Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!veritas!amdcad!amdcad!military
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: IR-guided AMRAAM possible?
Message-ID: <1991Mar23.061730.5108@amd.com>
Date: 23 Mar 91 06:17:30 GMT
References: <1991Mar19.044232.8535@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: cdr@amd.com (Carl Rigney)
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 38
Approved: military@amd.com



From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
>From: urbanf@yj.data.nokia.fi  (Urban Fredriksson)
>    Do you think an IR-guided AMRAAM would be feasible?

My own opinion is that if AMRAAM's terminal-homing system was a Sidewinder
IR head instead of active radar, AMRAAM would have been in service for
several years now and would be a conspicuous success.  As it is, it's still
"in development" and is as close to being a failure as it could be without
being cancelled outright.

>    -   The seeker would have a narrow field of view, and
>        so have it more difficult to lock-on later than a
>        radar-guided missile.

Not a very serious problem.  Active-radar seekers don't have a terribly
wide field of view either; you either tell them where to point or tell
them to look around a bit.

>    -   After an independent lock-on, the missile would
>        lack range data, making intercept more uncertain.

IR missiles are notorious for being lethally accurate.  The very precise
directional information more than makes up for the lack of range.

>    -   Would require 'mid-course' guidance from the 
>        launching aircraft farther along, making it more
>        hazardous.

This depends somewhat on conditions; the range of AMRAAM's radar seeker is
reportedly not all that long.  (In fact, AMRAAM itself really doesn't have
the range it needs for "beyond visual range" intercepts.)  IR seekers
definitely do have to get pretty close when the weather is bad, though;
this is the one thing I'd really see as a disadvantage.
-- 
"[Some people] positively *wish* to     | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
believe ill of the modern world."-R.Peto|  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry