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These are the Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) used on some of my aircraft designs, including the F14A1 Camaro, and the F20A3 Stalker.
I'll describe them from top to bottom.
-Skywinder (Block 5)
Looks & performs just like the Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder --- a short-ranged, InfraRed-Homing (IRH) AAM. It's mostly uneccessary, due to the abilities of the Hunter AAM.
Here's what a Skywinder would look like in combat; http://www.patricksaviation.com/videos/Guest/17/
-Rammer
A medium-ranged Active Radar Homing (ARH) AAM. It's very similar to the Hughes AIM-120 AMRAAM and PL-11 AAMs. The Rammer can hit targets at Beyond Visual Range (BVR), but like the Skywinder, this sort of missile is redered obsolete by the Hunter AAM.
Here's a video of the AMRAAM;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzE06xZMj-U
-Hunter
This is a combined IRH and ARH missile. It homes in to it's target using it's radar (sparingly), until it comes within 20 miles --- then the IR seeker head opens, the radar seeker shuts off, and it pursues it's target passively. The hunter is propelled by three rocket motors with variable thrust, which allows them to reduce power when near the target (which reduces the smoke trail, heat, and exhaust RCS), or increase again it if the target attempts to evade.
These features, combined with it's stealth airframe and 3D TVN nozzle, make the Hunter a very deadly adversary.
If you watch this Yukikaze AMV closely, you'll see missiles similar to the hunter;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMyweS9ZohM
-Long Lancer
This is a stand-off Passive Radar Homing (PRH) AAM. The Long Lancer is intended for use against Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, like the E-3 Sentry. The large 1st-stage booster quickly accelerates the missile to Mach 2+, where the 2nd stage (4 scramjets) propels the Long Lancer through most of it's flight Mach 5. When within Ca. 100 miles of the target, the scarmjets jettison, and the 3rd stage (a fast-burning rocket motor) practically throws the missile into the target Mach 8+.
The Long Lancer also has extensive ECMs (which prevents the enemy from getting a reliable fix on it's range, bearing, heading, or speed), and ECCMs (to "burn through" hostile jamming).
Despite being huge, heavy, and absurdly expensive, the Long Lancer is ironically cost-effective, compared to what it would take to complete the same task with any other weapon.
It is heavily influenced by the Novator KS-172, which you can read about here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novator_KS-172_AAM-L
-Starkiller
This is an ARH Anti-SATellite (ASAT) missile. Utilising a KE warhead, the Starkiller destroys it's target through sheer force of impact, rather than an explosive charge. In theory, it could probably be used against aircraft, but this would not be a logistically practical means of engaging them.
The performance of the F20A3 makes it the ideal launch platform for such a missile.
The Starkiller is similar to the Vought ASM-135 ASAT; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASM-135_ASAT
-Firebird
The Firebird is a long-ranged, ARH AAM. It is ideal for engaging cruise missiles and bombers, but could be used on fighters in a pinch.
It is more like the Russian Vympel R-37 (AA-X-13 Arrow), than the Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix.
Here's a link to info on the R-37; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vympel_R-37
And the AIM-54 Phoenix; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM-54
The missiles featured in the above line-up are my design (with some "borrowed" features from other designs).
Feel free to comment, ask questions, yell at me, or throw broken glass.
:P
I'll describe them from top to bottom.
-Skywinder (Block 5)
Looks & performs just like the Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder --- a short-ranged, InfraRed-Homing (IRH) AAM. It's mostly uneccessary, due to the abilities of the Hunter AAM.
Here's what a Skywinder would look like in combat; http://www.patricksaviation.com/videos/Guest/17/
-Rammer
A medium-ranged Active Radar Homing (ARH) AAM. It's very similar to the Hughes AIM-120 AMRAAM and PL-11 AAMs. The Rammer can hit targets at Beyond Visual Range (BVR), but like the Skywinder, this sort of missile is redered obsolete by the Hunter AAM.
Here's a video of the AMRAAM;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzE06xZMj-U
-Hunter
This is a combined IRH and ARH missile. It homes in to it's target using it's radar (sparingly), until it comes within 20 miles --- then the IR seeker head opens, the radar seeker shuts off, and it pursues it's target passively. The hunter is propelled by three rocket motors with variable thrust, which allows them to reduce power when near the target (which reduces the smoke trail, heat, and exhaust RCS), or increase again it if the target attempts to evade.
These features, combined with it's stealth airframe and 3D TVN nozzle, make the Hunter a very deadly adversary.
If you watch this Yukikaze AMV closely, you'll see missiles similar to the hunter;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMyweS9ZohM
-Long Lancer
This is a stand-off Passive Radar Homing (PRH) AAM. The Long Lancer is intended for use against Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, like the E-3 Sentry. The large 1st-stage booster quickly accelerates the missile to Mach 2+, where the 2nd stage (4 scramjets) propels the Long Lancer through most of it's flight Mach 5. When within Ca. 100 miles of the target, the scarmjets jettison, and the 3rd stage (a fast-burning rocket motor) practically throws the missile into the target Mach 8+.
The Long Lancer also has extensive ECMs (which prevents the enemy from getting a reliable fix on it's range, bearing, heading, or speed), and ECCMs (to "burn through" hostile jamming).
Despite being huge, heavy, and absurdly expensive, the Long Lancer is ironically cost-effective, compared to what it would take to complete the same task with any other weapon.
