Posted on 05/26/2004 7:29:40 AM PDT by Tango Whiskey Papa
AIM-9X Sidewinder Approved For Full-Rate Production Navy News Service May 19, 2004
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Naval Air Systems Command Air-to-Air Missile Program Office announced May 17 that the AIM-9X Sidewinder has been approved for Full-Rate Production.
Authorization for this milestone was granted by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, the Honorable John J. Youngon.
"It's great to get approval for AIM-9X full-rate production," said Air-to-Air Missile Systems Program Manager, Capt. Scott Stewart. "Our Navy, Air Force and Allied air crews deserve weapons that allow them to dominate in air-to-air combat. AIM-9X extends their tactical flexibility and capability beyond traditional missiles. It certainly has redefined the way we fight in aerial combat with its inherent transformational war-fighting capabilities."
The AIM-9X is a joint U.S. Navy and Air Force program, with the Navy designated as the lead service. As an acclaimed U.S. Department of Defense flagship program for Modeling and Simulation (M&S), it saved more than $50 million in development costs. Complemented by this sophisticated and accredited M&S capability, the AIM-9X program underwent an extensive and highly successful flight test program. The program successfully scored an unprecedented 18 of 19 guided flight successes during development testing and completed 22 operational evaluation firings.
AIM-9X also proved to be highly reliable in more than 3,500 hours of rigorous captive flight-testing. Both services have declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The U.S. Air Force declared IOC in November at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the Navy, along with Marine Squadrons at Iwakuni, Japan, in February.
"This key program milestone was achieved through effective teamwork and a strong systems design approach," said Raytheon's Air-to-Air Programs Director Brock McCaman. "It is most rewarding to be delivering this revolutionary capability to our warfighters."
The AIM-9X system design approach incorporates a fifth-generation staring Focal Plane Array seeker for robust guidance performance, and Infrared Countermeasure resistance and jet vane control for extremely agile turning performance.
The Russians improved it to turn 90 degrees off the rail. I hope we copied that.
ping. Fill us in will you pls? Just what does this mean.
It means that if you fly against the US, you die.
Forget the pony Mom and Dad. I want an AIM-9X weapons system!
Seriously, it is about that good. Helmet mounted sight puts a crosshair on whatever the pilot looks at. Missile leaves the plane at high angles and turns on a dime. Acquires targets at much longer ranges than previous heatseekers, basically as far as you can see. Tracks the heat produced by friction between the enemy plane and the air, so it tracks from any angle. Can tell flares and other decoys from the real target. Outmanuevers even high performance aircraft by using thrust vectoring (not just steering vanes, the rocket fires in slightly different directions).
Don't get close to a trained US pilot with these under the wings.
But it also brushes your teeth for you!
I'd love to try it.
Hoe doe this make it any different from the Russian AA-11 or the Israeli Python-5 ?
The missile that destroyed Hughes. Raytheon felt they needed to win the AIM-9X to stay in the missile business. When Hughes won, Raytheon acquired Hughes. (If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em.)
What's not to like? May our enemies cower in fear of them.
What it means, is that if one of our boys screws up to the degree that an enemy fighter is allowed to get that close to him, this missile will save his ass so he can land and have his CO chew it off.
This missile is still a worse-case selection, unless used for shooting down airliners flown by terrorists. If our boys are on their game, nothing makes it close enough to where this missile needs to come off the rail.
Dunno. Probably.
On the Inhabitants of the Middle East
200 years from now, I want their children's children's children's children to cower and cringe in fear whenever they hear the sounds of jet engines overhead because their legends tell of fire from the sky.
I want them to hide in dark caves and holes in the earth, shivering with terror whenever they hear the roar of diesel engines because the tales of their ancestors talk about metal monsters crawling over the earth, spitting death and destruction.
I want their mothers to be able to admonish them with "If you don't behave, the Pale Destroyers will come for you", and that will be enough to reduce them to quivering obeisance.
I want the annihilation to be so complete that their mythology will tell them of the day of judgment when the stern gods from across the sea .. the powerful 'Mericans .. destroyed their forefathers' wickedness.
By BlueLancer
13 SEP 01
yup, it does. It is a high off-boresight missile. Take a look at the video: http://www.raytheon.com/products/aim9_x/
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