AIM-120A

Description

The AIM-120A is an American active radar-homing air-to-air missile. It was introduced in Update "Seek & Destroy".

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• AV-8B Plus
• ▄AV-8B Plus
• Baz Meshupar
• ◄F-4F KWS LV
• F-15C MSIP II
• F-15J(M)
• ▄F-16AM
• F-16C
• ◔JAS39EBS HU C

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the missile.

Missile characteristics
Mass	147.87 kg
Guidance	ARH+IOG+DL
Band	I
Lock range	16 km
Launch range	80 km
Maximum speed	4.0 M
Maximum overload	35 G
Missile guidance time	80 secs
Explosive mass	9.81 kg TNTeq

Effective damage

The warhead on the AIM-120A is similar to that on the AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, generally sufficient for destroying fighter aircraft with one hit.

Comparison with analogues

The AIM-120A has higher effective range when compared to other medium range active radar missiles, due to its powerful boost-sustain motor, low drag, and low mass, but it cannot match the close range maneuverability of missiles such as the MICA-EM, I-Derby or R-77, lacking thrust vectoring or high angle control surfaces.

Usage in battles

The AMRAAM is a versatile missile, capable of filling both the role of a medium range BVR weapon and a dogfight missile. It can effectively out-range the AIM-7F/M missiles while also accelerating faster and having active radar guidance, similar to the AIM-54 phoenix, allowing the launching aircraft to employ defensive maneuvers once the missile has activated its own seeker at a distance of about 16 kilometres from the target.

Practical employment of the AIM-120 can be anywhere from 1-30 kilometres depending on the relative target aspect and altitude. The high 35g pull allows for effective employment at close ranges when paired with a HMD capable radar. This will be the main weapon for high tier American fighter jets.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good practical range when compared to other MR AAMs.
• High G Pull allows for use in close combat over AIM-9M.
• Active radar homing increases launch platform survivability.
• Pulse Doppler seeker allows the missile to track targets at low altitudes.

Cons:

• Less maneuverable than other MR AAMs.
• Low mass lead to suboptimal energy retention and wobbling in terminal flight phases.
• Still kinematically outmatched by missiles such as the R-27ER.

History

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Media

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See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.