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Air to Air Weapons: Difference between revisions
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Added Color stripes/bands following MIL-STD-709D
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(Added Color stripes/bands following MIL-STD-709D) |
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== Color stripes/bands (MIL-STD-709D) == | |||
The color stripes or bands on missiles are '''standardized''' (follow by '''MIL-STD-709D''') markings that indicate the type of warhead, propellant, or guidance system of the missile, and they follow specific military conventions for identification purposes. | |||
=== Common Color Stripes and Meanings === | |||
[[File:A US Air Force (USAF) F-16CJ Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base (AFB), South Carolina (SC), launches an AIM-120C Advanced Medium Ran - DPLA - 7d8332bdbf7a45cd5d49c40d5d660e22.jpeg|thumb|A US Air Force (USAF) F-16CJ Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base (AFB), South Carolina (SC), launches an '''live warhead (Two yellow stripe and one brown stripe) AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range missile'''.|720x720px]] | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! Color | |||
! Meaning | |||
! Description | |||
|- | |||
| '''Yellow (FED-STD-595/33538)''' | |||
| High-explosive warhead | |||
| Identifies High Explosive (HE) ammunition or indicates the presence of a high explosive. | |||
|- | |||
| '''Brown (FED-STD-595/30117 or FED-STD-595/30140)''' | |||
| Live rocket motor | |||
| Identifies low explosive items or components or indicates the presence of a low explosive. Denotes that the missile contains live propellant and is capable of powered flight. | |||
|- | |||
| '''Light Blue (FED-STD-595/35109)''' | |||
| Inert or training missile | |||
| Identifies practice ammunition/munitions as inert, often used for training or as a dummy. | |||
|- | |||
| '''Light Red (FED-STD-595/31158)''' | |||
| Incendiary or tracking systems | |||
| Identifies incendiary ammunition or indicates the presence of highly flammable material (liquids, jellies, solids), designed to produce image by fire. | |||
|- | |||
| '''White (FED-STD-595/37875)''' | |||
| Illumination or countermeasures | |||
| Identifies illuminating ammunition or ammunition designed to produce a colored light. | |||
|} | |||
=== Interpretation of Color Stripes in Missiles === | |||
Missiles often carry multiple stripes to indicate different characteristics. For example: | |||
* A missile with a '''yellow''' and a '''brown''' stripe signifies that it has a live warhead and a live rocket motor. | |||
* A missile with a '''blue''' stripe is typically a training round or inert version of a live missile. | |||
=== Example Missiles === | |||
* The '''AIM-9 Sidewinder''' missile typically has: | |||
** A '''yellow''' stripe for its high-explosive warhead. | |||
** A '''brown''' stripe indicating its live rocket motor. | |||
** '''Light blue''' stripes on inert versions used for training purposes. | |||
* The '''AIM-120 AMRAAM''' missile: | |||
** Usually features both a '''yellow''' stripe (live warhead) and a '''brown''' stripe (live rocket motor). | |||
** Training versions are marked with a '''light blue''' stripe. | |||