Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!amdcad!military
From: fjs@floyd.ATT.COM (Fred Shubert )
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Air Combat
Summary: AIM-54 Reliability
Message-ID: <27231@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Date: 13 Sep 89 08:15:53 GMT
References: <27188@amdcad.AMD.COM> <27210@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Sender: cdr@amdcad.AMD.COM
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 42
Approved: military@amdcad.amd.com



From: fjs@floyd.ATT.COM (Fred Shubert )

In article <27210@amdcad.AMD.COM>, supp@tank.uchicago.edu (Steve Upp) writes:
> 
> 	[... I'm sure if I'm wrong on any of these points
> 	I'll hear about it. :-) --CDR]
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        I wouldn't say 'wrong'.
 

If you mean "reliability" due to enviornment, maintenance, ruggedness, etc.,
I'm uncertain, but it _must_ be reliable in that respect because it is for
the US Government.  (notice, no ":-)" because I am being mostly serious)

If you mean "reliability" with respect to kills then between May 1972 and
October 1980, 155+ production models were were launched with a 92% success
rate.  Kill figures on the "C" variant are not available.

The AIM-54A [Phoenix] became operational in the early '70s and 2500+
copies were manufactured through 1980.  The AIM-54B variant went into
production in 1977, but this replaced the honeycomb wing structure (on
the A) with sheet metal.  The first firing trials of the C variant
began in June 1980, this variant was to improve reliability (theres
that word again) by being more resistant to ECM and making more use of
advanced digital systems which enhanced accuracy and range.  Kill
probabilits  was (supposedly) enhanced by use of a 'new' Motorola target
detection device.

Fred J. Shubert         | "You haven't lived until you've seen a 'cat fly!!!"
AT&T Bell Labs          |-----------------------------------------------------
Whippany, N.J.          | DISCLAIMER:  All views are that of my own. PERIOD.
Ma-Bell 201-386-3094    |              Who else could be so 'cat crazy!!

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