Sidewinder - NAVAIR says

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US Navy hopes to increase AIM-9X range by 60%

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By:   DAVE MAJUMDAR WASHINGTON DC

Source: 

The US Navy is hoping to increase the range of the new

RaytheonAIM-9X Block III by some 60% over current 

Sidewinder variants due to the unique needs of the 

Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,the Naval Air 

Systems Command  (NAVAIR) says. The new weapon is 

scheduled to become operational in 2022.

"The Block III range requirement was in response to Joint

StrikeFighter requirements in the 2020+ timeframe," 

NAVAIR says. "The design is anticipated to increase AIM-

9X employment ranges by 60%."

NAVAIR says the current Block II AIM-9X already overlaps

some of the range capability of the more powerful Raytheon 

AIM-120D AMRAAM,however the new Block III variant will 

increase that overlap. The AIM-9XBlock III's increased range 

will "provide fighter aircraft with increased capacity of BVR 

[beyond visual range] weapons for tactical flexibility,"NAVAIR 
says.

Lockheed Martin

The need for that added flexibility arises from the proliferation
ofadvanced digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) jammers 
that many potential adversaries are adding to their fighter 
fleets. DRFM jammers have the potential to blind the 
AMRAAM's onboard radar,which makes the AIM-9X's 
passive imaging infra-red guidance system a useful alternative 
means to defeat those threats. While acompletely new missile 
would have been ideal, the Pentagon isaced with era of 
declining budgets and has to take into account the price tag of 
any new weapon.

"Programme affordability was a primary concern for new

missiledevelopment," NAVAIR says. "Modifying the existing 

AIM-9X forincreased range provides a highly affordable 

solution for meeting the performance requirement."

To create the new AIM-9X Block III, the NAVAIR will primarily

focuson the missile's rocket motor. "Increased range will be 

achieved through a combination of increased rocket motor 

performanceand missile power management," NAVAIR says.

In addition to an improved, more energetic, rocket motor, the
enhanced weapon will also have a new insensitive munitions
warhead, which will be safer to use onboard an aircraft carrier.
However, the Block III will "leverage" the current Block II's
guidance unit and electronics-including the missile's
AMRAAM-derived datalink.

While the Pentagon needs the new Sidewinder to be a

supplemental BVR weapon for situations where friendly

fighters are faced with electronic attacks that degrade with 

radar-guided weapons, it will not compromise on the 

AIM-9X's close in performance. "The requirement and design 

call for the same WVR [within visual range]/HOBS [high off-

boresight] capabilities as those found in the AIM-9X Block II," 

NAVAIR says.

The Block III is currently scheduled to enter into its engineering

and manufacturing development phase in 2016, NAVAIR says.

Subsequently, it will go into developmental testing in 2018 with

operational tests starting in 2020. If all goes well, an initial

operational capability date is expected in 2022. "The Block III

development schedule follows the increased number of Joint

Strike Fighter aircraft entering service," NAVAIR says.