ERAAM = AMRAAM-D?

Thanks for your comments. Back when Dozer was active on the net he seemed very keen on the AIM-120D and in particular how it would enhance the overall lethality of the F-22. Guess we’ll just have to wait for confirmation on the missiles specs.

Bits of that AvWeek account look a little shaky on the technical side.

An official DoD description of the programme lists only “GPS-aided navigation, a two-way datalink capability for enhanced aircrew survivability and improved network compatibility, and incorporating new guidance software which will improve AMRAAM’s kinematic and weapon effectiveness performance”. No mention of a new motor.

Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons does not credit AIM-120D as having a new motor.

Yeah, I don’t know. I trust your information at least as much as AvWeek but I’ve heard it in at least three different AvWeek articles. The third mentioned that the latest version of the Chinese BVR missile (PL-10/12?) also has a dual-burn motor but they haven’t applied a lofting trajectory to it (yet) so it’s range isn’t that of AIM-120Ds(the context was comparison to the-D as I recall). Also official DoD docs are frequently lacking in information or understated (800 feet and 25 knots for SSNs since the beginning of time comes to mind). Who knows? Probably have to wait for something more to be revealed.

According to AvWeek the motor in the AIM-120D is a dual pulse motor.

Bits of that AvWeek account look a little shaky on the technical side.

An official DoD description of the programme lists only “GPS-aided navigation, a two-way datalink capability for enhanced aircrew survivability and improved network compatibility, and incorporating new guidance software which will improve AMRAAM’s kinematic and weapon effectiveness performance”. No mention of a new motor.

Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons does not credit AIM-120D as having a new motor.

By ‘AMRAAM-D’ I assume you mean the AIM-120D, which is going to be very different to ERAAM, which would have combined the ‘front end’ of the AIM-120C-7 with a new dual-pulse motor. It would have been designated AIM-120C-8.

As I understand it, the AIM-120D consists of the powerplant of the AIM-120C-7 teamed with a new ‘front end’ that includes GPS-aided midcourse navigation, a two-way datalink, and guidance software intended to give greater kinematic performance. The motor is probably the extended-length unit first used in the AIM-120C-5. It is not dual-pulse. The extra range of the AIM-120D will be achieved by flying lofted trajectories.

According to AvWeek the motor in the AIM-120D is a dual pulse motor. An earlier article said it specifically and gave it’s range as 180+km and a later piece said this:

“USAF says seven flight tests remain for the new Raytheon AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (Amraam). Of three test firings, two have been successful, one of which recently destroyed a QF-4 target drone at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. USAF officials report that performance on the two-way data link and an “enhanced” conformal data link on the front end of the weapon are “satisfactory” and will continue to be reviewed. The weapon also has the ability to maneuver actively at the end of its flight to compensate for evasive tactics used by the target. So there is a possibility that the final motor burn can be cued by the terminal seeker going active or even acquiring the target. The D-model also has an improved electronic protection suite—including a Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module and GPS-aided navigation for enhanced combat at beyond visual range. Development for the D is estimated to cost about $350 million, $108 million of which is for Raytheon’s work. The remainder will finance aircraft integration, testing and mission support.”

From what I read about AMRAAM-D, it appears to be verys similar to the ERAAM once proposed as a competitor to Meteor. AMRAAM-D is said to have a dual-pulse motor w/c was a feature of ERAAM IIRC. Any opinions?

By ‘AMRAAM-D’ I assume you mean the AIM-120D, which is going to be very different to ERAAM, which would have combined the ‘front end’ of the AIM-120C-7 with a new dual-pulse motor. It would have been designated AIM-120C-8.

As I understand it, the AIM-120D consists of the powerplant of the AIM-120C-7 teamed with a new ‘front end’ that includes GPS-aided midcourse navigation, a two-way datalink, and guidance software intended to give greater kinematic performance. The motor is probably the extended-length unit first used in the AIM-120C-5. It is not dual-pulse. The extra range of the AIM-120D will be achieved by flying lofted trajectories.