Approximate weight was 172 lb. 30.5-in (77-cm) long GCS with modified servo, electronics and 130211 double-delta fins. 3-in (7.6-cm) long Mk 303/304 TDD or Mk 303 Mod 4 with combined functions. 75-in (190-cm) long Mk 17 motor. <hi format=bold>AIM-9J-1</hi>was a modified AIM-9J with 25.5-in (65-cm) long GCS which incorporated rate bias and solid state electronics. Over 7,000 were produced. 3-in (7.6-cm) long target detecting device unit (<hi format=bold>DSU</hi>)-21/B active optical target detector (<hi format=bold>AOTD</hi>) which utilized gallium-arsenide (<hi format=bold>GaAs</hi>) lasers.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9J-2</hi> was an AIM-9J with 75-in (190-cm) long SR116 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9J-3</hi> was an AIM-9J-1 with SR116 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9K</hi> China Lake developed alternative to AIM-9L. Not produced
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9L</hi> Introduced in 1977, with about 16,000 of this 188-lb missile were built for the USN and USAF ($97,600 each), 3,500 for Europe. Swedish designation was initially Rb 24L, but changed to<hi format=bold> Rb 74</hi>, with initial 1,000 being purchased in 1984 for use with JA 37 Viggens. 25.5-in (65-cm) long AN/DSQ-29 GCS has an indium-antimony (<hi format=bold>InSb</hi>) seeker which gives it an all aspect capability. BSU-32/B 22-in span 'pointy' fins. USAF versions are argon (<hi format=bold>A</hi>) cooled from a bottle contained in the missile while USN versions are N2 cooled from a launcher rail bottle. 6.5-in (16.5-cm) long DSU-15/B AOTD. 11.5-in (29-cm) long WDU-17 annular blast-fragmentation (<hi format=bold>ABF</hi>) warhead. 71-in (180-cm) long Mk 36 rocket motor (2,660-lb/11.83-kN thrust) with Mk 1 wings.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9M</hi> Originally AIM-9L product improvement program (<hi format=bold>PIP</hi>). Over 12,000 of these 192-lb missile were built from 1982, with a unit cost quoted as $108,000 in 1994. Modified with closed cycle cooling, improved infra-red counter countermeasures (<hi format=bold>IRCCM</hi>) and background discrimination. Reduced-smoke version of Mk 36 rocket motor. Three hundred were approved for sale to Saudi Arabia in 1992.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9N</hi> About 23,000 AIM-9B/Es modified for foreign military sales (<hi format=bold>FMS</hi>) from 1973. Swedish designation was <hi format=bold>Rb 24J</hi>. 30.5-in (77-cm) long GCS with same features as AIM-9J-1 GCS. Same TDD options as AIM-9J. 13.5-in (34-cm) long Mk 54 blast-fragmentation warhead. Mk 17 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9N-1</hi> was an AIM-9N with DSU-21/B fuze.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9N-2</hi> was an AIM-9N with SR116 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9N-3</hi> was an AIM-9N-1 with SR116 rocket motor.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9O</hi> was not assigned as a designation.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9P</hi> was a re designation of the AIM-J-1.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9P-1</hi> was an AIM-9P with DSU-21/B TDD.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9P-2</hi> was an AIM-9P with SR116 rocket motor. Introduced in 1976.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9P-3</hi> was an AIM-9P-1 with SR116 rocket motor. Introduced in 1976.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9P-4</hi> was an AIM-9J GCS modified to be all-aspect capable, DSU-21/B TDD, Mk 8 warhead and an improved SR116 rocket motor. FMS only; introduced in 1986 ($32,900).
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9P-5</hi> was an AIM-9P-4 with improved IRCCM features, also introduced in 1986, with about 8,000 P-4/5s having been delivered through FMS programs.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9JULI</hi> was a German program to upgrade AIM-9J/N/Ps to AIM-9L performance standards.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9Q</hi> was not assigned as a designation.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9R</hi> was a Loral-developed AIM-9M with a daytime only EO GCS developed from a commercial video camera. This seeker would not have required a refrigeration system. Canceled in favor of AIM-9X in 1992, after costs exceeded $125,000 per missile. However, development and testing continued for some time after cancellation, with hopes of producing the missile for the Navy until the AIM-9X can be fielded. Flight test designations for this design included AIM-9R EM, AIM-9R ET, and AIM-9R PM. These missiles were also evaluated with the LAU-127 AMRAAM-capable launcher beginning in late 1991. Using the 'Box Office' airframe described below has been considered.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9S</hi> was a Raytheon-developed AIM-9L modification for FMS. Contains most features of the AIM-9M, except for IRCCM. These include an improved seeker and the low-smoke motor. Flight testing began in mid-1990, and 300 were approved for sale to Saudi Arabia in 1992.
