Air to Air Weapons

Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft (also including unmanned aircraft such as cruise missiles). Most common AAM use by USAF AMRAAM (AIM-120) and Sidewinder (AIM-9).

This illustration showcases the three primary air-to-air missiles (AAM) used in US modern aerial combat.

Missile naming

The 1963 United States Tri-Service rocket and guided missile designation system was introduced to standardize the naming and classification of rockets and guided missiles across the U.S. military branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force. This system aimed to create a consistent and clear method for identifying these weapons, improving communication and coordination among the services.

The system used a combination of letters and numbers to indicate the type, purpose, and version of the weapon. For example, the designation would include a letter indicating the primary function (e.g., "A" for air-to-air missiles, "S" for surface-to-surface missiles) and a series of numbers that denote specific models or versions. This structure helped streamline inventory management, development, and operational planning for missile systems.

Short form	Full form	Description
AIM	Air Intercept Missile	A type of missile designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets. Often equipped with high explosive warheads.
ATM	Air Training Missile	A missile used for training purposes that simulates the performance of a real missile. It may contain live propellant and be capable of powered flight but typically has a non-functional guidance system.
CATM	Captive Air Training Missile	A training missile that is inert and used for practice with aircraft integration and handling. It does not contain explosive materials and is used to simulate the presence of a live missile without actual launch.
NATM	Permanent Special Test Air Training Missile	A specialized training missile used for test and evaluation purposes. It is inert and often used in long-term training scenarios to simulate live missiles without the need for actual firing.

Air-to-Air Missile Guidance Type

Guidance Type	Targeting Method	Advantages	Disadvantages
Semi-Active Radar (Fox 1)	Relies on aircraft radar to illuminate target	Long-range engagements, simple missile design	Aircraft must maintain radar lock, vulnerable to ECM jamming
Infrared (Fox 2)	Homes in on heat (infrared) emitted by target	Fire-and-forget, stealthy, effective at low altitudes	Vulnerable to flares, early models (ex AIM-9P) limited to rear attacks
Active Radar (Fox 3)	Missile has its own onboard radar	True fire-and-forget, can engage multiple targets	Expensive, target may detect missile when radar activates

Semi-Active Radar-Homing Missile (Fox 1 – AIM-7 Sparrow)

Semi-active radar Homing (SARH) is a method used by missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow to track and destroy air targets. In this guided system, the missile does not generate its own radar signal to locate the target. Instead, it relies on an external radar source (typically the aircraft that launched the missile) to illuminate and track the target. The missile's onboard receiver then detects the reflected radar energy bouncing off the target and uses this information to home in.

How It Works

1. Target Illumination: The launching aircraft’s radar "illuminates" the target, sending a continuous radar signal towards it.
2. Reflection Detection: The missile’s seeker head picks up the radar energy reflected off the target.
3. Guidance: The missile uses the information from the reflected signal to adjust its trajectory toward the target.

Advantages

• Longer Engagement Range: Semi-active radar-guided missiles can engage targets at greater distances because the aircraft radar is typically more powerful than a missile-mounted radar.
• Simplicity in Missile Design: Since the missile doesn't have its own active radar, it is relatively simple and less expensive compared to active radar-guided missiles.

Disadvantages

• Continuous Illumination Required: The launching aircraft must keep its radar locked on the target throughout the missile's flight. This limits the aircraft's ability to maneuver or engage multiple targets at once.
• Vulnerability to Jamming: Semi-active radar systems are vulnerable to electronic countermeasures. If the target employs jamming or chaff, it can confuse the radar signal, causing the missile to lose track of the target.

Infrared-Guided Missile (Fox 2 – AIM-9 Sidewinder)

Infrared-guided (IR) missiles, like the AIM-9 Sidewinder, are also known as heat-seeking missiles because they use infrared radiation (which is essentially heat) to home in on targets. Most aircraft engines emit large amounts of heat through their exhaust, making them prime targets for infrared-guided missiles.

How It Works

1. Heat Detection: The missile has a seeker that senses infrared radiation, which is particularly strong from the hot exhaust of jet engines.
2. Target Acquisition: Once launched, the missile homes in on the strongest heat source it can detect, which is usually the rear of an enemy aircraft.
3. Guidance and Impact: The missile continually adjusts its path to intercept the heat signature of the target. Infrared missiles are typically "fire-and-forget" weapons, meaning that once launched, the missile does not require further input from the launching aircraft.

Advantages

• Fire-and-Forget Capability: Once the missile locks onto a heat source, the launching aircraft is free to maneuver or engage other targets.
• Stealthier: Since infrared-guided missiles don’t rely on active radar signals, they can't detect by radar warning receivers on enemy aircraft, unless enemy aircraft is equipped with Missile Warning Receivers.
• Low Altitude Capability: Unlike radar-guided missiles, infrared-guided systems can function well at low altitudes where radar performance may be degraded by ground clutter.

Disadvantages

• Susceptibility to Flares: Infrared-guided missiles can be confused by countermeasures like flares—decoy heat sources designed to mislead the missile’s seeker.
• Limited Aspect Use: Earlier infrared missiles could only lock onto the rear of the target (where the engine’s exhaust is hottest), know as Rear-aspect missile. However, modern variants can engage targets from all angles, know as All-aspect missile.

Active Radar-Homing Missile (Fox 3 – AIM-120 AMRAAM)

Active radar (AR)-guided missiles, like the AIM-120 AMRAAM, have their own radar system to detect and lock onto targets. This means that after the missile is launched, it can find, track, and engage the target autonomously without needing continuous radar support from the launching aircraft.

How It Works

1. Initial Launch Phase (Pre-A-Pole): The missile is launched with guidance data from the aircraft’s radar, including the target’s location and trajectory. Initially, the missile is guided using these external commands, known as mid-course guidance.
2. Active Radar Activation (A-Pole): As the missile approaches the target, its onboard active radar turns on with High Pulse Repetition Frequency radar mode and begins scanning for the target independently, known as "HPRF active".
3. Terminal Guidance (M-Pole): In the final phase, the missile locks onto the target using its own radar system, radar mode switches to Medium Pulse Repetition Frequency, known as "MPRF active", homing in to ensure an accurate hit.

Advantages

• True Fire-and-Forget Capability: Once the missile’s radar goes active, the launching aircraft is free to maneuver or engage other threats, making the missile highly versatile in combat.
• Engage Multiple Targets: Active radar-guided missiles allow aircraft to engage multiple targets simultaneously since they don’t require continuous target illumination.
• High Kill Probability: The combination of mid-course guidance (from the aircraft) and terminal active radar guidance (from the missile) gives these missiles a high probability of hitting the target, even in complex electronic warfare environments.

Disadvantages

• More Expensive and Complex: Active radar systems are more technologically advanced and expensive to produce.
• Detectability: Once the missile’s radar goes active, the target may be alerted to the incoming threat and could deploy countermeasures or evasive maneuvers.
• Vulnerability to Jamming: While more resistant than semi-active systems, active radar-guided missiles can still be affected by sophisticated electronic warfare countermeasures.

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

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.

Color + Federal Standard 595	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 <style=“color:#7e5d4d”>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.
Blue (FED-STD-595/35109)	Inert or training missile	Identifies practice ammunition/munitions as inert, often used for training or as a dummy.
Red (FED-STD-595/31158)	Incendiary or highly flammable material	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.
  • 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 blue stripe.