56th VFW Training Squadron

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56th VFW Training Squadron Fighter Academics
Part 1 Air Combat Prep Lesson 2 Air
to Air Weapons
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The following is a very basic overview of
the air to air weapons youll primarily use in
Falcon 4.0. A-A missiles and guns will be gone
over in greater detail later on in the course.
After a definition of some of the terms well be
using, well start off by discussing the general
types of missiles currently in use, then several
specific missile models, and lastly well take a
look at the gun/cannon we use on the Viper.
Knowing your weapons and their capabilities and
limitations is critical to your ability to not
only survive, but to dominate in the air combat
arena. Study the weapons information provided in
this course with the goal being total
understanding and knowledge of both your own and
potential enemies weapons.
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Terms Definitions Gimble The term Gimble is
used to describe the range of motion up and down,
left right of a radar antenna or missile seeker
head. This is stated in degrees off boresight.
Boresight/Off-Boresight Boresight is an
imaginary line straight ahead of your radar,
targeting pod or weapons seeker head. For example
the AN/APG-68 has a 60 degree off-boresight
capability which translates into 120 degrees
total area coverage. Thats 60 degrees each side
and up and down from the centerline or
boresight. In contrast the AIM-9M seeker head
has a 35 degree off boresight capability. This
means the seeker head can swivel, or Gimble, up
to 35 degrees in any given direction. All Aspect
Weapon can engage effectively at any aspect
from target. In other words shooting from the
rear, side, above, below or head on. Rear Aspect
In regards to Air to air weapons. A rear
aspect weapon can only engage effectively from
the rear quadrant of the target. WVR Within
Visual Range BVR Beyond Visual Range
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General Missile Types Infra-Red (IR) homing IR
missiles home on heat sources visible in the
infra-red spectrum. Engine and exhaust heat and
thermal warming (particularly leading edges) of
airframes due to speed can all be sources of heat
that IR missiles can guide on depending on seeker
type and sensitivity.
Semi Active Radar Homing (SARH)
SARH (pronounced Sarah) missiles use reflected
energy from the launching aircrafts radar to
guide on the target. Radar lock by the launching
aircraft needs to be maintained all the way to
missile impact. If radar lock is lost the missile
will lose guidance and go mad-dog, almost
certainly missing the target and exploding
harmlessly in empty airspace. The newest models
of the AIM-7 Sparrow have the ability to
reconnect with the launching aircraft and
reacquire target telemetry, depending on the
point that lock was lost. As far as I know this
is not implemented in any version of Falcon 4.0.
Active Radar Homing
(ARH) missiles ARH missiles use the launching
aircraft and their own onboard radar to guide to
target. When launched at medium to long range the
ARH missile will initially use the launching
aircrafts radar to guide on the target. Once
within range the missile turns on its own
onboard radar and uses it to guide on the target
for the rest of its flight to impact. This is
known as Pitbull. Once the missile gos pitbull
the launching aircraft can deselect the original
target and acquire a new one to engage and fire
on.
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Air to Air Missiles AIM-9 Sidewinder Heater
- AIM-9M - AIM-9X - AIM-9P AIM-120
AMRAAM Slammer AIM-7 Sparrow
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AIM-9 Sidewinder
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The AIM-9 family of missiles is the worlds
most successful missile to date. The Sidewinder
has been in constant use by the USA and many
other countries for more than 50 years, entering
service with the U.S. Navy in 1956. On 24
September 1958 the Sidewinder achieved the worlds
first ever successful use of Air to Air guided
missiles, when Taiwanese F-86Fs shot down
Communist Chinese MiG-15s using AIM-9Bs supplied
by the U.S. Navy. To date more than 270 kills
world wide have been made using various AIM-9
models.
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AIM-9M
The AIM-9M is a supersonic, WVR, air-to-air,
IR guided missile. Commonly referred to as
Heater or Winder, the AIM-9M is a true fire
and forget missile. In other words immediately
after launch the missile guides to the target on
its own, homing on the targets IR (heat)
signature, and requiring no further support from
the launching aircraft. The missile interfaces
with the aircraft through the missile launcher
using a forward umbilical cable, a mid-body
umbilical connector and three missile hangars.
