Country: United States Of America
Missile Type: Air to Air Missile
Service Status: Yes
Washington DC (Washington Insider Magazine) — AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile. AIM stands for Air Intercept Missile. It entered into service with the US Navy in 1956. As a result, it was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. For a long time, Sidewinder has become a popular choice. It proved to be an international success and Western-aligned air forces. Most of the latest variants in this missile are standard equipment. The Soviet K-13 (AA-2 ‘Atoll’), is very much similar to AIM-9B. It is adopted by many other nations. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is the oldest, most successful, and most affordable missile.
Specifications
The Air Intercept Missile AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile. It was manufactured by the U.S. Navy in 1960. However, it came into service in 1956. Many variants and upgrades are available for the last five decades. Such missiles can be used on the battlefield and work against the aircraft of the enemy. Here are some specifications of this missile:
- Primary Function: Air-to-air missile
- Contractor: Raytheon
- Power Plant: Hercules MK-36 solid-propellant rocket motor
- Length: 9 feet, 5 inches (2.87 meters)
- Launch Weight: 190 pounds (85.5 kg)
- Diameter: 5 inches (.13 meters)
- Wingspan: 2 feet, ¾ inches (0.63 meters)
- Range: 10-18 miles
- Speed: Supersonic Mach 2.5
- Guidance System: Solid-state, infrared homing system
- Warhead: Annular blast fragmentation
Buyers
Many countries are using AIM-9 Sidewinder. The users of this missile are Australia, Belgium, Egypt, Greece, Israel, and Kuwait. In 2008 South Korea invested $25 million to buy AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Similarly, the USA has approved $117 million for the sale of this missile. The new and improved versions of this missile are manufactured in many countries.
Recent Use In The Battlefield
The Sidewinder is one of the most prominent and widely used air-to-air missiles in the West. The USA has produced around 110,000 missiles in all these years. However, it is used around 1% in 27 other nations for combat. Many other countries like Sweden are manufacturing it under a license. When NATO pilots fire a Sidewinder they use a brevity code FOX-2.
United States Navy celebrated the 50th anniversary of this missile in 2002. Boeing won a contract in 2010 and will support such operations till 2055. This contract guarantees that this missile will remain in operation for many years to come. Sidewinder is manufactured at a lower cost and is versatile. There is a possibility that it will remain in use through the late 21st century.
The sidewinder doesn’t hold its actual position that is recorded by the detector. You can change the position by sighting it correctly. If the target remains at 5 degrees, the electronics will not give any signal to the control system. When this missile is traveling four times higher than the speed of the target, things can become complicated. The missile must follow an angle that is about 11 degrees at the front. The angle must maintain a certain position to hit the target correctly.
FAQs
1. How Does AIM-9 Sidewinder Work?
The Sidewinder AIM-9 is popularly known as a short-range, air-to-air missile. Its job is to launch from an airborne aircraft. While it will kill the enemy aircraft and damage it to a certain point as it goes down. This missile makes use of passive infrared energy to target acquisition and tracking at the same time.
2. How Fast Would A AIM-9 Sidewinder Be In Space?
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is made up of Hercules/Bermite Mk. 36 solid-fuel rockets. While the wingspan is around 279.4m. If we talk about the operational range it will be 0.6 to 22 miles. This missile has a maximum speed of Mach 2.5+ and will not take much time to be in space.
3. How To Arm a-4 With Sidewinder Dcs Aim-9?
The sidewinder is an air-to-air missile. It is used to combat enemy aircraft while going down to a certain point. The launch platform includes Aircraft, naval vessels, fixed launchers, and ground vehicles.
4. What Is The Range For An aim-9 Sidewinder?
The operational range of the AIM-9 Sidewinder is 0.6 to 22 miles.
Read More: How War Reporting Has Changed Over Years?
5. What Type Of Aircraft Can Launch An Aim-9 Sidewinder?
Block II adds lock-on is directly associated with datalink. This is how the missile can be launched first. Later it is directed to the target by an aircraft using proper equipment. These equipment feature 360-degree engagements such as the F-35 or the F-22.
