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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:16:20 PM EDT
Few software tweak's here and there and presto!
Great news for all services....will probably help Raytheon sell more 9x's too considering how stiff competition is for IR air-to-air missiles.. Link 
"During a 23 September Gulf of Mexico test, a US Air Force F-15C fired the air-to-surface AIM-9X and hit a speeding "cigar boat", a type commonly used by drug smugglers. "The missile went right through the boat," says White. The F-15C test follows a previous shot by an F-16 at a similar target, which also scored a hit on the boat, he adds. The project to develop the air-to-surface mode for the AIM-9X began with a request from the USAF in March 2007. Although the AIM-9X is primarily an air-to-air missile used in short-range engagements, USAF officials saw a need to make it multi-purpose. "Maybe you're flying an F-15 that only has air-to-air weapons," says White. "The F-15C only carries air-to-air weapons. Well, now the pilot has an air-to-ground weapon." The same concept also applies to fighters that can carry a mix of air and ground munitions. For example, if a Boeing F/A-18 is asked to strike a ground target after dropping all its bombs, the pilot could still use the AIM-9X, says White." |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:19:05 PM EDT
[#1]
Wikipedia reports the missile is 57 years young... Wow!
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:20:14 PM EDT
[#2]
WIN!
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:20:49 PM EDT
[#3]
I can think of several scenarios where this Black Shoe would love that capability on an F/A-18 flying SUCAP. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:21:30 PM EDT
[#4]
Does it have a new warhead too? I thought the Sidewinders had some kind of promixity warhead that shot out a bunch of steel rods or something to destroy control surfaces on enemy aircraft?
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:21:35 PM EDT
[#5]
So now, the Air Force has seen fit to accommodate how many decades of Hollywood depicting the AIM-9 as an air to ground weapon?
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:21:37 PM EDT
[#6]
Awesome.
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:23:05 PM EDT
[#7]
Quoted: Does it have a new warhead too? I thought the Sidewinders had some kind of promixity warhead that shot out a bunch of steel rods or something to destroy control surfaces on enemy aircraft? AAMs have proximity-fused frag warheads... Think 'Big Grenade'.... Such a warhead, with proper guidance, would do quite well against surface targets such as light vehicles, troops in the open, and/or small boats.... |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:23:07 PM EDT
[#8]
Just another pic for good measure |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:23:29 PM EDT
[#9]
I lost all by air-to-ground ordnance in a horrible boating accident.
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:23:37 PM EDT
[#10]
I got wood!
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:28:05 PM EDT
[#11]
I have a friend from HS that works for Raytheon, I wonder if he was involved with this?
He never could talk about what he is up to there when we were hanging out several years ago.
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:28:22 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
So now, the Air Force has seen fit to accommodate how many decades of Hollywood depicting the AIM-9 as an air to ground weapon? 
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:29:08 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
I can think of several scenarios where this Black Shoe would love that capability on an F/A-18 flying SUCAP. Bu-bu-bu-but F-18888888's are tooooo slowwwwww..... |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:29:56 PM EDT
[#14]
dat's cool
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:31:06 PM EDT
[#15]
I love air to air missiles! They're one of my favorite munitions
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:31:52 PM EDT
[#16]
While I'm not against the idea of a air to surface missile, using on a cigar boat seems rather overkill when the aircraft has a cannon that would do the job just fine...
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:32:04 PM EDT
[#17]
OK what happens in a couple years when raython needs to replace AIM-9Z? Are we going to get an AIM-9AA or what? Plus don't they have an SAM version now.
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:32:43 PM EDT
[#18]
Awesome! It's like a SLAMRAAM, except in reverse.
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:33:20 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
While I'm not against the idea of a air to surface missile, using on a cigar boat seems rather overkill when the aircraft has a cannon that would do the job just fine... 
Really. How many rounds do you have in a cannon? How many bursts is it? What if the target does something crazy like turns? Will your 20mm rounds follow? The AIM-9X will. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:33:39 PM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
While I'm not against the idea of a air to surface missile, using on a cigar boat seems rather overkill when the aircraft has a cannon that would do the job just fine... True, but canon kills aren't exactly easy and put's you within the golden bb range too...I see this weapon as more of a emergency backup.. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:36:12 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
OK what happens in a couple years when raython needs to replace AIM-9Z? Are we going to get an AIM-9AA or what? Plus don't they have an SAM version now. The military is actually looking at a new dual-role missile to replace its air to air missiles in the future...Raytheon has been doing their homework apparently. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:44:18 PM EDT
[#22]
i'm willing to pay the $200 tax stamp for that!