The AIM-9M has three basic phases of operation
captive flight, launch, and free flight. The
AIM-9M is an all aspect weapon capable of
tracking and engaging targets at any angle from
the launching aircraft. Typical head on
engagement maximum launch range is around 3-4
miles, although under perfect conditions 8 -10
mile shots are possible.just very unlikely. For
tail chase shots, maximum launch range is usually
around 1.5 2.5 miles. The excellent seeker
sensitivity of the AIM-9M seeker head is possible
in large part due to the use of Argon gas to keep
it cool. USAF AIM-9Ms have an onboard (the
missile) supply of Argon sufficient to last
around 90 minutes. If cooling is not enabled, or
the supply of Argon is depleted, the missile is
practically useless.
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The AIM-9M has an off boresight or gimble of
approx 35 degrees. Additional improvements over
older rear aspect models of the AIM-9 include an
AOTD (Active Optical Target Detector) laser
proximity fuze, and an improved 9.4 kg (20.8 lb)
WDU-17/B annular blast-fragmentation warhead.
When any AIM-9 or other IR missile is fired FOX 2
is called on comms. In Operation Desert Storm
in 1991, 13 out of 40 total air-to-air kills were
attributed to the Sidewinder, all of which were
probably AIM-9M missiles.
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AIM-9X
The newest generation of Sidewinder, the
AIM-9X is a high off-boresight capable, short
range, all aspect, IR missile. Boasting an
amazing 90 degree off-boresight capability,
thrust vectoring and improved aerodynamics, the
AIM-9X is a truly terrifying missile. It shares
much in common with the AIM-9M. Same warhead,
same rocket motor same AOTD. However, the AIM-9X
expands the capabilities of the AIM-9M with a new
seeker imaging infra-red focal plane array, a
high performance airframe, and a new signal
processor for the seeker/sensor. In Falcon the
AIM-9X is cooled like the AIM-9M and shares the
same effective ranges.
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Data for AIM-9M/X
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AIM-9P
Even though the USAF no longer uses the
AIM-9P, Ive included it because many virtual
fighter pilots like to set up dogfights using it,
and youll need to know the intricacies of this
classic Sidewinder to employ it properly.
The AIM-9P is a supersonic, WVR, air-to-air, IR
guided missile. This missile is rear aspect
capable only. Youll need to manuever to the rear
of any targets you wish to engage. Typical
maximum range employment from the rear quarter is
similar to the AIM-9M. This missile is cooled
electrically and has no need (or option) to be
actively switched to a cool down mode. Be aware
of the fact that the AIM-9Ps seeker head IS NOT
as sensitive as the M or X. The AIM-9P is also
much more susceptible to countermeasures such as
flares and can be ditched quite easily if its
launch is detected and acted on quickly.
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Summary
Theres a few things youll need to remember
when employing the AIM-9. 1) To successfully
fire on and hit a target you need to be both IN
RANGE and have GOOD TONE. There will be many
times when youll be in range but without tone.
Similarly there will be times when you have great
tone and youre out of range. Remember to
crosscheck to ensure you have both before you
fire! 2) The AIM-9M and P have a 35 degree
off-boresight capability. Your radar has a 60
degree capability. IF you are in range and do not
have good tone check to make sure that you are
not exceeding the missiles gimble limits by being
to far left, right, up, or down from the target.
If you are, get more nose on to him and listen
for tone. 3) If you are using the AIM-9M or X,
find you do not have good tone, and have ensured
you are not exceeding the missiles gimble
limits.check and make sure you have the missile
cooled down. Selecting dogfight will cool the
missile automatically. This will take a few
seconds and then youll get good tone. 4) The
AIM-9X has a 90 degree off-boresight capability.
This exceeds that of your radar. Taking advantage
of the AIM-9Xs extreme gimble capabilities and
making 90 degree off-boresight shots using the
Helmet Mounted Sight, will be gone over later in
the course.