</p>
<p><hi format=bold>AIM-9X</hi> was a program to develop a vastly more efficient missile capable of internal-carriage on the F-22. After a cost and operational effectiveness analysis (<hi format=bold>COEA</hi>) was completed in late 1993, a request for proposals (<hi format=bold>RFP</hi>) encouraging foreign participation was released in mid-1994. This led to Hughes and Raytheon being awarded demonstration and validation (<hi format=bold>Dem/Eval</hi>) contracts to be completed by June 1996.
</p>
<p>The CPIF contract awards were for $22.096 million to Hughes/TI (80/20 per cent) and $24.921 million to Raytheon. Hughes' other partner, British Aerospace (BAe), also participated in the missile design.
</p>
<p>During the 18-month Dem/Eval program, infra-red missile seeker/computer processor components were prototyped and tested. Missile design and fighter aircraft integration studies were also conducted. Hughes' offering was partially based on their Tophat seeker/tracker flight demonstration, but also drew from their work on the Navy's Lightweight Exoatmospheric Projectile (Leap) anti-theater ballistic missile project, which employed a staring imaging seeker and miniaturized, low-cost processing. Their efforts also encompassed missile system designs including helmet-mounted sights (<hi format=bold>HMS</hi>), airframes (including the Boa, Box Office, and derivatives of both), as well as other concepts, including approaches to airframe maneuverability beyond simple thrust vector control (<hi format=bold>TVC</hi>). Some of these technologies included canards plus TVC, and the use of active control thrusters around the missile body to enable a missile to change direction more quickly. Raytheon was expected to continue flight testing of advanced wide-angle focal plane array seekers on Box Office airframes.
</p>
<p>In addition to the Hughes/Raytheon competition, foreign missile technology was examined for possible insertion in the AIM-9X program during mid-1996. The alternatives considered included: a foreign comparative test (<hi format=bold>FCT</hi>) of components purchased from foreign builders, the inclusion of foreign partners on US teams, and some sort of international cooperative effort. Competition with foreign competitors, in particular the British AIM-131, French Mica, Israeli Python and Russian AA-11 was also considered so long as it "could prove worthwhile" in uncovering new technology that could be adopted by the US.
</p>
<p>By 1995, Britain had spent about $1 billion on the AIM-131 ASRAAM program. Live-fire and flight tests began in mid-1995 using an F-16 at the Eglin AFB, FL range facilities, with guided tests in the fall. This provided chances to have ASRAAM technology evaluated both as part of the Hughes AIM-9X team and again through the Pentagon-sponsored FCT. In the latter program, it was proposed to buy and test ASRAAM's motor, casing and warhead.
</p>
<p>In January 1997, a single 5.5-year, $528 million contract for engineering and manufacturing development (<hi format=bold>EMD</hi>) was awarded. This design entered flight test in late 1997 or early 1998, with IOC expected in 2003.
</p>
<p>Concerns about existing AIM-9 shortcomings after it was tested against former East German 'Fulcrums' equipped with the Russian-built AA-11 'Archer' secured widespread support for the AIM-9X program . The combination of a HMS and a seeker with 140-180 degree field of regard (compared to 40 degree for AIM-9L/Ms) gave Archer-equipped fighters a considerable advantage in a close-in dogfight.
</p>
<p>The Israeli Python 4 also had a similar seeker. The goal of the AIM-9X program was to 'meet or exceed' these capabilities. Navy programs called helmet-mounted cueing/display (<hi format=bold>HMC/DS</hi>) and high off boresight seeker (<hi format=bold>HOBS</hi>) to develop possible solutions to these problems began in October 1993.
</p>
<p>The final version of the AIM-9X was expected to combine either a IIR staring focal plane array or pseudo imaging seeker with 90 degree gimbal angles to create a 180 degree field of regard, and have improved IRCCM to counter new flares. Against a blue sky background, the former would be able to detect a target at 10 nm (18.4 km), while the latter's best performance would be about 8 nm (15 km). Both seekers had about a 4-nm (7 km) detection range against a ground clutter background. The advantage of the pseudo imager was that, with only 12 to 200 detectors, it was less costly and complex, and had lower processing demands than the 16,000 detector staring focal plane array. Martin Marietta developed a multispectral seeker between 1988 and 1993 to meet this set of requirements. Using a clear, segmented nosecone similar to that used by the British Firestreak AAM, the seeker's computer processed its spatial, spectral, and temporal inputs, including those from three separate IR wavelengths, to enable it to discriminate between a target and its background clutter, day or night.
