What type of missile is the AIM-9?
9 Sidewinder
AIM-9X belongs to the family of AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missiles produced by Raytheon. It is an infrared air-to-air missile primarily developed for the US Air Force and the US Navy.
What is an AIM missile?
The AIM-9X® SIDEWINDER™ missile is a triple-threat missile that can be used for air-to-air engagements, surface-attack and surface-launch missions without modifications. A U.S. Navy-led, joint program with the U.S. Air Force, the AIM-9X SIDEWINDER also has 26 Foreign Military Sales partners.
Why is the aim-9 called the Sidewinder?
The AIM-9 traces its earliest ancestry to the US Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, in the Mojave Desert. The fledgling missile was aptly named after the Sidewinder, a desert rattlesnake which detects its prey by sensing the animal’s heat emissions.
How good is the aim-9?
The AIM-9X, as it sits today, is really more than a short-range dogfighting air-to-air missile. Under certain conditions, its imaging infrared seeker can see well beyond the distance it can actually travel. It is also adept at striking targets on the surface of the earth as a secondary formal capability.
How fast is an aim 9?
| AIM-9 Sidewinder | |
|---|---|
| Operational range | 0.6 to 22 miles (1.0 to 35.4 km) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.5+ |
| Guidance system | Infrared homing (most models) Semi-active radar homing (AIM-9C) |
| Launch platform | Aircraft, naval vessels, fixed launchers, and ground vehicles |
How fast is an AIM-9 Sidewinder?
Mach 2.5
The Sidewinder is the most widely used air-to-air missile in the West, with more than 110,000 missiles produced for the U.S. and 27 other nations, of which perhaps one percent have been used in combat….
| AIM-9 Sidewinder | |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11 in (279.4 mm) |
| Operational range | 0.6 to 22 miles (1.0 to 35.4 km) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.5+ |
Is the aim-9 heat-seeking?
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. It has a high-explosive warhead and an infrared heat-seeking guidance system.
Is the aim 9X an air to air missile?
The AIM-9X is an infrared air-to-air missile capable of engaging short-range aerial targets. Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class (SW/AW) Nathan Burke/Released.
Is the aim 9 Sidewinder a radar homing missile?
The exception was the U.S. Navy AAM-N-7 Sidewinder IB (later AIM-9C), a Sidewinder with a semi-active radar homing seeker head developed for the F-8 Crusader. Only about 1,000 of these weapons were produced, many of which were later rebuilt as the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radiation missile.
When did the aim 9 Sidewinder enter service?
AIM-9 Sidewinder. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has proved to be an enduring international success, and its latest variants are still standard equipment in most western-aligned air forces.
Which is the newest air to air missile?
The AIM-9X is the newest member in the family of AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missiles produced by Raytheon. It is an infrared air-to-air missile primarily developed for the US Air Force and the US Navy. The AIM-9X is currently in service with more than 40 countries worldwide.