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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0536.PDF
AIM-120 is carried in the semi-submerged Sparrow position on an F-14 The next firing will take place early in 1984, and will use the first of 87 devel opment test missiles. Amraam is to enter service in 1986 on the F-16. As this aircraft currently lacks a beyond-visual- range missile capability, it is the schedule driver. The F-16 will fire 40 missiles in a combined development test and initial operational evaluation phase. This will be followed by development firings from the F-18, the F-15, and finally the F-14. Design of the development-model AIM- 120 will be completed late this year. Development will be run according to a test, analyse, and fix concept, with some 18,000 test hours to be completed before work starts on the second lot of prod uction missiles, to minimise retrofits. Reliability will be demonstrated in more than 10,000hr of captive flight-testing, plus exhaustive laboratory trials. The fixed-price development contract includes pre-priced options on an initial batch of 204 production Amraams in 1984, to be followed a year later by a further 720 rounds. The first production delivery late in 1985 will be followed by final oper ational evaluation on the F-16, leading to service clearance in mid-1986. Amraam is similar in dimensions to Sparrow, but only two- thirds the weight 230kg • AIM-7 Sparrow 150kg • ^L AIM-120 AMRAAM ^ _ ,C^ QOkgcrr^r i i AIM-9N Sidewinder The USA alone needs 20,000 Amraams, 13,000 for the US Air Force and 7,000 for the US Navy. Arming other aircraft, such as a radar-equipped AV-8B, and surface- launched applications to replace Sea Sparrow, could increase this. Production for the US AF/USN will reach 3,000 missiles a year, so runner-up Raytheon has been selected as a second source, with competitive bidding for Amraam production to begin with Lot IV, in 1988. In an attempt to quantify the increase in capability offered by Amraam over Sparrow, the US Air Force has completed extensive simulations using McDonnell Douglas' multidome air-combat simu lator. These exercises indicated a twofold improvement over Sparrow, but high lighted the need for reliable target identi fication to make use of the missile's full range. Simulations showed that unreliable identification, and the use of electronic countermeasures to degrade the fire control radar, forced the defender into closer engagements. This often negated the advantage of track-while-scan, and forced the pilot to fire Amraam in launch- and-leave mode. Block improvments Full use of Amraam's considerable abil ities therefore requires a sophisticated fire control radar and reliable identification friend or foe—the first exists, the second does not. Despite this, the AIM-120 Amraam will be at least twice as effective as the AIM-7 Sparrow it will replace. Steady improvements to Amraam are planned for the missile's 25-year life. The AIM-120B will introduce around 1990 passive terminal homing alongside the active radar. The AIM-120C of the mid- 1990s will have overall improvements in speed, range, and manoeuvrability. An anti-radiation Amraam derivative is being considered. Several surface-launched applications of the AIM-120 are under study, beyond sea-launched 'Samraam' to replace Sea Sparrow. Land-based uses include airbase point defence, moblie short/medium-range air defence, and a so called SAM "filler" to back up the more expensive, but longer-range Patriot in Europe. Amraam/Asraam—a family of weapons Under an agreement signed by Britain, France, Germany, and the USA the Hughes AIM-120 Amraam will become the Nato-standard beyond-visual- range air-to-air missile. The European partners will develop the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (Asraam) to replace Sidewinder. Britain and Germany plan to buy Amraam for the Tornado F.2 and F-4F Phantom respectively. Tornado will carry a maximum of six Amraams, four ejector-launched from under the fuse lage and two rail-launched from beneath the wings. Sky Flash capabil ity will be retained. The F-4F will carry four ejector-launched AIM-120s; but will require a new track-while-scan fire control radar, to be installed under the Peace Rhine improvement programme. To ensure the compatibility of Amraam with these aircraft, an inter face control group has been estab lished. Hughes is exchanging data with the airframe and avionics companies involved. A number of interface meetings have already taken place under the spon sorship of the Amraam joint systems programme office at Eglin. On Tornado Hughes has met with BAe and Marconi Avionics, and with Frazer-Nash, whose Sky Flash ejector launcher will be adapted for Amraam. On the F-4F Hughes has met with MBB and AEG- Telefunken. Several options exist for a Nato purchase of Amraam. A single Allied contractor could be nominated for co- assembly of the missile using both Allied and US subcontractors, or for dual-source production using only Allied subcontractors. Alternatively missiles could be bought straight from the US production lines. France is a signatory of the four- power Amraam/Asraam memorandum of understanding, signed in August 1980, but is not a full participant, preferring to pursue an intermediate- range weapon suitable for export. France's special status means that British Aerospace and Bodenseewerk Geratetechnik share development of Asraam. Hughes recently agreed with BAe and BGT to share technical data to ensure that Asraam meets US requirements. 812 FLIGHT International, 26 March 1983
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