AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile, which means it is shot from an aircraft to hit another aircraft. It is heat seeking, which means it locks on to something that is hot. It first flew in 1953, and went into air forces in 1956. It was used during the Vietnam War along with the AIM-7 Sparrow. The AIM-9 of that time was made for shooting at an enemy from behind and homing in on the engine. In Vietnam it hit only 10-20% of the time, and could be fooled. Sometimes it could lock on to the sun or other bogus heat source and not an enemy airplane.[1]
Later versions are better. They can see the enemy aircraft from all directions, not just from behind. They have a good hitting rate and can hit from 11 miles. Sidewinders are carried on many different aircraft around the world.[2]
AIM-9 Sidewinder Media
A missile (blue) intercepts a target (red) by maintaining constant bearing to it (green)
Prototype Sidewinder-1 missile on an AD-4 Skyraider during flight testing
A F-104 Starfighter test-firing an AIM-9 Sidewinder against a QF-80 target drone at China Lake
AIM-9D-armed F-4B of VF-111 on USS Coral Sea
AIM-9L Captive air training missile with part/section in blue color, denoting inert warhead and rocket motor, for training purposes.
A sailor removing the arming pin from an AIM-9X mounted on the wingtip of a US Navy F/A-18C Hornet in 2004
Experimental use of an AIM-9L against tanks at China Lake, 1971
Map with current operators of the AIM-9 Sidewinder in blue, former operators in red, and future operators in green.
References
- ↑ "Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder". www.designation-systems.net.
- ↑ Kopp, Carlo (April 1994). "The Sidewinder Story; the Evolution of the AIM-9 Missile". Australian Aviation. 1994 (April).