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:46:54 PM EDT
[#23]
There just now getting to making things hit ground targets?
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:48:18 PM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
There just now getting to making things things hit ground targets? What are "things things"? |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:56:06 PM EDT
[#25]
Ace combat shoot everything missiles ftw!
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Posted: 12/4/2009 1:56:37 PM EDT
[#26]
The AIM-9X has about as much in common with its AIM-9A ancestor as a current production Corvette has with it's ancestor but it's got damn fine lineage.
The Sidearm anti-radiation missile was removed from service in the 90's but was the first A2G Sidewinder variant. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:00:04 PM EDT
[#27]
That's pretty cool. Now is the missle only air to ground? Or can it do both?
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:01:30 PM EDT
[#28]
Seriously? It's a cigar boat.
A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:01:58 PM EDT
[#29]
Quoted:
That's pretty cool. Now is the missle only air to ground? Or can it do both? Well that's the breakthrough news...not only can it take out air to air targets like fighters and cruise missiles, but you can switch it around to hit soft targets on the ground now. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:02:17 PM EDT
[#30]
Woohoo! More possible escalation of the War on [Some] Drugs!
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:02:28 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: OK what happens in a couple years when raython needs to replace AIM-9Z? Are we going to get an AIM-9AA or what? Plus don't they have an SAM version now. The "CHAPPARAL" SAM system was developed back in th 60s using the AIM-9 series missile. edit: http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/systems/CHAPP.html |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:02:50 PM EDT
[#32]
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. 
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:04:17 PM EDT
[#33]
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Riiiiggghht. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:04:31 PM EDT
[#34]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Why so ??
ETA: Maybe I'm missing something. I'll fess up to that. The surprising thing here is its ability its tracking of such a small target. The warhead strength though? That sounds like a rationale to increase purchase. Pure and simple. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:04:54 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Seriously? You obviously haven't done much shooting at a boat. Inherently buoyant boats are tough. You're better off hitting the squishy thing in the boat than taking out the boat itself. The engine is relatively small. The steering linkages are smaller. Sinking it outright is tough (I've seen the effects of a Hellfire on a RHIB. The RHIB didn't sink even though it was missing about 1/3 of the boat.). Of course, what do I know? My ship's CSSQT was HSMST intensive. We fired everything fro 5" to 20mm to SM-2s to Hellfires at similar targets, so what do I know? |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:08:07 PM EDT
[#36]
A link for the uneducated, yet vocal.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/me_iran_06_22.asp |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:10:48 PM EDT
[#37]
Quoted: Nit quite. The Sidewinder has a specific and different frag pattern compared to a grenade. Sort of a ring of fragments rather than all directions. It' not an optimum warhead for ground target maybe, but this seems more like something you use when you're out of the good stuff.Quoted: Does it have a new warhead too? I thought the Sidewinders had some kind of promixity warhead that shot out a bunch of steel rods or something to destroy control surfaces on enemy aircraft? AAMs have proximity-fused frag warheads... Think 'Big Grenade'.... Such a warhead, with proper guidance, would do quite well against surface targets such as light vehicles, troops in the open, and/or small boats.... |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:11:21 PM EDT
[#38]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Seriously? You obviously haven't done much shooting at a boat. Inherently buoyant boats are tough. You're better off hitting the squishy thing in the boat than taking out the boat itself. The engine is relatively small. The steering linkages are smaller. Sinking it outright is tough (I've seen the effects of a Hellfire on a RHIB. The RHIB didn't sink even though it was missing about 1/3 of the boat.). Of course, what do I know? My ship's CSSQT was HSMST intensive. We fired everything fro 5" to 20mm to SM-2s to Hellfires at similar targets, so what do I know? OK OK, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that. I haven't blown up many boats in my day so I'm going on obviously amateur observations. I do wonder, why a cigar boat? What does that achieve besides drug interdiction and a possible recon unit (like Iran)? If they tested it on a semi-armored unit, ground or otherwise, and scored a significant hit...I'd be more impressed. Somebody here, possibly from an industry representing the AIM-9X, is pressing for further use. Consequently, they are trying to sell an item that doesn't fit it's intended use. It's a legit argument. If you want to say otherwise, you're missing my point. 
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:13:23 PM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Why so ??