It is heavily influenced by the Novator KS-172, which you can read about here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novator_KS-172_AAM-L
-Starkiller
This is an ARH Anti-SATellite (ASAT) missile. Utilising a KE warhead, the Starkiller destroys it's target through sheer force of impact, rather than an explosive charge. In theory, it could probably be used against aircraft, but this would not be a logistically practical means of engaging them.
The performance of the F20A3 makes it the ideal launch platform for such a missile.
The Starkiller is similar to the Vought ASM-135 ASAT; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASM-135_ASAT
-Firebird
The Firebird is a long-ranged, ARH AAM. It is ideal for engaging cruise missiles and bombers, but could be used on fighters in a pinch.
It is more like the Russian Vympel R-37 (AA-X-13 Arrow), than the Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix.
Here's a link to info on the R-37; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vympel_R-37
And the AIM-54 Phoenix; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM-54
The missiles featured in the above line-up are my design (with some "borrowed" features from other designs).
Feel free to comment, ask questions, yell at me, or throw broken glass.
:P
Category Designs / Miscellaneous
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 768 x 924px
File Size 107.9 kB
Stealth is just an RCS (and possibly tailpipe heat signature) reduction, you've still got aerodynamic heating (IR) and some degree of reflection at some frequency or other (RH) to home in on. Even the F-117, B-2 and F-22 can be detected by modern radars, especially when wet (I think it still holds for the F-22 that water droplets on the aircraft increase RCS dramatically.)
I don't know about that. During Russain war-games in 2001(?), a Mig-31BS Foxhound (which has the Zaslon-M, which has a 250-mile range and is the most powerful FCS currently used on any fighter in service) tailed a Tu-160S Blackjack (the "base" model from the mid-'80's), attempting to get a lock on it.
Even at 6 miles, the Zaslon-M couldn't get a fix on the target!
Even at 6 miles, the Zaslon-M couldn't get a fix on the target!
The Starkiller and Long Lancer are of no use against stealth.
If you can get behind such a contact, keeping it in your sights long enough, the Skywinder can get a good fix on the heat source.
The Rammer will probably lose it's lock if you cease target illumination befor it gets within about 5-or-so miles of it --- then you can "cut it loose" on terminal guidence.
The Hunter is a more intersting case. It emits the same phased, nano-wave radar as the F20A3 Stalker, so a "stealth" aircraft made with current technology would not be hard to detect at all. In fact, today's radio technology is incapable of sending OR reciving anything on this band width, so the target would be incapable of detecting the missile --- not the other way around!
If you can get behind such a contact, keeping it in your sights long enough, the Skywinder can get a good fix on the heat source.
The Rammer will probably lose it's lock if you cease target illumination befor it gets within about 5-or-so miles of it --- then you can "cut it loose" on terminal guidence.
The Hunter is a more intersting case. It emits the same phased, nano-wave radar as the F20A3 Stalker, so a "stealth" aircraft made with current technology would not be hard to detect at all. In fact, today's radio technology is incapable of sending OR reciving anything on this band width, so the target would be incapable of detecting the missile --- not the other way around!
An aphorism comes to mind. "Always assume the enemy is smarter than you". You're comparing your next generation weaponry to current technology instead of the comparable or marginally more advanced units you might face if you pressed the enemy into fielding prototypes.
Stealth is far from invisible, but there are techniques that are capable of doing so almost literally.
Stealth is far from invisible, but there are techniques that are capable of doing so almost literally.
That's where the Hunter missile comes in. It has two different guidences in the same missile, which can be programmed on launch to overlap, and have powerful ECCMs (which I would have described in more detail, but wasn't brought up --- I didn't feel like typing that many paragraphs).
Also keep in mind the quality of the aircraft using these weapons --- the F14A1 Camaro is the lowest tech airframe, and the F20A3 is the apex.
One other thing --- I know the enemy better than you might think.
Also keep in mind the quality of the aircraft using these weapons --- the F14A1 Camaro is the lowest tech airframe, and the F20A3 is the apex.
One other thing --- I know the enemy better than you might think.
Nice set of AAMs there.
The NAUAF uses a comparable range, based around the AIM-9X, AIM-120D, AIM-37B (R-37 License-produced by Raytheon), with limited application of domestic ASAT and "lend-lease" Novator AIM-172 missiles. Haven might use a Hunter-like missile, although it got rolled into their "Batseeker" missile development program.
The NAUAF uses a comparable range, based around the AIM-9X, AIM-120D, AIM-37B (R-37 License-produced by Raytheon), with limited application of domestic ASAT and "lend-lease" Novator AIM-172 missiles. Haven might use a Hunter-like missile, although it got rolled into their "Batseeker" missile development program.
Well, the NAUAF's AAMs were a three-missile show until the start of the Omega War. Quite a mixture, due to the shortsighted cancellation of the ALRAAM program.
(There are other, more exotic missiles in the NAUAF arsenal...such as a W54-equipped R-37 reserved for emergency use against macros.)
(There are other, more exotic missiles in the NAUAF arsenal...such as a W54-equipped R-37 reserved for emergency use against macros.)
If it's the really big one you're talking about (the Long Lancer), that's not a missile that would frequently be carried --- it is a specialised anti-AEW missile. It could also be used in SEAD missions in a pinch, but it wouldn't be as efficient as a wepon made for that role.
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