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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1966.PDF
FLIGHT International, 7 November 1963 MISSILES 1963 769 Air-to-air MOST of the world's effort in this field appears to be devoted to the improvement of established systems, rather than the introduction of new ones; in fact Phoenix appears to be the only new missile in this category this year. As in the air-to-surface category, the Soviet Union have displayed a remarkable diversity of air-to-air missiles, but nothing new has become public since July 1961 despite adoption of one missile as part of the Mig-21 weapon system purchased by India. Phoenix is the missile under development for the GD + Grum man F-111B (TFX) aircraft for the US Navy. As such it will have to withstand a Mach 2.5 environment on the launch aircraft, so the airframe will probably differ from that of the earlier Eagle missile cancelled in 1961. At the same time it will probably be able to draw upon the extensive experience gained with the earlier weapon, and to an even greater degree upon the results obtained by the Phoenix prime contractor with AIM-47 Falcon (previously GAR-9), the missile scheduled for the 1959 F-108. Falcon AIM-47 trickles on as a minimum-cost development, but may be restored to full status if it is bought for the Air Force TFX, the F-111A. Earlier members of the Falcon family number some 35,000, including AIM-4A (radar), -4B (IR), -AC (IR), -4D (IR), -4E (radar), -4F (IR) and -26 (nuclear head and IR or radar). Export versions of Falcon are in production in Sweden as Rb 327 and 328 and have been adopted by Switzerland with the Taran fire- control for that country's Mirage HIS. Sparrow remains a major programme at Raytheon. AIM-7C and -7D are in USN service with the F-3 Demon and F-4A Phantom, while production is now in hand on the AIM-7D/E advanced version for the F-4B and also for the F-4C of the Air Force. Further developments are projected. Sidewinder production must now exceed 40,000, despite this missile's severe limitations; it has been steadily improved, but the AIM-9C/D (formerly SW-1C) with interchangeable IR or radai heads has not yet been cleared for One of the carriers of the Red Top collision-course missile is the Hawker Siddeley Sea Vixen FAW.2 all-weather fighter of the Royal Nivy. This aircraft carries four missiles, as does the earlier Firestreak-armed Vixen FAW.I production. Sidewinders are in full production in Europe (prime, Bodenseewerk Perkin-Elmer), and a derivative is to be made in Japan. Red Top is about to go into production as the standard air-to-air weapon for the RAF Lightning F.3 and the RN Vixen FAW.2. Matra continue to develop R.530 with both radar and IR guidance, but no requirement for radar guidance seems to have been announced by the British Services, who presumably are confident they will never have to fulfil an interception in weather adverse to IR. The RCAF have adopted Falcon for their CF-101B Voodoos, and are at last putting nuclear warheads into the Genies carried by the same aircraft. Douglas continue to promote an export version of Genie with conventional warhead. The US Department of Defense are studying the feasibility of using guided air-to-air weapons from helicopters. Both Sidewinder and Falcon have been investigated in this sole, and GD/Pomona have made proposals for adapting the small Redeye (surface-to-air section) for helicopter use. Air-to-air missiles table overleaf * r-to-missiles drawn to a common s«'e.- /, AIM-9B Sidewinder; 2, Soviet missile carried by interceptors not ntted with ra(jar; 3 /u/vi_7D Sparrow; Soviet missile (possibly a mock-up) earned by Mig-23 "Flipper"; 5, Red '°P; 6, Firestreak; 7, Matra R.5II; f Motro R.530; 9, Soviet missile carried °Y Yakovlev "Fiddler"; 10, AIM-4F *?<«*; II, AIM-26A Falcon; 12, Sispre .', ('ta'ian IR homing weapon); 13, *"wA Genie; 14, Nord AA.20
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