Long Range AIM-9X
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Long Range AIM-9X
Raytheon Looks At Options For Long-Range AIM-9
Raytheon is looking at ways to respond to an urgent U.S. Navy call for a new version of the AIM-9X Sidewinder with greatly increased range, Vice President for Air Warfare Systems Harry Schulte said at the Paris air show June 19.
Although the Block II version of the missile is still in operational testing, the Navy wants to get the long-range Block III into developmental testing by 2018, according to budget documents.
The Block III “overlaps the range capability” of the AIM-120 Amraam, Schulte says.
Along with Navy efforts to add an infrared search and track system to the Super Hornet, it’s a response to “a particular threat that presents difficulties in RF” (radio-frequency). Asked whether the threat is Chinese, Schulte says “it could be.”
Boeing has said that the Hornet IRST program is a response to “RF-denied environments,” a likely reference to high-powered jamming. The new missile will use the Block II seeker, datalink and optical fuze but will almost certainly require a new motor.
“We could look at a fatter motor or a two-pulse motor,” Schulte says, possibly growing the weapon’s diameter from five to six inches.
Developing the motor raises challenges for Raytheon. Motor production at its previous Amraam motor supplier, ATK, has been shut down because inside and outside investigations have not found the reason why its motors started to fail cold-soak fires in 2010-11.
Amraam motors are now being built by Nammo in Norway, using a propellant based on the motor of the German-led IRIS-T infrared air-to-air missile, while ATK seeks a new propellant formulation. Raytheon is partnered with Rafael on the Stunner missile, which is under test and uses a Rafael-developed three-pulse motor. However, no formal talks with Rafael have taken place concerning the AIM-9X Block III.
Raytheon is looking at ways to respond to an urgent U.S. Navy call for a new version of the AIM-9X Sidewinder with greatly increased range, Vice President for Air Warfare Systems Harry Schulte said at the Paris air show June 19.
Although the Block II version of the missile is still in operational testing, the Navy wants to get the long-range Block III into developmental testing by 2018, according to budget documents.
The Block III “overlaps the range capability” of the AIM-120 Amraam, Schulte says.
Along with Navy efforts to add an infrared search and track system to the Super Hornet, it’s a response to “a particular threat that presents difficulties in RF” (radio-frequency). Asked whether the threat is Chinese, Schulte says “it could be.”
Boeing has said that the Hornet IRST program is a response to “RF-denied environments,” a likely reference to high-powered jamming. The new missile will use the Block II seeker, datalink and optical fuze but will almost certainly require a new motor.
“We could look at a fatter motor or a two-pulse motor,” Schulte says, possibly growing the weapon’s diameter from five to six inches.
Developing the motor raises challenges for Raytheon. Motor production at its previous Amraam motor supplier, ATK, has been shut down because inside and outside investigations have not found the reason why its motors started to fail cold-soak fires in 2010-11.
Amraam motors are now being built by Nammo in Norway, using a propellant based on the motor of the German-led IRIS-T infrared air-to-air missile, while ATK seeks a new propellant formulation. Raytheon is partnered with Rafael on the Stunner missile, which is under test and uses a Rafael-developed three-pulse motor. However, no formal talks with Rafael have taken place concerning the AIM-9X Block III.
My Mr China suggests that the USN is worried about potential rate of AESA development/fitment in the PLAAF, with the thundering herd of Chinese air throwing subtletly to the winds and barreling in with AESAs in jam mode, hopping the jam from aircraft to aircraft just fast enough to deny HOJ or passive tracking.
Aegis detection and E-2 work outside X-band, but fighters and tracking radars don't.
On the bright side, sauce for the goose &c... double-digit SAMs track in X-band too. It would be a good option too if you could make with the X-band jamming without closing range on the threat... you don't even have to be Brighter than the average Adder to figure that out.
Hey, what's that outside?
Aegis detection and E-2 work outside X-band, but fighters and tracking radars don't.
On the bright side, sauce for the goose &c... double-digit SAMs track in X-band too. It would be a good option too if you could make with the X-band jamming without closing range on the threat... you don't even have to be Brighter than the average Adder to figure that out.
Hey, what's that outside?
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cokecan. I'm probably being bone and missing the joke but it's not that simple, is it. Putting a short range seeker/sensor on a long range bus isn't likely to lock, is it. It would need a long range active RF seeker to get it close enough, in the right aspect, for the IR seeker to vector it to lethal range.
As I say, I'm probably missing the humour.
As I say, I'm probably missing the humour.
GBZ - its not perfect, but welding two existing systems together is likely to be cheaper and quicker than designing, building, testing, buying and supporting a new missile.
its a fairly simple concept:
1. replace the radar seeking kit in the AMRAAM with the IR seeker kit from the AIM-9X.
2. paint a big red band around the AMRAAM's with IR kit to distinguish from Radar AMRAAM's.
3. tell stick-monkey 'see the pointy thing with the red crayon ring around it?, well don't make it go whooosh until the nice lady in your hat says 20 miles..'.
4. live with the fact that the IR AMRAAM will still have propellant in it when it hits the target.
5. pay Cokecan $5m as a reward for brilliant idea that avoids wasting $Xbn on a new missile that does the same job, complicates the Logs chain and takes 10 years to come to service.
its a fairly simple concept:
1. replace the radar seeking kit in the AMRAAM with the IR seeker kit from the AIM-9X.
2. paint a big red band around the AMRAAM's with IR kit to distinguish from Radar AMRAAM's.
3. tell stick-monkey 'see the pointy thing with the red crayon ring around it?, well don't make it go whooosh until the nice lady in your hat says 20 miles..'.
4. live with the fact that the IR AMRAAM will still have propellant in it when it hits the target.
5. pay Cokecan $5m as a reward for brilliant idea that avoids wasting $Xbn on a new missile that does the same job, complicates the Logs chain and takes 10 years to come to service.
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CokeCan,
2.Paint a big red band around the AMRAAM's with IR kit to distinguish from Radar AMRAAM's
Not sure on this one. Please tell me you don't think the RADAR ones have a yellow band...
2.Paint a big red band around the AMRAAM's with IR kit to distinguish from Radar AMRAAM's
Not sure on this one. Please tell me you don't think the RADAR ones have a yellow band...
