Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!oliveb!veritas!amdcad!amdcad!military
From: js43+@andrew.cmu.edu (James William Stepanek)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: AMRAAM
Message-ID: <1991Apr12.055139.14066@amd.com>
Date: 11 Apr 91 23:23:33 GMT
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Lines: 14
Approved: military@amd.com


From: James William Stepanek <js43+@andrew.cmu.edu>


The reason for making the missile in the smaller diameter is to enable
it to be mounted on more platforms. The AMRAAM can be mounted on the
F-16 but the sparrow can't. I also would speculate that pumping extra
range out of IR seekers would be rather difficult. I imagine that this
has to do with the wavelength of the electro-magnetic radiation being
used (this is not my field I am just guessing) so that maybe air absorbs
IR wavelengths faster that Radio wavelengths and therefore pumping out
more range using IR becomes a no win situation.

James Stepanek