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Exposing its belly, this F-14A displays the three classes of missile it is armed with -IR heat-seeking, semi-active radar and active radar. The semi-active AIM-7F Sparrow (starboard glove pylon) is a late model of the AIM-7 used during the Vietnam war (at the time plagued by low reliability), the weapon has a maximum range of around 100 km, cruising speed of Mach 4 and carries a 40 kg continuous rod warhead. This missile will equip the RAAF's F-18A fighters, though it will be later replaced by the smaller and more capable Amraam. The large weapon beneath the fuselage Is the AIM-54A Phoenix, with no doubt the world's most lethal air-to-air missile, with a range of 200 km and a big 60 kg warhead. The current A version will be shortly replaced with the newer AIM-54C, equipped with more capable digital signal processors and a lighter and cheaper airframe. (Lcdr. Dave Erickson, VF-51, USS Kitty Hawk)
Technology Explained
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Active Semiactive Radar Missile Guidance
Radar-guided air-to-air missiles currently represent the best of what state-of-the-art technology can offer, both in terms of range, accuracy and resistance to countermeasures. This is reflected in the fact, that these weapons are only used by the world’s frontline air forces, the maintenance of the complex fire control systems required being beyond the abilities of the average Third World country. In comparison with the Western World, even the Warpac air forces use few of these weapons, up to the mid-seventies only the USSR used a number of types on air defence aircraft of the IA PVO-Strany. However, the situation is changing, as the Russians are currently equipping tactical aircraft with radar-guided versions of the AA-7 and AA-8 and low-level penetration will become more difficult, for Western interdiction aircraft as the new Super Foxbat, with its lookdown shoot-down capable 25 nm AA-X-9, or rather AA-9, is deployed.
On the brighter side, . . . a competitive shoot-off ended between Hughes and Raytheon for the Amraam (Advanced Medium Range Air-Air Missile), with Hughes winning the contract. Amraam is the replacement for the Western Air Forces’ radar-guided Sparrow. The weapon is a fire-and-forget, active radar-guided missile with inertial midcourse guidance, enabling launches against targets pursuing the launch aircraft. With a range and speed better than the Sparrow, this overall viewability is packaged into an airframe comparable in size to the IA Sidewinder, allowing the F-14 and F-15 to carry eight of these weapons, instead of the customary four radar-guided weapons. Some reports also indicate that the late eighties Sidewinder replacement, the Asraam, may also be fitted with active radar guidance, in preference to the IA guidance of its predecessor.
Radar guidance systems detect and hone in on their targets by sensing electromagnetic energy reflected from the target’s surface. The source of the reflected radiation is a radar transmitter; in the instance of weapons with active radar guidance, this transmitter is situated within the missile; in the case of semiactive guidance, it is carried by the launch aircraft. In either case the transmitter must beam electromagnetic radiation at the target, this radiation must travel to the target, reflect, travel back to the receiving antenna of the missile, be amplified, demodulated and analysed to determine the direction of the target, this information then enables the guidance computer to steer the weapon toward the target to achieve a kill. An effective weapon must have the ability to discriminate between the target’s return and reflections from its background, i. e. the surface of the Earth or ocean, it should also be capable of resisting jamming or deception and be able to penetrate through adverse weather conditions.
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