</p>
<p>To save costs, the existing AIM-9L/M's BSU-15 AOTD, WDU-17 warhead and Mk 36 rocket motor were retained. About 8,000-12,000 AIM-9L/Ms and German AIM-9I/Ls would be converted to AIM-9X standards at a unit cost of about $170,000 by the 5,000th missile. US needs were expected to require an initial production run of 8,000 to 10,000 missiles.
</p>
<p>Three missiles were used to test new control concepts, with the Raytheon and General Dynamics versions expected to participate in the dem/eval:
</p>
<list style=hang>
<item>• Raytheon began developing the USAF-supported '<hi format=bold>Box Office</hi>' tail-controlled Sidewinder in 1988. It had movable tail fins with smaller surfaces than the AIM-9M, but no canards. The 11-in (28-cm) span X-shaped fins could fit in a 7.8-in (20-cm) square box instead of the 18-in (45-cm) square box of the AIM-9M. A digital roll control autopilot linked to an inertial reference unit provided the stability needed to control the missile with small tail surfaces. Eight successful live firings of the airframe were conducted during its development. Compared to an AIM-9M, the missile had half the drag, twice the range and g available, and a speed advantage of 1.2 to 1.3 Mach anywhere in the flyout.
<item>• General Dynamics/NWC '<hi format=bold>Boa-M</hi>', featuring an AIM-9M with 16-in (40-cm) span wings and AIM-9D canards controlled by a digital autopilot.
<item>• Hughes/Texas Instruments '<hi format=bold>Tophat</hi>' was another USAF-supported program. It featured a 3-5-micron, mid-wave infra-red staring focal plane array seeker integrated with a Texas Instruments tracker. This IIR GCS was contained in a 115-in (292-cm) long, 5.6-in (14-cm) diameter airframe, using control surfaces similar to the AIM-120.
</list>
<p>In the spring of 1994, competing teams included Loral/BGT (using either Box Office or Boa configurations), Hughes/BAe (with the AIM-132), and Raytheon (using their Box Office airframe). The Loral/BGT team was eliminated by the early 1995 Dem/Eval decision, despite having had a 10-12 per cent lower bid than Raytheon, because of technological growth issues, not technical shortcomings.
</p>
<p>Loral had offered a scanning seeker which was cheaper, but often produced less information and sensitivity than a staring focal plane array-based seeker. This restricted growth potential for intercepting stealthy targets, or defeating targets in ground clutter, or protected by new countermeasures.
</p>
<p>Following an Air Force challenge, a two-year, contractor-funded, technology demonstration culminated in early 1994 with the off-boresight launch of a Box Office Sidewinder. The missile was fitted with Raytheon's high angle-of-attack/low mach (<hi format=bold>HALM</hi>) seeker slewed by a helmet-mounted display (HMD). It was launched by an F-16C with slightly modified fire control software and minor hardware modifications.
</p>
<p>For the demonstration, the F-16C attempted to position itself so the Beech MQM-107 target drone was 2 nm (3.7 km) away and 60 degrees to the left, flying at 350 kt (645 km/h). The firing actually occurred when the drone was at 1.3 nm (2.4 km), 67 degrees right and flying at 388 kt (715 km/h), providing slightly greater challenge than planned, although no IRCM flares were used.
</p>
<p>As the missile was fired, the drone began a 3g turn to the right. As a safety measure, the missile flew straight for three seconds (when Box Office was fitted with the HALM seeker, it extended the length of the missile by 5.37 in/13.6 cm beyond the previously tested configuration, or about 12 in/30 cm longer than the AIM-9M. It also added about 13 lb to the nose, causing a significant CG shift. This was why the missile flew straight for the first three seconds.) The missile then pulled 30g for two seconds and 25g for nearly four seconds as it reached 27 degrees AoA (10 degrees more than planned) before passing within lethal distance of the drone. The seeker achieved a maximum deflection of 72 degrees as it tracked the target. Total flight time was 9.2 seconds, but would have been two seconds less without the safety buffer.
</p>
<p>The Honeywell HMD used a magnetic head tracking system to follow pilot head movement and slave the missile seeker to it. This allowed the pilot to look and cue the missile anywhere in the front hemisphere. Because of the narrow field of regard of IR seekers, the HMD made it easier for the pilot to quickly help the seeker acquire the target by simply moving his head slightly instead of maneuvering the whole aircraft.
