Ok people-
U Darter
Guidance: Two-colour infra-red
Weight: 96 kg
Range: 0.4 km – 10 km
The SAAF’s current short/medium range air-to-air missile, the U-Darter (Upgraded Darter) has been developed from the V3C Darter for use by the Cheetah. Changes include increased weight, warhead, speeds, a digital autopilot and an improved guidance seeker within the same dimensions of the Darter. The guidance unit consists of a dual-band cooled indium-antimonide IR seeker. Manoeuvrability is greater than 50g features three acquisition modes; cage, autoscan and helmet/radar designation. Service entry was during 1997.
R-Darter
Length: 3.62m
Weight: 118 kg
Diameter: 16 cm
Range: 50km (at high altitude vs closing high altitude target)
V4 R-Darter (Radar Darter) medium-range air-to-air missile is an all-aspect beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air radar guided missile and is currently the primary medium range armament of the SAAF’s Cheetah C fighters and will also be integrated onto the new Gripen fighter aircraft being acquired for the SAAF.
The V4 is designed to provide immunity against electronic counter-measures and has an upgrade capability to meet any future change in the threat. The active radar seeker head, in conjunction with the modern radar onboard the aircraft, lets the pilot track multiple targets and launch more than one missile. It is capable of two modes: lock on before or after launch. In the lock-on before launch for short-range engagements, the seeker can be slaved to the aircraft’s radar or the pilot’s helmet mounted cueing system. The seeker is activated before launch and guides the missile all the way to the target .In lock-on after launch mode, for long-range engagements, the missile employs inertial guidance immediately after launch until the seeker is activated and homes in on the target.
It is based on Israel’s Derby AAM. Development of Derby began in the early 1980’s, with South Africa joining the development program and providing funding a few years later. The two projects parted later, and have some minor differences.
It entered service formally in 2001, though some sources suggest 1995.
A-Darter
Guidance: Two colour IIR (90 degree off boresight capable)
Weight: 89 kg
Length: 2.98m
Diameter: 166mm
Span: 488mm
Range: > 15km
* Uses TVC + tail controls
* Can lock on after launch
* advanced IRCCM techniques
* Will continue to fly towards target under autopilot if lock is lost
S-Darter
* Long ramjet powered range AAM project
* initial inertial guidance stage
* 30km range with ground launch, up to 100km air launched at high altitude.
* 20kg warhead
* Mach 2-3
* IIR seeker for terminal stage
* TVC + tail controls
T-Darter
* As S-Darter but with datalink.
So H-2 is R-Darter and H-4 is T-Darter.
Interesting 😉
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