[sci.military] AMRAAM vs ARM

cem@cs.brown.edu (Charles E. Moylan) (02/15/91)

From: cem@cs.brown.edu (Charles E. Moylan)

In a few previous postings it has been pointed out that jet fighters carrying
(and using) large radars are vulnerable to ARM missiles (i.e.
the kind that look for an emitting, presumably hostile, radar and home in
on it). 

Would this neccesarily be true for an aircraft firing an AMRAAM?  I ask 
because I'm under the impression that AMRAAM carries its own radar guidance
system.  Thus, wouldn't it be possible for the firing aircraft to light up
its radar just to the point of contacting the target and firing the AMRAAM?
As soon as the AMRAAM was launched, the firer could shut off its radar, thus
evading any incoming ARMs, and the AMRAAM would guide itself to the target.
Is this not possible for some reason?

-- 
Charlie Moylan (cem@cs.brown.edu)

urbanf@yj.data.nokia.fi (Urban Fredriksson) (02/19/91)

From: urbanf@yj.data.nokia.fi  (Urban Fredriksson)

   Yes, you could reduce the time you have the radar switched
   on when firing AMRAAMs, but at least at long range not
   completely eliminate it, since the target's predicted
   position may change too much for the AMRAAM to find it
   without updates from the firing aircraft.

   As to how large volume a AMRAAM can search, and achive a
   kill, I have no idea.

| Urban Fredriksson |"The best way to get rid of an  | I do NOT speak   |
| Stockholm, Sweden | enemy is to make him a friend."| for my employer! |