Difference between revisions of "AIM-9L Sidewinder"

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The United States Navy had their own development team within China Lake that set to work improving their Sidewinders, which has so far culminated from the [[AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9B]] to the [[AIM-9D Sidewinder|AIM-9D]], [[AIM-9G Sidewinder|AIM-9G]] and their latest AIM-9H. The US Air Force had their own development of the Sidewinder splitting off from the US Navy's AIM-9B to the [[AIM-9E Sidewinder|AIM-9E]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder|AIM-9J]]. The US Navy and US Air Force's Sidewinder models were not compatible between the two service branches due to differences in seeker cooling methods. The United States Air Force desired to continue their own missile program named "CLAW", which called for the use of smaller, cheaper missiles so more could be fired at a time. William Perry, the Defense Department's deputy director of research and engineering, disapproved of this path and told the US Air Force to work with the US Navy to work together on a common IR missile for both service branches. The US Air Force, therefore, cooperated with the US Navy's China Lake team to share specifications and technology to produce the next missile. The US Navy would designate this program as the ''AIM-9H Product Improvement Package'' (PIP).<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9L">Westrum 2013, p.191-193</ref>
 
The United States Navy had their own development team within China Lake that set to work improving their Sidewinders, which has so far culminated from the [[AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9B]] to the [[AIM-9D Sidewinder|AIM-9D]], [[AIM-9G Sidewinder|AIM-9G]] and their latest AIM-9H. The US Air Force had their own development of the Sidewinder splitting off from the US Navy's AIM-9B to the [[AIM-9E Sidewinder|AIM-9E]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder|AIM-9J]]. The US Navy and US Air Force's Sidewinder models were not compatible between the two service branches due to differences in seeker cooling methods. The United States Air Force desired to continue their own missile program named "CLAW", which called for the use of smaller, cheaper missiles so more could be fired at a time. William Perry, the Defense Department's deputy director of research and engineering, disapproved of this path and told the US Air Force to work with the US Navy to work together on a common IR missile for both service branches. The US Air Force, therefore, cooperated with the US Navy's China Lake team to share specifications and technology to produce the next missile. The US Navy would designate this program as the ''AIM-9H Product Improvement Package'' (PIP).<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9L">Westrum 2013, p.191-193</ref>
  
−
The package prioritized improving the seeker with an indium antimonide seeker, which could detect the longer-wavelength infrared radiation given out of warm surfaces of aircraft parts, allowing the missile to obtain all-aspect capability (ALASCA) in acquiring targets.<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9L"/> Other improvements with the AIM-9H PIP were the long-span pointed double-delta canards, a new MK 36 solid-fuel rocket motor, WDU-17/B warhead featuring double-layer continuous-rod scheme, and a DSU-15/B Active Optical Target Detector (AOTD) laser proximity fuse system <ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder">Goebel 2021</ref><ref name="Designation_Sidewinder">Parsch 2008</ref> The cooling system was improved to a TMU/72/B argon-gas cooling system that was contained within the missile's seeker, which allowed for use on both USAF and USN missile launchers.<ref name="Ausairpower_Sidewinder"/> The one feature that complicated the US Navy and US Air Force cooperation with the missile was the reticle seeker, with the US Navy desiring an amplitude-modulated (AM) seeker while the US Air Force desired a frequency-modulated (FM) seeker. An AM-FM system was developed by Raytheon,<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9L"/>, which allowed the Sidewinder to use both traditional AM reticle that is effective in cloudy backgrounds with the benefit of the FM reticle reducing seeker error signal inputs from the target's increasing size as the seeker gets closer.<ref name="Westrum_AMSeeker">Westrum 2013, p.137</ref><ref name="Ausairpower_Sidewinder"/>
+
The package prioritized improving the seeker with an indium antimonide seeker, which could detect the longer-wavelength infrared radiation given out of warm surfaces of aircraft parts, allowing the missile to obtain all-aspect capability (ALASCA) in acquiring targets.<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9L"/> Other improvements with the AIM-9H PIP were the long-span pointed double-delta canards, a new MK 36 solid-fuel rocket motor, WDU-17/B warhead featuring double-layer continuous-rod scheme, and a DSU-15/B Active Optical Target Detector (AOTD) laser proximity fuse system <ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder">Goebel 2021</ref><ref name="Designation_Sidewinder">Parsch 2008</ref> The cooling system was improved to a TMU/72/B argon-gas cooling system that was contained within the missile's seeker, which allowed for use on both USAF and USN missile launchers.<ref name="Ausairpower_Sidewinder"/> The one feature that complicated the US Navy and US Air Force cooperation with the missile was the reticle seeker, with the US Navy desiring an amplitude-modulated (AM) seeker while the US Air Force desired a frequency-modulated (FM) seeker. An AM-FM system was developed by Raytheon,<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9L"/>, which allowed the Sidewinder to use both traditional AM reticle that is effective in cloudy backgrounds with the benefit of the FM reticle reducing seeker error signal inputs from the target's increasing size as the seeker gets closer.<ref name="Ausairpower_Sidewinder"/><ref name="Westrum_AMSeeker">Westrum 2013, p.137</ref>
 
