Right after the end of The Cold War, when Germany unified, the German air force used ex-East-German MiG-29s as red-air combat training throughout NATO.
One of the threats that had to be considered with the MiG-29 was how to avoid its' helmet-cued, high-off-bore-sight (HOBS) heat-seeking missile system used for within-visual-range (WVR) combat.
A counter that was taught was to keep the threat at arms-length. Broken-down air forces with export-MiG-29s which also had poor defensive avionics, were killed by the beyond-visual-range (BVR) AMRAAM.
Eventually, the U.S. fielded their own helmet-mounted-cueing system to work with the AIM-9X. This ended up in the F-15, F-16 and F-18 in the last decade. Parity.
Twenty-some years later after The Cold War (8 after F-22 IOC) and we have this:
"The huge advantage offered by such a high off-boresight missile in combination with a HMCS may give a third or fourth-generation fighter a decided edge over the fifth-generation Raptor (with AIM-9Ms) in a visual range encounter."
Correction: even with an F-22 that has AIM-9X but no HOBS-cueing helmet.
What makes it more interesting is when the BVR AMRAAM faces threats with real defensive avionics and low-observable appliances all you have left is WVR. Most threat fighter aircraft the F-22 will face in combat have HOBS missile systems that can be cued with the helmet. Look off that way..."Fox!".
Way-to-go USAF.
The following video explains HOBS air-to-air missile systems. I picked this Israeli video (at this point) to cut to the chase. The music for the AIM-9X video was just too annoying.
4 comments:
It's all about spending the dollars where they are needed. 4th Gen fighters need the HOBS missile because they are going to the merge against bandits who have SA.
Meanwhile, when the F-22 goes to the merge it is turning up unseen. That said, with ~180 F-22's, they arguably shouldn't be going to the merge.
The net effect is a balanced air combat force with synergies rather than ~180 golden bullets and a graveyard of cannon fodder.
At least the F-22 can shoot an AIm-9 from an internal launcher.
The F-35 will be hanging these HOBS dogfight missiles underwing like champ and going head to head with the big boys.
That's a huge flaw in the F-35 development -- the failure to integrate HOBS dogfight missiles internally for the block III (eg, 2018 time frame).
Some will argue that the F-35 doesn't need a dogfight missile, since the AMRAAM can simply execute the same tight turning 'full-sphere' HOBS capability if it ever found itself in a turning knife fight. Highly dubious.
That F-35 in Red Flag 2018 will get taken to the cleaners once in a merge vs 'innovated' 4+ generation opponents.
With respect to F-22's disadvantages once finding itself in a turning knife fight, perhaps the USAF could outsource a cost-effective poor-mans solution to at least cue an AIM-9x II?
A full helmet mounted display concept would probably take 8 years for them to develop.
all repeat the motto after me: Nothing to worry about, everything will be fine...
"when the BVR AMRAAM faces threats with real defensive avionics and low-observable appliances all you have left is WVR. "
Won't real threats with real defensive avionics have DIRCM or other high-end counter IIR/IRST defensive suites?
The F-35 is scheduled to be the first fast jet with DIRCM though it can of course be retrofitted to the 4+ Gen.
So neither AMRAAM nor AIM-9X is adequate; Raytheon + Rafael's Stunner (David's Sling) AAM or LM's CUDA seems like it's a more important upgrade that HMD + HOBS
Marauder -
F-35 is scheduled to the first fast jet with ATDIRCM?
Was that memo given out to all Air Forces of the world too?
And why would the USAF or USN/USMC wait for a block 4+ F-35 (by 2021?) to be the politically correct platform to finally receive a functional ATDIRCM, when other existing platforms could be upgraded earlier and likely cheaper with such a system?
Why restrict US TACAIR in being competitive with next-gen threats and capabilities when forcing such a rigid constraint on such 'schedules'??
You do realize that the evolving MAWS capabilities existing, computing power capabilities and entry-level ATDIRCM capabilities available today (or at least in the near-term) could be integrated into an existing upgraded platform well before a block 4+ F-35 achieved IOC, right?
So next time we wish to discuss a 'real defensive avionics suite' for a competitive US TACAIR, let's debate that!
Other than that, I would concur with your Stunner concept being tested and possibly integrated to existing US TACAIR paltforms and F-22 (prior to a notional block 4+ F-35).
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