![]() ![]() Two US Navy F-4 Phantom pilots shot down two North Vietnamese MiG-17s with anti-aircraft missiles (AAMs) on June 17, 1965, marking the first verified American air-to-air kills in the Vietnam War. Since then, both the agility and range of AAMs have increased. In 1957, the Soviets introduced the K-5 missile. In 1956, American aircraft began to be armed with the AIM-4 Falcon, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-9 Sidewinder, marking the introduction of the first AAMs. IR flares can fool infrared missiles, chaff, and electronic countermeasures to a radar-guided missile. Most missiles have conventional, fragmentation, or continuous-bar explosive warheads that detonate on impact or by proximity fuzing. F-22 RaptorĪnti-radiation passively guided missiles could be used against AEW&C aircraft. They sometimes mix active or semi-active radar guidance with inertial guidance. Beyond Visible Range (BVR) AAMs comprise medium- and long-range missiles. Along with their superior maneuverability, this provides them with omnidirectional capability.įor an off-sight launch, the pilot can also employ a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) to orient the missile seeker’s head toward the target. Modern infrared-guided missiles can detect the heat of an aircraft’s skin, which is generated by airflow friction, in addition to the fainter heat signature of the engine when the aircraft is viewed from the side or front. Within the range of visible “dogfight” weapons, Close Combat Missiles (CCMs) have shorter ranges, less than 10 miles, and are designed for agility rather than range. Ramjet engines, such as those found in Meteor missiles, are gaining popularity because they can sustain a greater average velocity across their entire battle envelope. Typically, AAMs are propelled by rocket engines that utilize solid fuel. In 1999 and more recently, the Pakistan Air Force Atlantique was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 in reaction to the Balakot attack. ![]() Moreover, they were deployed extensively in the Arab-Israeli and Iran-Iraq conflicts. ![]() Although some dogfights have taken place in the early days of the war in Ukraine, the use of missiles is unclear.ĪAMs began their operational career in the Vietnam War. The same jet-missile combination destroyed the Chinese balloon on February 4. The last time an air-to-air missile (AAM) was used was on February 10, when a US Northern Command F-22 Raptor fighter used an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to shoot down a car-sized object hovering over Alaska. Air-to-air missiles have entirely changed the dynamics of air battles ![]()
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