[[File:Breakout of the AIM-9L.png|x200px|left|none|thumb|An exploded diagram of the AIM-9L and its components.]]
 
[[File:Breakout of the AIM-9L.png|x200px|left|none|thumb|An exploded diagram of the AIM-9L and its components.]]
  
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[[File:AIM-9X_F-15C_2002.jpg|x200px|left|thumb|none|An AIM-9X Sidewinder on an F-15C.]]
 
[[File:AIM-9X_F-15C_2002.jpg|x200px|left|thumb|none|An AIM-9X Sidewinder on an F-15C.]]
−
The most recent Sidewinder variant to see use is the ''AIM-9X'', which uses the Mk 36 motor and WDU-17/B warhead from the AIM-9M, but the air frame had been redesigned with smaller fins and canards for lower drag and better flight performance. Rollerons have been removed from the Sidewinder's design as the flight control system was sophisticated enough to no longer need them. The WPU-17/B propulsion section uses a jet-vane steering system to steer the Sidewinder with thrust-vectoring. The result was a more compact missile that could fit within a fighter's internal bay, such as the F-22 and F-35.<ref name="Designation_Sidewinder"/> The biggest improvement of the AIM-9X over the predecessors was the guidance, using a seeker that was developed for the AIM-132 {{Annotation|ASRAAM|Advanced Short-Range Anti-Air Missile}} with an imaging infrared array, cooled by a Stirling-cycle cryocooler.<ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder"/> The AIM-9X also introduced an "Off-Boresight" capability, allowing the missile to be used with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) to acquire target with the pilot's helmet.<ref name="Designation_Sidewinder"/><ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder"/> Continually seeing development as late as 2019,<ref name="Drive_AIM9X">Rogoway & Trevithick 2019</ref> the AIM-9X looks to be the main Sidewinder model for the 21st century aerospace.
+
The most recent Sidewinder variant to see use is the ''AIM-9X'', which uses the Mk 36 motor and WDU-17/B warhead from the AIM-9M, but the air frame had been redesigned with smaller fins and canards for lower drag and better flight performance. Rollerons have been removed from the Sidewinder's design as the flight control system was sophisticated enough to no longer need them. The WPU-17/B propulsion section uses a jet-vane steering system to steer the Sidewinder with thrust-vectoring. The result was a more compact missile that could fit within a fighter's internal bay, such as the F-22 and F-35.<ref name="Designation_Sidewinder"/> The biggest improvement of the AIM-9X over the predecessors was the guidance, using a seeker that was developed for the AIM-132 {{Annotation|ASRAAM|Advanced Short-Range Anti-Air Missile}} with an imaging infrared array, cooled by a Stirling-cycle cryocooler.<ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder"/> The AIM-9X also introduced an "Off-Boresight" capability, allowing the missile to be used with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) to acquire target with the pilot's helmet.<ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder"/><ref name="Designation_Sidewinder"/> Continually seeing development as late as 2019,<ref name="Drive_AIM9X">Rogoway & Trevithick 2019</ref> the AIM-9X looks to be the main Sidewinder model for the 21st century aerospace.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==

Revision as of 18:42, 23 November 2021

Description

The AIM-9L Sidewinder missile (scale is approximate)


The AIM-9L is an American infrared homing air-to-air missile, it was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

  • Mass: 84 kg
  • Guidance: IR
  • Aspects: All-Aspects
  • Weapon Lock range in rear-aspect: 6.50 km
  • Weapon Lock range in all-aspect: 3.00 km
  • Launch range: 18.00 km
  • Maximum speed: Mach 2.5
  • Maximum overload: 30 G
  • Explosive type: HBX
  • Explosive mass: 3.54 kg
  • TNT equivalent: 5.66 kg

Effective damage

Describe the type of damage produced by this type of missile (high explosive, splash damage, etc)

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of missiles that have firepower equal to this weapon.

