Phoenix vs AMRAAM

What flight-level?
Head-on or in persue?

In a game I play called Jetfighter IV – Fortress America, it does not tell me I’m in range to fire my AIM-120 until I get to less than 10 nm away from my target, even though I can detect him on radar from much farther away. Why’s that?

The AIM-120A had a theoretical range nearing 80 NM if fired from an SR-71. That’s from a declassified interceptor study done by Lockheed in the early 80’s.

WELCOME BACK SOC 🙂 🙂 🙂

The AIM-120A had a theoretical range nearing 80 NM if fired from an SR-71. That’s from a declassified interceptor study done by Lockheed in the early 80’s.

there were quite a lot of rumors about it some year back…that a gel fueled amraam is gonna come out…but i think the D is just a improved motor which offers more range..

Originally posted by GDL
Is the AIM-120D the gel-fuelled AMRAAM everyone has been talking about?

I’m kinda lost here. I havent heard anything about a gel-fueled AMRAAM…

could be….nothing solid is relally available on this…

no it aint gonna have a ramjet….its gonna be conventional but improved motor…the ramjet is going to be later..as i said the ramjet engine contract specifically for a2a missiles has been given out to aerojet….that would be later perhaps 2012-2015 timeframe.

Is the AIM-120D the gel-fuelled AMRAAM everyone has been talking about?

Aerojet Awarded Air Force Research Laboratory Ramjet Development Contract

Source: Aerojet; issued Jan. 22, 2004)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aerojet, a GenCorp Inc. company, through its recently announced acquisition of the assets of Atlantic Research Corporation’s propulsion business (ARC Propulsion) was named by Raytheon Missile Systems to be the propulsion supplier for the Variable Flow Ducted Rocket (VFDR) Flight Vehicle Concepts program. Raytheon is the prime contractor on the program for the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate Flight Vehicle Integration Branch. The first phase of the contract will operate for approximately one year.

Under the VFDR program, Aerojet will develop a preliminary design for a flight test vehicle with a propulsion system designed specifically for air-to-air tactical missile applications. Additionally, adaptations of the VFDR technology will be evaluated for other potential tactical missile applications.

ARC Propulsion conducted a flight weight ground test of the VFDR engine in 1997, completing more than 20 years of design and development work by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate. The successful flight weight ground test demonstrated the technology was ready for flight testing. Now, Aerojet is teamed with Raytheon to apply the previous development work to the VFDR Flight Vehicle Concepts program, and potentially to future Air Force missile requirements.

According to Aerojet’s Manager of Airbreathing Systems, Pat Hewitt, early — and ongoing — investments in ramjet technology for air-to-air tactical missile applications were crucial components in the selection of Raytheon to work on the VFDR propulsion system. “Our steadfast commitment to ramjet technology development has kept this propulsion option open for military applications, and significant progress in recent years has demonstrated the potential for use in programs such as VFDR,” Hewitt said.

The VFDR ramjet uses a solid propellant to provide hot fuel-rich gas as the ramjet fuel, and a valve is used to control the fuel flow rate and engine thrust during flight. Other ongoing ramjet work at Aerojet include the MARC-R282 variable flow ducted rocket ramjet engine developed for the U.S. Navy’s GQM-163A Coyote missile target system, and the MARC-R290 VFDR ramjet for the Navy’s High Speed Anti-radiation Missile Demonstration program.

“We are extremely pleased with the opportunity to work on the VFDR program with Raytheon and the Air Force Research Laboratory,” said Rick Yezzi, Aerojet Vice President of Business Development, Tactical Systems. “This is a great opportunity to build on more than 20 years of work together with the Air Force and Raytheon toward the VFDR Flight Vehicle concepts goals.”

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, and defense and armaments markets. GenCorp Inc. is a multi-national, technology-based manufacturer with leading positions in the automotive, aerospace, defense and pharmaceutical fine chemicals industries

no it aint gonna have a ramjet….its gonna be conventional but improved motor…the ramjet is going to be later..as i said the ramjet engine contract specifically for a2a missiles has been given out to aerojet….that would be later perhaps 2012-2015 timeframe.

The AIM-154 is employed in a lofted shot as well, which is another reason why its able to reach out and touch non-manouvering bombers at well beyond 100km. For the AIM-120D to have a further 50% increase in range it would surely have to employ a ramjet IMO. Or, a very special long burning fuel.

not much info on this is available..google knows about it…i think he posted something some time back…what i can recall from reading some time back was that the C6 was supposed to be able to have a credible cruise missile hunting capability…and the c8 would be the D…

“”””””””The AMRAAM P3I (Pre-Planned Product Improvement) program led to the AIM-120C, first delivered in 1996. The major new feature of the basic AIM-120C (P3I Phase 1) are the clipped wings and fins. Although this feature was introduced to allow carriage in the internal weapons bays of the F/A-22 Raptor, the -120C can also be used from other AMRAAM-capable aircraft. The guidance unit of the AIM-120C is upgraded to WGU-44/B standard. The first P3I Phase 2 missile is the AIM-120C-4 (first delivered in 1999), which has an improved WDU-41/B warhead. The AIM-120C-5 is a C-4 with a slightly larger motor in the new WPU-16/B propulsion section and a new shorter WCU-28/B control section with compressed electronics and ECCM upgrades. Deliveries of the AIM-120C-5 began in July 2000. The current production version of AMRAAM is the AIM-120C-6, which features an updated TDD (Target Detection Device). The AIM-120C-7 (P3I Phase 3), development of which has begun in 1998, incorporates improved ECCM with jamming detection, an upgraded seeker, and longer range. The latter feature was specifically requested by the U.S. Navy to get a (somewhat) suitable replacement for the AIM-54 Phoenix very-long range missile, which will be retired together with the F-14D Tomcat around 2007. The AIM-120C-7 was successfully tested against combat-realistic targets in August and September 2003, and IOC is currently planned for 2004. Equivalent to the -120A/B, there are also CATM-120C and JAIM-120C non-tactical variants of the AIM-120C. The designation AIM-120D refers to a projected version with a two-way data link, more accurate navigation, an expanded no-escape envelope and a 50% increase in range. The AIM-120D is a joint USAF/USN project, and current plans call for an IOC on the F/A-18E/F in FY2008. “”””””””

http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-120.html

probably the best info available on the D model other then the article google posted…on this forum…anyway will post the AEROJET story soon.

Cool 🙂

I thought the C-6 was already out, and the C-7 was next?

can u hear me now???….haha…i wasnt shouting it was a typo…

NO NO IT IS NOT WHAT I SAID

Stop shouting.

NO NO IT IS NOT WHAT I SAID….i meant that it would give it some of the capability but ofcource even with the extended range it wouldnt meet the demand of the phoenix…they souldnt have cancelled the phoeinix replacement….anyway the aim-120 C6 is supposed to be ready in 18 months…the c8 or D will follow…what is also admirable over and above the 50% increase of range…will be the new electronics,2 way datalinks , expanded NEZ which is perhaps more important then range…….ALSO the fact worth noting is that AEROJET has been awarded a contract for the development of a ramjet motor specifically for the development of ramjet propulsion for air-to-air missiles. this has gotten unnoticed i have a few links to it…the military media hasnt reported on it that much.

The AIM-120D will have 50% extended range over the latest C varinat (I think the D was once known as AIM-120C-8), no info on whether it can supplant the AIM-54 though.

i doubt it …although the aim-54 against fighters prob had lesser then quoted range…the 74nm kill was sim a bear…the aim-120 D will give some aim-54 capability to the navy with SH