ETA: Maybe I'm missing something. I'll fess up to that. The surprising thing here is its ability its tracking of such a small target. The warhead strength though? That sounds like a rationale to increase purchase. Pure and simple. The Israeli's with their new Python 5 IR missile shot down a tiny Iranian UAV with an over-the-shoulder close range shot....if it can hit something that small, tracking any other object wouldn't be very difficult considering how ADVANCED these new missile seeker heads are. While the warhead hasn't changed, it's still destructive enough to disable most targets if not kill its inhabitants and get them out of the fight. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:16:00 PM EDT
[#40]
Quoted:
Quoted:
OK what happens in a couple years when raython needs to replace AIM-9Z? Are we going to get an AIM-9AA or what? Plus don't they have an SAM version now. The military is actually looking at a new dual-role missile to replace its air to air missiles in the future...Raytheon has been doing their homework apparently. I suspect Raytheon knew about that a long time before you did. 
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:16:11 PM EDT
[#41]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Seriously? You obviously haven't done much shooting at a boat. Inherently buoyant boats are tough. You're better off hitting the squishy thing in the boat than taking out the boat itself. The engine is relatively small. The steering linkages are smaller. Sinking it outright is tough (I've seen the effects of a Hellfire on a RHIB. The RHIB didn't sink even though it was missing about 1/3 of the boat.). Of course, what do I know? My ship's CSSQT was HSMST intensive. We fired everything fro 5" to 20mm to SM-2s to Hellfires at similar targets, so what do I know? OK OK, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that. I haven't blown up many boats in my day so I'm going on obviously amateur observations. I do wonder, why a cigar boat? What does that achieve besides drug interdiction and a possible recon unit (like Iran)? If they tested it on a semi-armored unit, ground or otherwise, and scored a significant hit...I'd be more impressed. Somebody here, possibly from an industry representing the AIM-9X, is pressing for further use. Consequently, they are trying to sell an item that doesn't fit it's intended use. It's a legit argument. If you want to say otherwise, you're missing my point. If your referring to me, you are wrong, I am a military member and the reason it gets me excited is because this represents a significant leap in capabilities....now F-15C's hovering over the battlefield hearing screaming chatter for help on the ground can offer something accurate to the ground fight. Sounds like your a bit paranoid...I don't see what's wrong with turning a 1 trick-pony weapon into something more |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:16:47 PM EDT
[#42]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
OK what happens in a couple years when raython needs to replace AIM-9Z? Are we going to get an AIM-9AA or what? Plus don't they have an SAM version now. The military is actually looking at a new dual-role missile to replace its air to air missiles in the future...Raytheon has been doing their homework apparently. I suspect Raytheon knew about that a long time before you did. 
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:21:23 PM EDT
[#43]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Seriously? You obviously haven't done much shooting at a boat. Inherently buoyant boats are tough. You're better off hitting the squishy thing in the boat than taking out the boat itself. The engine is relatively small. The steering linkages are smaller. Sinking it outright is tough (I've seen the effects of a Hellfire on a RHIB. The RHIB didn't sink even though it was missing about 1/3 of the boat.). Of course, what do I know? My ship's CSSQT was HSMST intensive. We fired everything fro 5" to 20mm to SM-2s to Hellfires at similar targets, so what do I know? OK OK, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that. I haven't blown up many boats in my day so I'm going on obviously amateur observations. I do wonder, why a cigar boat? What does that achieve besides drug interdiction and a possible recon unit (like Iran)? If they tested it on a semi-armored unit, ground or otherwise, and scored a significant hit...I'd be more impressed. Somebody here, possibly from an industry representing the AIM-9X, is pressing for further use. Consequently, they are trying to sell an item that doesn't fit it's intended use. It's a legit argument. If you want to say otherwise, you're missing my point. No it's not a legit argument and I got your point. It's your point that isn't legit. (Sorry if that mushes your feelings.) Let's say you're on a ship. You have defensive counter air onstation, but a group of small boats show up on radar driving 40+ knots at your ship. Now you can try to launch F/A-18s off the deck but that will take time. Or you can take the F/A-18s from your DCA station and vector them on top of the small boats, take out a few, buy yourself some time until F/A-18s loaded out properly arrive on station. Or let's say you're a special forces group in an observation post on the ground. You decide not to shoot the sheepherder kid and he alerts the local militia. You hear the 2.5 ton trucks carrying a company of local militia enroute to your position. There are no CAS aircraft nearby, but there's a flight of F-15Cs returning from a DCA mission or a sweep and clear mission. You have the AWACs call in the F-15Cs and take out the trucks with the local militia on them. This is a legit requirement. It is also the reason why the USAF is interested in a single missile that can do air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-radiationa missions. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:24:51 PM EDT
[#44]
Quoted:
Awesome! It's like a SLAMRAAM, except in reverse. The latter upgrade also enables Raytheon to convert the AIM-9X into a surface-to-air missile, launched from a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV). Raytheon is discussing the concept with US government agencies, says White.