Usage in battles

Describe situations when you would utilise this missile in-game (vehicle, pillbox, base, etc)

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Lock on Fire-And-Forget missile
  • 30G Max overload
  • 18 km maximum range if the hostile plane were to go in a straight line
  • Up to 5 km in which the missile can turn (5.2 s of burn time)
  • 6.5 km rear-aspect lock-on
  • 3 km all-aspect lock on

Cons:

  • Flares can distract the missile
  • Friendly or Enemy missile could distract the missile
  • Very high speed loss due to weak engine and high drag coefficient
  • IRCM modules acts as a shield against the missile

History

Development

The experience with the AIM-9 Sidewinders in the Vietnam War and Yom Kippur War showed that there were still many improvements that could be made to the Sidewinder's performance. Low-altitude performance was poor due to environmental interferences on the Sidewinder's IR seeker, and the IR seeker was only able to attack from the rear to lock onto the engine exhaust of an enemy aircraft. Improving the Sidewinder's seeker capabilities to solve these issues became the key improvement for the next Sidewinder generation.[1]

An AIM-9L missile on display. The canard fin shape is the most distinctive external feature of the AIM-9L.

The United States Navy had their own development team within China Lake that set to work improving their Sidewinders, which has so far culminated from the AIM-9B to the AIM-9D, AIM-9G and their latest AIM-9H. The US Air Force had their own development of the Sidewinder splitting off from the US Navy's AIM-9B to the AIM-9E and AIM-9J. The US Navy and US Air Force's Sidewinder models were not compatible between the two service branches due to differences in seeker cooling methods. The United States Air Force desired to continue their own missile program named "CLAW", which called for the use of smaller, cheaper missiles so more could be fired at a time. William Perry, the Defense Department's deputy director of research and engineering, disapproved of this path and told the US Air Force to work with the US Navy to work together on a common IR missile for both service branches. The US Air Force, therefore, cooperated with the US Navy's China Lake team to share specifications and technology to produce the next missile. The US Navy would designate this program as the AIM-9H Product Improvement Package (PIP).[2]

The package prioritized improving the seeker with an indium antimonide seeker, which could detect the longer-wavelength infrared radiation given out of warm surfaces of aircraft parts, allowing the missile to obtain all-aspect capability (ALASCA) in acquiring targets.[2] Other improvements with the AIM-9H PIP were the long-span pointed double-delta canards, a new MK 36 solid-fuel rocket motor, WDU-17/B warhead featuring double-layer continuous-rod scheme, and a DSU-15/B Active Optical Target Detector (AOTD) laser proximity fuse system [3][4] The cooling system was improved to a TMU/72/B argon-gas cooling system that was contained within the missile's seeker, which allowed for use on both USAF and USN missile launchers.[1] The one feature that complicated the US Navy and US Air Force cooperation with the missile was the reticle seeker, with the US Navy desiring an amplitude-modulated (AM) seeker while the US Air Force desired a frequency-modulated (FM) seeker. An AM-FM system was developed by Raytheon,[2], which allowed the Sidewinder to use both traditional AM reticle that is effective in cloudy backgrounds with the benefit of the FM reticle reducing seeker error signal inputs from the target's increasing size as the seeker gets closer.[1][5]

An exploded diagram of the AIM-9L and its components.

Another improvement Raytheon introduced in the AIM-9H PIP was a rate bias that caused the missile to aim slightly ahead of an aircraft's hot afterburner. Issues arose when the missiles' rate bias adjusts too far ahead and missed the aircraft from the front. Consultation with General Dynamics revealed similar issues had arose during the development of the FIM-92 Stinger missile, and the proper adjustments were made to solve the issue.[2] Sometime prior to 1975, the AIM-9H PIP would be designated as the AIM-9L. By 1975, the AIM-9L was tested in a joint navy-air force evaluation. Satisfied with the results, the AIM-9L missile was put into production in 1976 with both Raytheon and Ford Aerospace for a missile that was now jointly serving the United States Air Force and Navy.[6]

Foreign users were also sought out for the AIM-9L. In one case, the AIM-9L was contested against the German company Bodensee Geratechnik (BGT), which had developed an ALASCA seeker for a proposed Viper missile. To resolve this and bring BGT to help produce AIM-9Ls to European allies, the US Navy and Raytheon waived license and R&D fees for the AIM-9L, causing the end of the Viper missile development and provided AIM-9Ls to Great Britain, Norway, and Germany. Japan were also given the license to produce AIM-9Ls, which was performed by Mitsubishi. Between Raytheon, Ford, BGT, and Mitsubishi, more than 16,000 AIM-9L Sidewinders have been built since their production started.[4]

Future Sidewinder variants

An AH-1W SuperCobra fires a AIM-9L from a wing-mounted missile launcher at China Lake.