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Summary
5) The AIM-9 missile guides on heat or IR
signiture. Once launched the missile has no way
of discrimanting between friendly or bandit
aircraft. If there are friendly aircraft in the
immediate vicinity of the intended target be
cautious when firing and aware of the fact that
the missile could very well track on a friendly
aircraft in between you and the target or in the
same araea as the target. After launch the
missile will guide on heat source and its
possible for it to track on a friendly vs. the
target you actually fired on.
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AIM-120 AMRAAM Slammer
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The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a supersonic, BVR
capable, air-to-air, ARH guided missile. Commonly
referred to as the Slammer, AIM-120 has an
all-weather, beyond-visual-range capability.
AMRAAM serves as a follow-on to the AIM-7 Sparrow
missile series. It is faster, smaller, and
lighter, and has improved capabilities against
low-altitude targets. It also incorporates an
active radar in conjunction with an inertial
reference unit and micro-computer system enabling
the missile to keep accurate track of target
location, as well as guiding on the target on
its own when within range of its own onboard
radar unit. This makes the missile less dependent
upon the fire-control system of the aircraft. The
AIM-120 uses two-stage guidance when fired at
long range. The aircraft passes data to the
missile just before launch, giving it information
about the location of the target aircraft from
the launch point and its direction and speed.
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The missile uses this information to fly on
an interception course to the target using its
built in inertial navigation system (INS). This
information is obtained using the launching
aircraft's radar. If the firing aircraft or
surrogate continues to track the target, periodic
updates are sent to the missile telling it of any
changes in the target's direction and speed,
allowing it to adjust its course so that it is
able to close to self-homing distance while
keeping the target aircraft in the basket in
which it will be able to find it. Even if lock is
lost the missile will guide to the last projected
position of the target and turn on its own radar
and begin to search. Once the missile closes
in on the target and is within its onboard
radars range, the active radar guides it to
intercept. This feature, called "fire and
forget," frees the pilot from the need to
continuously illuminate the missile's target with
a radar lock, enabling the pilot to aim and fire
several missiles simultaneously at multiple
targets and perform evasive maneuvers while the
missiles guide themselves to the targets.
After the missile has closed to self-homing
distance, it turns on its active radar seeker and
searches for the target aircraft. If the target
is in or near the expected location, the missile
will find it and guide itself to the target from
this point. If the missile is fired at short
range (typically, visual range), it can use its
active seeker just after launch, making the
missile truly fire-and-forget. At the point where
an AMRAAM switches to autonomous self-guidance,
the NATO brevity word "pitbull" would be called
out on the radio to inform other pilots, just as
"Fox Three" would be called out upon launch.
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The AIM-120 is an all aspect weapon capable
of tracking and engaging targets at any angle
from the launching aircraft. Typical head on
engagement maximum launch range is around 18-20
miles, although under perfect conditions 28 - 34
mile shots are possible.just very unlikely. For
typical tail chase shots, maximum launch range is
usually around 4 6 miles.
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Summary
The AIM-120 has the ability to self guide on
targets using its own onboard radar, when its
within range to do so. This gives you the ability
to deselect once the missile is pit bull and
target another bandit. This is a fantastic
feature, but be aware that, once the missile does
go Pitbull, turning on its own radar in the
vicinity of the projected location of the target,
it will go after the first target it picks up.
The missile doesnt know bandit from friendly. If
there are friendlies in close proximity to the
original target when this happens they could very
well end up being targeted and engaged. Use
caution when engaging and firing and ensure no
friendlies will be in danger of possibly being
hit by accident.
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AIM-7 Sparrow
While not carried by the more modern versions
of the Viper, Ive included the Aim-7 here in
case you ever fly any aircraft that do carry this
missile, or perhaps indulge in flying historical
campaigns where the Sparrow is the main BVR
missile for US and allied aircraft. The
AIM-7 as modeled in Falcon 4.0 is an all weather,
all aspect, medium range, BVR capable, Air to
Air, SARH guided missile. The AIM-7M, is 3.66 m
long, has a body diameter of 203 mm, a wing span
of 1.02 m, weighs 231 kg and has a 40 kg HE
focused blast/fragmentation warhead (WDU-27/B
assembly). The AIM-7M has an inverse monopulse
semi-active seeker with digital processing. This
improves the missile's performance under heavy
ECM and weather conditions. This model also has
the advantage of an active radar fuse, which
together with the built-in test system has
provided a more reliable missile, capable of
attacking low-flying aircraft targets.