</p>
<p>The HALM seeker was developed when the USAF was interested in the AIM-9M+ as an interim step before acquiring the AIM-9X. It was designed for low cost by adding two gimbals to the AIM-9M's existing free gyro assembly, which moved in azimuth and elevation while tracking a target. The seeker provided up to 90 degrees of pitch and 360 degrees of roll, with the free gyro providing yaw. It also allowed the seeker to track the target while the missile rolled, avoiding gimbal lock, a situation where it did not have the freedom of motion to maintain track. Because it could detect two to three times further in the entire front hemisphere, the volume of airspace the HALM seeker could acquire a target in was actually about 60 times greater than AIM-9M seeker. The AIM-9M seeker could be cued by radar to acquire a target up to 27.5 degrees (and continue tracking up to 40 degrees) off boresight before breaking lock. However, seeker sensitivity decreased as it moved off boresight because the assembly that contained the primary and secondary mirrors for focusing IR energy were positioned at oblique angles to the single-element detector.
</p>
<p>The HALM seeker was designed to keep the mirror assembly within 10 degrees of the two-hue detector to better focus the IR energy. Ten of the detector's 13 indium antimonide elements were keyed to tracking target hot spots. The other three elements were designed for decoy rejection. This detector provided better resolution than the AIM-9M's, giving it two to three times the range while slewing twice as fast.
<p>The 345-lb Hughes AIM-120 is the replacement for the AIM-7 Sparrow. An extremely controversial weapon, it had a long and difficult gestation. Although the full-scale development (FSD) contract was awarded to Hughes in December 1981, low-rate initial production (LRIP) did not begin until March 1988, with first delivery to the USAF in the fall of that year. Raytheon completed production qualification in January 1989 as the second-source supplier. AMRAAM finally entered full-rate production in April 1992. Initial expectations were for production of 24,000 missiles, with 2,000-3,000 missiles being bought per year. However, with the end of the Cold War, total production was only expected to reach 13,000, with yearly production rarely exceeding 1,000. Production costs decreased from $1,800,000 each in FY87, to $645,000 in FY92, to $386,000 in FY93 (for 1,165 missiles), to $229,000 in FY94 (for 1,007 AF, 75 USN and 200 FMS missiles—a 933/349 split?).
</p>
<p>AMRAAM's most important improvement is the incorporation of an active radar seeker. Although done before with the AIM-54 Phoenix, putting this feature into a Sparrow-sized airframe is a significant achievement. It allows the launching aircraft to simultaneously engage several targets and maneuver 'out of the fight' before the missiles hit their targets. The Sparrow, by comparison, requires the launching aircraft to maintain radar contact with a single target until the missile hits it. The disadvantage of this was dramatically demonstrated during the famous air intercept missile and air combat evaluations (AIMval/ACEval) during the mid-1970s. In one engagement, which became known as 'The Towering Inferno', four F-15s engaged four F-5s with simulated AIM-7s. Before they were all 'shot down' by the Sparrows, the F-5s were able to launch simulated AIM-9s which 'destroyed' all the F-15s. AMRAAM would have allowed a single F-15 to target all four F-5s before withdrawing beyond the range of their AIM-9s.
</p>
<p>The other main area of emphasis with AMRAAM has been reliability and maintainability. Sparrow was infamous during the Vietnam War for its unreliability. Getting this feature right was one of the main reasons it took so long to get the AIM-120 into full-rate production, which finally happened in early 1992. Virtually all areas of performance have been improved over the AIM-7 as well, including reducing motor smoke, increasing speed and range, improving warhead fuzing and lethality, and better electronic counter countermeasures (<hi format=bold>ECCM</hi>). By mid-1993 its mean time between failure (<hi format=bold>MTBF</hi>) had risen to 450 hours, and 82.4 per cent of test firings were rated successful.
</p>
<p>The first public disclosure of a passively-guided AMRAAM (<hi format=bold>AIM-120B?</hi>) was made during the spring of 1994. Its believed that production of these missile began with Lot VI.