Though AIM-9L was a successful Sidewinder variant, there were still more features and improvements to be introduced into the model. Infrared Counter-Counterneasure (IRCCM) capability, a smaller smoke signature from the motor, and an improved WGU-4/B guidance system were implemented into the AIM-9L PIP that became the AIM-9M, which saw use during the Gulf War.[4] The next significant AIM-9 variant to be developed was the AIM-9R, which attempted to evolve the AIM-9 design with the use of a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector, allowing the missile to use an imaging system to track the target. However, cost overruns, staff mismanagement, use of expensive and complicated components, and the fact the imaging system could not work in the night caused the backers of the program to lose faith and the missile was cancelled by the US Navy in December 1991.[7]

The AIM-9L and future variants introduced many radical features that the United States deemed too sensitive for all allies, and export variants were produced that lacked some of the newer features. These export variants were labeled as AIM-9N, AIM-9P, and AIM-9S.[4]

An AIM-9X Sidewinder on an F-15C.

The most recent Sidewinder variant to see use is the AIM-9X, which uses the Mk 36 motor and WDU-17/B warhead from the AIM-9M, but the air frame had been redesigned with smaller fins and canards for lower drag and better flight performance. Rollerons have been removed from the Sidewinder's design as the flight control system was sophisticated enough to no longer need them. The WPU-17/B propulsion section uses a jet-vane steering system to steer the Sidewinder with thrust-vectoring. The result was a more compact missile that could fit within a fighter's internal bay, such as the F-22 and F-35.[4] The biggest improvement of the AIM-9X over the predecessors was the guidance, using a seeker that was developed for the AIM-132 ASRAAM with an imaging infrared array, cooled by a Stirling-cycle cryocooler.[3] The AIM-9X also introduced an "Off-Boresight" capability, allowing the missile to be used with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) to acquire target with the pilot's helmet.[3][4] Continually seeing development as late as 2019,[8] the AIM-9X looks to be the main Sidewinder model for the 21st century aerospace.

Media

An AIM-9L Sidwinder hangs off a F-14 Tomcat.
Videos
Best guided missiles discusses the AIM-9L Sidewinder at 1:18 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

External links

References
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kopp 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Westrum 2013, p.191-193
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Goebel 2021
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Parsch 2008
  5. ↑ Westrum 2013, p.137
  6. ↑ Westrum 2013, p.196
  7. ↑ Westrum 2013, p.198-203
  8. ↑ Rogoway & Trevithick 2019
Bibliography
  • Goebel, Greg. "The Falcon & Sidewinder Air-To-Air Missiles." Air Vectors, 01 Jul. 2021, Website. Accessed on 21 Nov. 2021.
  • Hollway, Don. "The AIM-9 Sidewinder: Fox Two!" HistoryNet, Website. Accessed on 21 Nov. 2021.
  • Kopp, Carlo. "The Sidewinder Story: The Evolution of the AIM-9 Missile." Air Power Australia, 27 Jan 2014, Website. Accessed on 21 Nov. 2021.
  • Rogoway, Tyler; Trevithick, Josephy. "The AIM-9X Sidewinder May Finally Evolve Into A Completely New And Longer-Range Missile". The War Zone. The Drive, 03 Sep. 2019, Webiste. Accessed on 23 Nov. 2021 (Archive)..
  • Parsch, Andreas. "AIM-9." Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Designation-Systems.Net, 09 July 2008, Website. Accessed on 21 Nov. 2021.
  • Westrum, Ron. Sidewinder; Creative Missile Development at China Lake. Naval Institute Press, 30 Sep. 2013.


