AIM-9M Sidewinder
| This page is about the American air-to-air missile AIM-9M Sidewinder. For other versions, see AIM-9 Sidewinder (Family). |
Contents
Description
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a renowned family of short-range air-to-air missiles used by global air forces. Among its variations, the AIM-9M, introduced in the 1980s, stands out. This version was tailored to offer enhanced resistance to IR countermeasures, making it harder for enemy aircraft to evade or deceive. The AIM-9M also features a reduced-smoke rocket motor, minimizing the risk of the launching aircraft being spotted. Its deployment in various conflicts has cemented its reputation as a formidable air-to-air weapon.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
| Vehicles equipped with this weapon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jet fighters | Tornado F.3 Late | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| F-15 | F-15A · Baz · Baz Meshupar · F-15C MSIP II · F-15J · F-15J(M) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| F-16 | ▄F-16A · ▄F-16AM · F-16C · F-16C Barak II · F-16D Barak II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| JAS39 | ▄JAS39C · ◔JAS39EBS HU C | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strike aircraft | A-10C | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harrier | Harrier GR.7 · Sea Harrier FA 2 · AV-8B Plus · ▄AV-8B Plus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attack helicopters | AH-1Z
General infoThe most notable characteristics are:
Effective damageIt has a 4.58 kg warhead, making it average but still reliable at crippling or downing enemy planes with its warhead. The damage can be, at times, inconsistent and larger aircraft may tank the missile in certain (and quite unlikely) conditions. Comparison with analoguesIn terms of flight characteristics, the missile is identical to the AIM-9L Sidewinder. The IRCCM this missile uses (suspended animation) which currently can only be found on helicopter AAMs. The Japanese AAM-3 which is carried on the F-15J uses the same type of IRCCM, and has slightly better performance overall in comparison. The other comparable missiles of this generation are the Matra R550 Magic 2 and R-73. Both of these also have IRCCM, however they use a type of IRCCM called FOV Gating, where once it is fired, the inner FOV of the seeker is reduced, making it harder to "see" flares.
Usage in battlesThe AIM-9M should be used to target enemy fighters. It's potential of destroying a target becomes exponentially higher when firing at a clueless or unsuspecting enemy, such as AFK players or those who don't know you are coming. When an enemy is flaring, or ready to flare the missile, shooting it from side aspect is generally most reliable, with rear aspect being fairly reliable and front aspect not being reliable at all. Pros and consPros:
Cons:
HistoryDespite the successful development and service of the AIM-9L, the team at China Lake still believed that there were still more capabilities that could be implemented into the missile that didn't fit within the AIM-9L development scope. When the US government came back and asked what else in the missile could be improved, the team set to work on the AIM-9L Product Improvement Package (PIP) that focused on adding these no capabilities.[1] The primary improvement was better resistance to countermeasures, and as such a counter-countermeasure was implemented into the missile. One method was through the use of optical filters, which combined with the missile's own processing power in the installed computer chip meant it could not only filter out countermeasures, but also terrain and clouds, letting the missile focus on the optical signature of its target.[1] A low-smoke motor was also installed to reduce its visibility when fired.[2] The new and improved missile was designated AIM-9M and would be put into production in 1981.[1] More than 7,000 AIM-9M missiles would be produced, with different subtypes developed, labeled sequentially from "AIM-9M-1" to "AIM-9M-10", for improvements such as better ability to distinguish countermeasures from an aircraft and new component improvements.[3] Future Sidewinder variantsThe 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.[4] 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 airframe 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.[3] 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.[2] 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.[2][3] Continually seeing development as late as 2019,[5] the AIM-9X looks to be the main Sidewinder model for the 21st century aerospace. MediaExcellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos. See alsoLinks to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
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References
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