Wait a minute, it IS just like a SLAMRAAM, except goes both ways. Fricking awesome! Can make our Avengers a hell of a lot more deadly than they are with the puny little Stingers. Put a fuckin' Sidewinder on them! Raytheon officially wins the Coolness in Advancement of Technology award for the month. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:32:16 PM EDT
[#45]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Seriously? You obviously haven't done much shooting at a boat. Inherently buoyant boats are tough. You're better off hitting the squishy thing in the boat than taking out the boat itself. The engine is relatively small. The steering linkages are smaller. Sinking it outright is tough (I've seen the effects of a Hellfire on a RHIB. The RHIB didn't sink even though it was missing about 1/3 of the boat.). Of course, what do I know? My ship's CSSQT was HSMST intensive. We fired everything fro 5" to 20mm to SM-2s to Hellfires at similar targets, so what do I know? OK OK, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that. I haven't blown up many boats in my day so I'm going on obviously amateur observations. I do wonder, why a cigar boat? What does that achieve besides drug interdiction and a possible recon unit (like Iran)? If they tested it on a semi-armored unit, ground or otherwise, and scored a significant hit...I'd be more impressed. Somebody here, possibly from an industry representing the AIM-9X, is pressing for further use. Consequently, they are trying to sell an item that doesn't fit it's intended use. It's a legit argument. If you want to say otherwise, you're missing my point. No it's not a legit argument and I got your point. It's your point that isn't legit. (Sorry if that mushes your feelings.) Let's say you're on a ship. You have defensive counter air onstation, but a group of small boats show up on radar driving 40+ knots at your ship. Now you can try to launch F/A-18s off the deck but that will take time. Or you can take the F/A-18s from your DCA station and vector them on top of the small boats, take out a few, buy yourself some time until F/A-18s loaded out properly arrive on station. Or let's say you're a special forces group in an observation post on the ground. You decide not to shoot the sheepherder kid and he alerts the local militia. You hear the 2.5 ton trucks carrying a company of local militia enroute to your position. There are no CAS aircraft nearby, but there's a flight of F-15Cs returning from a DCA mission or a sweep and clear mission. You have the AWACs call in the F-15Cs and take out the trucks with the local militia on them. This is a legit requirement. It is also the reason why the USAF is interested in a single missile that can do air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-radiationa missions. You know, I hate playing devil's advocate. I didnt mean to offend nor target anyone in particular (previous post). Apparently I just didnt' know enough about the system to make an accurate judgement. You taught me otherwise and I appreciate that. Reading these posts, it sounds like this was an advancement. Good for R&D, good for the military. Please don't 'jump to conclusions that I'm some tinfoil fanatic automatically jumping to conclusions that ring of military defense infrastructure conspiracy. I'm a big fan of R&D and support it fully to protect our troops here and abroad. The language is just odd. Why a cigar boat? I can see some applications, but this seems a stretch for massive development to standard targets the US military might encounter. I'm not trying to be a dick. I'm trying to ask legit questions. So please, with sugar on top, keep this in mind. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:33:55 PM EDT
[#46]
You'd be amazed what can be done with an AIM-9X...
