MMRCA : The Contending Air-to-Air Missiles

[tushar]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/54227270/MMRCA-The-Contending-Air-to-Air-Missiles

 

[Kompromat]

MBDA mica , Meteor , IRST - whats so big deal about it and why open a new thread for it?

 

[Laughing_soldier]

MBDA mica , Meteor , IRST - whats so big deal about it and why open a new thread for it?

Someone burning. Mica, Meteor, IRST, ASRRAM, AIM-9X, Python-5 none of them you have.



E
very major purchase of modernmilitary aircraft is accompaniedby purchase of associated missilearmoury and the Indian Air Force’srequirement for Medium-Multi RoleCombat Aircraft (M-MRCA) is noexception. Air-to-Air Missile (AAM)
technology denes the depth of the air
battle. “Whoever has the longest reachcontrols the engagement,” comments
ghter analyst Ben Lambeth of the Rand
Corporation. In the IAF’s case not only
do Beyond Visual Range Air-to-AirMissiles (BVRAAM) remain a key
requirement but close combat missilesare obligatory because of proximity of potentially hostile air bases nearby, justacross the international border. To addto the complication, the threat of cruiseand ballistic missiles (technology sharedby adversary nations in direct violationof Missile Technology Control Regimerestrictions) demand missiles capable of intercepting the hostile projectiles eitherfrom the ground or from the air.
The following assessment takes a“look” at various AAMs which includes
the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM,
Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder, MBDA
Meteor and MICA, Rafael Python, Rafael
Derby and Diehl BGT IRIS-T as they maywell be included in the package of the
selected M-MRCA. This author wouldloved to have included next-generation
Russian AAMs namely RVV-SD andRVV-MD in the list, however as reports
of their developments are sparse it willperhaps be premature to analyse themunder present circumstances.
Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM
“With AIM-120 Advanced MediumRange Air-to-Air Missile or AMRAAM
in ight air superiority is soon to follow”,
was proudly stated in a Raytheon mediaclip approved for public release (refer“Customer Success is Our Mission”RSAS MS 6/06 4108697). Of aerospacegiants competing for the M-MRCA, theAmerican entities are in a privilegedposition to offer combat proven (a
signicant factor) aircraft and associatedmissiles. Combat proven Beyond VisualRange Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM)
AIM-120 Advanced Medium-RangeAir-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) was
used for the rst time on 27 December
1992, when a United States Air Force
F-16D shot down an Iraqi MiG-25 thatviolated the southern ‘no-y-zone’, and
subsequently scored more victories over
the skies of Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
The operational reliability of AMRAAMis measured in thousands of hours, with
Mean-Time-Between-Failure (MTBF)rates in excess of 1,500-hours of operation.
With state-of-the-art Active Radar.Homing (ARH) guidance, AMRAAM
packs unprecedented performance into
a lightweight (the AIM-120C-7 weighs
only 161.5-kg with 20.5-kg warhead)package. Incorporation of the latest digital
technology and microminiaturised solid-
state electronics makes the weapon more
reliable and maintainable, resulting in thehighest dependability at the lowest cost of ownership throughout the intended servicelife of the missile.Capable of all-weather day and nightperformance and multi-shot capability,the AMRAAM offers unprecedented
air combat exibility. In Beyond VisualRange (BVR) engagements, AMRAAM
is guided initially by its inertial reference
unit and microcomputer. During the
midcourse phase of flight AMRAAMreceives target position updates directlyfrom the launch radar system. However,
in the terminal phase of ight, without
further reliance on the launching aircraft