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The Sparrow missiles use solid-propellant
motors, either the Alliant Techsystems Mk 58 or
the Aerojet Mk 65. ATK's Mk 58 solid rocket motor
is the current production unit. The rocket
provides a boost-sustain flight profile giving
the missile a maximum range of 20.7 mi (33.3 km)
when fired at high altitude against high speed,
head-on targets. At low altitudes this reduces to
around 11.5 mi (18.5 km) maximum. Tail chase
shots at low altitude are usually between 3.5 -
5.75 mi (5.5 - 9.2 km) maximum at low level,
increasing to 8 - 10.4 mi (13 - 16.7km) at high
altitude. Summary The AIM-7M is a SARAH
missile requiring that the target must be
locked/illuminated by the launching aircrafts
radar until missile impact. If lock is broken
before impact the missile will go mad dog and
almost certainly blow up harmlessly in empty
airspace. When the AIM-7 or any other SARH
missile is fired FOX 1 is called out on comms.
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M61A1 Vulcan
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The Cannon is my overall favorite A-A weapon.
The M61A1 carried by the F-16 and all other
american fighters, is a 20 mm, six-barreled,
Gatling type cannon, with a rotary action powered
from the aircraft's hydraulic or electrical
supply. The multi-barreled design gives long
weapon life by reducing heating and barrel
erosion. The standard M61A1 cannon is 6 (1.83 m)
long, has a maximum diameter of 13.5 (343 mm),
and weighs 252 lb (114.5 kg) of which 119 lb (54
kg) are the six 410 (1.52 m) long barrels. A
typical installation with one cannon and 500
rounds of ammunition weighs about 432 lb (196
kg.) The lightweight M61A2 is an M61A1 reduced to
205 lb (93 kg), saving 47 lb.
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Ammunition Drum
Gun Assembly
The Vulcan family of cannon fires standard 20
mm ammunition including High Explosive (HE),
High-Explosive Incendiary (HEI), and
Armor-Piercing Incendiary (API) rounds. The main
feature of the Vulcan family of cannon is their
rate of fire, which is 6,000 rds/min in the
Viper. Thats 100 rounds a second gentlemen. The
muzzle velocity is around 3,380 ft/s (1030 m/s)
and the time to maximum rate of fire for all
three cannon is 0.3 seconds, with a stopping time
of 0.5 seconds. We carry a standard loadout of
510 rounds. In the F-16 the Vulcan is
boresighted to six milliradians. This means that
at 1,000 feet range 80 of the shells fired will
fall within a six foot diameter circle. Basically
this is a built in shotgun type of effect. At
100 rounds a second the Vulcan will literally saw
an aircraft in half in no time. Unfortunately in
F4 you typically have to score significantly more
hits than you would in real life to bring down a
bandit. Maximum range is technically
anywhere within 6,000. Realistically this is
more like 3,400 with 2,000 and closer shots
being fairly high PK dependent on your gunnery
skill. There is no minimum range, just be careful
not to take yourself out!
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I cant over emphasize enough how important
good weapons knowledge is to a pilots success in
aerial combat. This entails detailed study of
each weapons limitations (such as gimble limits
for the weapon and radar seeker/tracking
limits), range limits, and correctly interpreting
HUD and radar symbology/info. The bottom line is
giving your weapons the best chance of successful
employment, getting good shots off, and weapons
on target. Detailed knowledge and understanding
of your weapons and how to employ them will
increase your chances of making this happen.
Get in the habit of going over a mental checklist
for each type of weapon prior to and during
employment. Analyze engagements to find what went
right and/or identify and fix problem areas. If
you put in the work to really understand your
weapons and their proper employment, youll be
amazed at how much more confident, and more
successful you are in Air to Air combat. Good
Luck Happy hunting!
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56th Air Combat Course and Presentation
by Thumpper 56th Virtual Fighter Wing
www.56thvfw.com Send questions and comments
to freycat_at_yahoo.com ICQ 56609485
56th VFW Vipertown USA