</p>
<p>The first major improvement to the AIM-120 will be introduced with Lot 8, to be delivered in mid-1997. These '<hi format=bold>Phase 1</hi>' (AIM-120C) missiles will feature ECCM improvements and 'clipped' wings, ensuring a mature missile will be available for the F-22. '<hi format=bold>Phase 2</hi>' improvements, featuring a directional warhead, and an improved target detecting device, will be introduced with Lot 10, beginning in late 1998. Warhead improvements will be aimed at making it more capable against twin-engined aircraft. The original warhead was designed to counter the MiG-23, and it will be necessary to focus the new warhead's blast (in conjunction with the TDD), and use more and perhaps differently shaped fragments in it. Plans are to also fund an advanced seeker technology demonstration contracts with the two AAAM teams, Hughes/Raytheon and General Dynamics/Westinghouse. Although ECCM improvements were ongoing, specific attention was directed towards guidance improvements aimed at improving the missile's abilities to counter chaff and active jamming such as that provided by ALQ-99-equipped aircraft. Some Phase 2 missiles will also be tested with modified seekers and a 'bank-to-turn' flight control system as part of a risk-reduction program for incorporation of a ducted-rocket motor.
</p>
<p>Concerns about the ability of the Russian AA-12 'AAM-AE' to strike targets maneuvering at 12g from a 50-nm (92-km) launch range have given a sense of urgency to efforts to improve AMRAAM propulsion. This improvement will come by incorporating a liquid fuel integral ramjet, multipulse rocket, bi-plateau propellant rocket, variable flow ducted rocket (<hi format=bold>VFDR</hi>), or a booster rocket on advanced AIM-120s to increase their range, sustainable speed, and terminal maneuverability. The goal is to increase AMRAAM's range by about 50 per cent (20-30 nm/37-55 km) with enough energy and maneuverability to defeat 9g maneuvers by a chaff-dispensing target. '<hi format=bold>Phase 3</hi>' missiles will actually feature the advanced rocket motor and may be accelerated to minimize the effects of the cancellation of the Navy's advanced air-to-air missile (<hi format=bold>AAAM</hi>) AIM-54 replacement. Its configuration has yet to be defined, but will fit into the same volume as the Phase 1 missiles, and may be a wingless lifting body.
</p>
<hi style=hdr1>Have Dash Program</hi>
<p><hi format=bold>Have Dash</hi> was a test program to develop 'bank-to-turn' flight control systems for air-to-air missiles. In theory, this would allow the missile to generate lift more efficiently, permitting terminal maneuvers to be increased from 35g to as much as 50g. The Have Dash missile featured a triangular-section, graphite-composite airframe without wings or a guidance, navigation and control computer (<hi format=bold>GNCC</hi>). To reduce costs it used an AIM-7 rocket motor. The Have Dash 1 program demonstrated safe separation techniques from the weapons bay of Eglin's F-111E, while Have Dash 2 planned six actual launches. These missiles were not fitted with seekers.
</p>
<p>Because it only weighs about 350 lb, AMRAAM can be rail-launched from stations previously associated only with AIM-9s. AMRAAM launchers can be distinguished from the earlier LAU-114 Sidewinder rails by their blunter noses and include the 115.5-in (293-cm) long <hi format=bold>LAU-127 </hi>(F-14/18), 106-in (269-cm) long <hi format=bold>LAU-128</hi> (F-16 wingtip), and <hi format=bold>LAU-129 </hi>(F-15). AIM-120 began replacing the AIM-7 on all F-14Ds, F-15s (beginning in September 1991), F-16s (beginning in January 1992), F/A-18s (in September 1993), F-22As and German F-4Fs. The <hi format=bold>LAU-139</hi> was a Swiss modification of the LAU-127 to permit carriage of the AIM-9P-5.
</p>
<p>The first operational use of AMRAAM was during the Gulf War, when the F-15Cs of the 33rd TFW took it into combat. Unfortunately, by the time the aircraft software was set up to allow carriage of AIM-7s, -9s and -120s, the Iraqi air force was hiding in its shelters (or fleeing to Iran), and there was no opportunity to actually use the new missile in combat. The first combat use of the missile came on 27 December 1992, when an F-16C participating in Operation Southern Watch shot down an Iraqi MiG-25. Subsequently, another MiG-25 was probably killed and a MiG-23 was definitely shot down (on 17 January 1993) over Iraq using AMRAAMs. The next kill was made by an F-16C from the 86th FW over Bosnia on 28 February 1994 against a Serbian-flown Galeb light attack aircraft.
</p>
<p>In addition to the US, AMRAAM will be bought by the United Kingdom, Turkey, South Korea, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway. In February 1994, Norway placed a production order with Hughes and Norsk Forszvarsteknologi (NFT) for 36 launchers and support equipment to use a surface-launched AMRAAM-based system to replace its Hawk SAM system.
