Heat-Seeking Missiles Lecture Notes

Introduction to Heat-Seeking Missiles

• Description of a heat-seeking missile and its components.
• Focus on the optical guidance system and infrared signatures.
• The missile uses a solid-fuel rocket to chase the heat source.
• The AIM-9 Sidewinder is the primary example.

AIM-9 Sidewinder Overview

• One of the oldest, least expensive, and most successful air-to-air missiles.
• Estimated 270 kills worldwide as of date.
• First successful kill: A-9 Sidewinder on September 24, 1958, during Chinese Civil War.
  • Taiwanese F-86 Sabre shot down a MiG-15.
• Notable incident: 189B missile struck a MiG-17 without detonating, leading to Soviet reverse engineering of the missile (Wimpel K-13/AA-2).

Guidance and Control Section Components

1. Infrared Seeker Assembly: detects targets.
2. Electronic Assembly: converts detected information into tracking signals.
3. Gas Servo Assembly: converts electrical commands to mechanical movement for control fins.

Umibilical Cable

• Connects missile to aircraft, allowing for electronic signal exchange and cooling gas pre-launch.

Optical Guidance System

• Front of missile made from glass lens.
• Reticle seeker: basic components include primary mirror, IR detector, secondary mirror.
• Reticle design: half transparent, half opaque.
• Heat source travels through lenses into the reticle, generating infrared light.
  • Creates a periodic pulse train corresponding to reticle rotation.

Advanced Missile Technologies

• Arrow 3 Missile: features a pivoting seeker for extreme lead pursuits.
  • Uses radar for target tracking and aiming.
• AIM-9X improvements over older versions:
  • Smaller size, thrust vectoring system, and independently pivoting fins.
  • Retains many legacy components but significantly improved performance.

Specifications of AIM-9X

• Length: 9.9 feet (approx. 3 meters).
• Launch weight: 186 pounds (84.3 kilograms).
• Estimated range: 35 kilometers (approx. 21 miles).
• Speed: Mach 2.5.

Operational Steps of Aim-9 Missile

1. Pilot tracks target and releases missile upon audio peak.
2. Solid rocket motor ignites, launching missile.
3. Rollerons on the tail stabilize missile during flight.
4. Servo pumps and pistons adjust canards for target evasion.
5. Missile compensates movement to intercept target effectively.
6. Proximity fuse triggers warhead (9.36 kg/20 lb Amular Blast Fragmentation).

Modern Tracking Capabilities

• AIM-9X utilizes infrared cameras and computer algorithms for target recognition.
• IIR seekers differentiate between flares and actual targets.

Conclusion

• The lecture covered essential features of heat-seeking missiles, focusing on the AIM-9 Sidewinder and its advancements to AIM-9X, highlighting their technological evolution and operational effectiveness.