Missiles
USA 
AAM  AIM-54A Phoenix · AIM-54C Phoenix · ATAS (AIM-92) · AIM-120A · AIM-120B · Fakour-90 · Sedjeel
Sparrow  AIM-7C · AIM-7D · AIM-7E · AIM-7E-2 · AIM-7F · AIM-7M
Sidewinder  AIM-9B · AIM-9C · AIM-9D · AIM-9E · AIM-9G · AIM-9H · AIM-9J · AIM-9L · AIM-9M · AIM-9P
AGM  AGM-22 · APKWS II (M151) · APKWS II (M282) · BGM-71D TOW-2
Bullpup  AGM-12B Bullpup · AGM-12C Bullpup
Hellfire  AGM-114B Hellfire · AGM-114K Hellfire II
Maverick  AGM-65A · AGM-65B · AGM-65D · AGM-65E2 · AGM-65G · AGM-65L
ATGM  LOSAT/MGM-166A
TOW  BGM-71 · BGM-71A · BGM-71B · BGM-71C
SAM  FIM-92 Stinger · MIM-72 · MIM146
Naval SAM  RIM-24A
Germany 
AAM  AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder · AIM-9L/I Sidewinder · Flz Lwf 63 · Flz Lwf 63/80
AGM  9M14M Malyutka · Flz Lwf LB 82 · HOT-1 · HOT-2 TOW · HOT-3 · PARS 3 LR
AShM  AS.34 Kormoran
ATGM  HOT-K3S · Spike-LR II
SAM  Roland
Naval SAM  Strela-2M
USSR 
AAM  9M39 Igla · R-3R · R-3S · R-13M1 · R-23R · R-23T · R-24R · R-24T · R-27ER(1) · R-27ET(1) · R-27R(1) · R-27T(1) · R-60 · R-60M · R-60MK · R-73(E) · R-77
AGM  9K127 Vikhr · 9M17M Falanga · 9M120 Ataka · 9M120-1 Ataka
  Kh-23M · Kh-25 · Kh-25ML · Kh-29L · Kh-29T · Kh-29TE · Kh-29TD · Kh-66 · S-25L · S-25LD
ATGM  3M7 · 9M14 · 9M113 Konkurs · 9M114 Shturm · 9M123 Khrizantema · 9M133 · 9M133FM3 · 9M133M-2
SAM  95Ya6 · 9M311 · 9M311-1M · 9M331 · 9M37M
Naval SAM  Volna-M
Britain 
AAM  Fireflash · Firestreak · Red Top · Skyflash · Skyflash SuperTEMP · SRAAM · R-Darter
AGM  AGM-65E · AS.12 · ZT-6 Mokopa
AShM  AJ.168
ATGM  BAe Swingfire · MILAN · MILAN 2 · ZT3
SAM  Starstreak
Japan 
AAM  AAM-3 · AAM-4
AGM  Ki-148 I-Go Model 1B
ATGM  Type 64 MAT · Type 79 Jyu-MAT
SAM  Type 81 SAM-1C · Type 91
China 
AAM  PL-2 · PL-5B · PL-5C · PL-5EII · PL-7 · PL-8 · PL-12 · SD-10(A) · TY-90
AGM  AKD-9 · AKD-10 · Fire Snake 90A · HJ-8A · HJ-8C · HJ-8E · HJ-8H
ATGM  302 · HJ-73 · HJ-73E · HJ-9 · QN201DD · QN502CDD
SAM  HN-6
Italy 
AAM  Aspide-1A · MAA-1 Piranha
AGM  AGM-65H · CIRIT · L-UMTAS · Spike ER
ATGM  Spike-LR II
Naval AShM  Nettuno
SAM  Mistral SATCP
France 
AAM  AA-20 Nord · Matra R511 · Matra R530 · Matra R530E · Matra Super 530D · Matra Super 530F · Matra R550 Magic 1 · Matra R550 Magic 2 · Mistral · MICA-EM
AGM  9M14-2 Malyutka-2 · AS-20 Nord · AS-30 Nord · AS-30L Nord · HOT-1 · HOT-2 TOW · HOT-3 · Spike ER
ATGM  HOT · SS.11
SAM  Roland · VT1
Sweden 
AAM  RB24 · RB24J · RB71 · RB 74 · RB 74(M) · RB 99
AGM  Rb05A · RB 53 Bantam · RB 55B Heli TOW · RB 55C Heli TOW · RB 75 · RB 75T
ATGM  Rbs 55 · Rbs 56
SAM  Rbs 70
Israel 
AAM  Shafrir · Shafrir 2 · Python 3 · Derby
ATGM  Spike-LR II
  AAM = Air-to-Air Missile   AGM = Air-to-Ground Missile   AShM = Anti-Ship Missile   ATGM = Anti-Tank Guided Missile (Ground mounts)   SAM = Surface-to-Air Missile

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