http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/3889/ Hunted becomes Hunter - Raytheon demos sub-launched SidewinderSeptember 14, 2009 Raytheon has successfully fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder from a submarine. Although the test is part of an ongoing effort to improve the flexibility of submarines, it marks a new chapter in the development of surface-to-air weapons for submarines, and could force anti-submarine helicopters to tread much more carefully in the future. The AIM-9X, was fired from a submerged Tomahawk Capsule Launching System as part of the Littoral Warfare Weapon (LWW) program managed by the Department of the Navy's Program Executive Office of Submarines. "The Littoral Warfare Weapon program will test and develop increased capabilities as the U.S. Navy continues to expand undersea warfare in the littoral arena," said Michael Del Checcolo, vice president of Engineering, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "This successful launch demonstrates a new degree of submarine self-defense capability against threats our warfighters may encounter from the air, land and sea." There is a great deal of work taking place to deliver a surface-to-air missile capability. Germany's Diehl-BGT is working on the Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines (IDAS) for its Type-212 diesel submarines, and fired directly from the torpedo tubes. It is understood that some Russian submarines may have carried a SAM system in the sail. Nonetheless, the development of such new weapons puts extra demands on the helicopters and crews hunting them. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:34:33 PM EDT
[#47]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seriously? It's a cigar boat. A shot from a decently placed .308 would disable it. The small explosive charge of any munition would definitely affect the weak composition of its frame. I smell lobbyist here. Seriously? You obviously haven't done much shooting at a boat. Inherently buoyant boats are tough. You're better off hitting the squishy thing in the boat than taking out the boat itself. The engine is relatively small. The steering linkages are smaller. Sinking it outright is tough (I've seen the effects of a Hellfire on a RHIB. The RHIB didn't sink even though it was missing about 1/3 of the boat.). Of course, what do I know? My ship's CSSQT was HSMST intensive. We fired everything fro 5" to 20mm to SM-2s to Hellfires at similar targets, so what do I know? OK OK, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that. I haven't blown up many boats in my day so I'm going on obviously amateur observations. I do wonder, why a cigar boat? What does that achieve besides drug interdiction and a possible recon unit (like Iran)? If they tested it on a semi-armored unit, ground or otherwise, and scored a significant hit...I'd be more impressed. Somebody here, possibly from an industry representing the AIM-9X, is pressing for further use. Consequently, they are trying to sell an item that doesn't fit it's intended use. It's a legit argument. If you want to say otherwise, you're missing my point. No it's not a legit argument and I got your point. It's your point that isn't legit. (Sorry if that mushes your feelings.) Let's say you're on a ship. You have defensive counter air onstation, but a group of small boats show up on radar driving 40+ knots at your ship. Now you can try to launch F/A-18s off the deck but that will take time. Or you can take the F/A-18s from your DCA station and vector them on top of the small boats, take out a few, buy yourself some time until F/A-18s loaded out properly arrive on station. Or let's say you're a special forces group in an observation post on the ground. You decide not to shoot the sheepherder kid and he alerts the local militia. You hear the 2.5 ton trucks carrying a company of local militia enroute to your position. There are no CAS aircraft nearby, but there's a flight of F-15Cs returning from a DCA mission or a sweep and clear mission. You have the AWACs call in the F-15Cs and take out the trucks with the local militia on them. This is a legit requirement. It is also the reason why the USAF is interested in a single missile that can do air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-radiationa missions. You know, I hate playing devil's advocate. I didnt mean to offend nor target anyone in particular (previous post). Apparently I just didnt' know enough about the system to make an accurate judgement. You taught me otherwise and I appreciate that. Reading these posts, it sounds like this was an advancement. Good for R&D, good for the military. Please don't 'jump to conclusions that I'm some tinfoil fanatic automatically jumping to conclusions that ring of military defense infrastructure conspiracy. I'm a big fan of R&D and support it fully to protect our troops here and abroad. The language is just odd. Why a cigar boat? I can see some applications, but this seems a stretch for massive development to standard targets the US military might encounter. I'm not trying to be a dick. I'm trying to ask legit questions. So please, with sugar on top, keep this in mind. Why NOT a cigar boat? It's a small high speed maneuvering target, which means it's pretty damn hard to hit. If the AIM-9x is capable of hitting it, that means the upgrade works pretty damn good. And in addition, small high speed boats are a big threat to our brown water navy. Read dport's link. Being able to destroy them from the air with an AIM-9x gives you an extra layer of security |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:35:02 PM EDT
[#48]
No problemo....I'm sure the cigar boat was one of many random targets.
Who knows what else it has been tested on.. 
Ah it hit me...its probably marketing PR...it it can hit a speeding-moving boat, it can hit anything... |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:36:06 PM EDT
[#49]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Does it have a new warhead too? I thought the Sidewinders had some kind of promixity warhead that shot out a bunch of steel rods or something to destroy control surfaces on enemy aircraft? AAMs have proximity-fused frag warheads... Think 'Big Grenade'.... Such a warhead, with proper guidance, would do quite well against surface targets such as light vehicles, troops in the open, and/or small boats.... Most also have a contact fuse. |
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Posted: 12/4/2009 2:36:55 PM EDT
[#50]
Everything old is new again. Naval Air Warfare Center (China Lake) experimented with the sidewinder in A2G roles as far back as Vietnam. AGM-87 Focus. Shot 'em at campfires & trucks on the Hi Chi Mihn trail.
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