Accurately modelling the performance metrics of the PL-12/SD-10A BVR missile to narrow the gap to the AIM-120C-5 - Compiling data

In the same situation, yes. But AMRAAMs are almost every time about 2000 feet above everyone and 0.1 Mach faster. Also they are better at range than the only kinetically competent jet in MICA carried by Rafale.

In that case firing at a target that doesn’t have full approach rate for any other missile is pretty much wasting missile, AMRAAM has a chance.

Not saying that this happens all the time, but AMRAAM is still the best missile combined with carrier. Definitely worse than MICA and R-77-1 close up and R-77-1 in terms of range but due to the excessive advantage of the carrier’s kinetics they fare much better. Radars are a different thing so I won’t put EF’s radars at any more scrutiny.

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As far as I’m aware, the PL-15 using a dual-impulse motor same as everyone else, which gives one hell of a boost for acceleration to get up to speed, and a sustainer motor to maintain that speed as it goes into the thinner atmosphere. Otherwise it is unpowered most of it’s flight.

The meteor IS powered through most of it’s flight, hence why it cannot leave the atmosphere’s thicker layers like the PL-15/120D/R-37/260 etc etc, because it needs the air to burn the solid fuel unlike the PL-15.

The dual pulse isn’t the so called dual pulse you described. That is simply 1 motor just controlled flow speed. It’s just booster and sustainer. PL15 is an actual dual pulse where it has two separate motors or rather ignitions which the second one ignites when it gets close enough to the target to enlarge the no escape zone thus increasing the actual effective range of the missile even though it is not bigger. This obviously means it is technically slower at some point during the flight but on average it is both faster and kinetically harder to defeat.

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No it’s got a whole second motor that it ignites when it gets close

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This is more a response to you both because hi-ho I can’t do a multi-reply

This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing from anyone so pardon me for not believing it outright from internet strangers.

Kinematically it also doesn’t entirely make sense as to how it could both carry the additional fuel weight at a farther distance compared to for example, a 120D while claiming higher speeds in transit (IE getting more for less by a good margain), however, I don’t work in a military industrial complex

It’s a much larger missile, which means it can burn a larger ‘first stage’(not really how it works but close enough) to get up to speed and up high, coast to the ‘engagement range’ and then kick in its ‘second stage’ for maneuvering energy.

first, PL-15 is a 203mm x ~4m missile, much larger than AIM-120, allows more propellant/weight ratio
dual pulse won’t provide more fuel, that’s true, but it allows more impact speed, like this
image

What? Derby and darter are the same missile, and are superior the aim-120 by a decent margin and PL-12 by a slight margin in close range shots. In no way do they “suck” as long as you aren’t expecting to use them as a 50km bvraam

That’s why i’ve mentioned them in the same group.

Yes? Though they’re NOT in the same league as the PL-12.

They’re a short/medium range missile with slightly more maneuverability, worse range and awful chaff resistance. They arguably share one of the weaknesses of the 120s, while having none of its advantages.

It’s bigger in both length and diameter by like 1/4.

Thank you for re-iterating.

The Derby pulls far harder than the Aim-120 and a slight bit more than the PL-12, which you claimed was not the case in your first post.
The chaff resistance on all ARH missiles other than the MICA is identical.
The range isn’t an issue for kill shots but hurts when trying to pressure.

Which weakness do they share? Does the amraam have any more advantages other than the one?

While a graph like that is handy, the issue I had is yes, the missile is about an inch wider and a little over a foot and a half longer- the missile is also claimed to be nearly 30-40 pounds lighter, which means the missile either has;
A) Much smaller electronic components, which is unlikely given the range it’s designed for.
B) much lighter missile frame material which is also unlikely without some unique, special blend of alloys that every other major power so far hasn’t used.
C) A more powerful fuel mixture per unit mass, which is plausible if the fuel is known to be carcinogenic which is why other nations have banned it’s use.
D) The lofting trajectory is much higher than other medium-body missiles, which would make the missile vulnerable during mid-course when outside of an atmosphere thick enough to make corrections via aero-foils.

Outside of that, the missile claims to go up to Mach 5 which is 1 Mach faster than the publicly listed range for the AIM-120 models for example, which would be their closest competition for solid rocket, upper/exo atmospheric pathing. it also doesn’t account for the claimed 10-70nm advantage in ideal conditions unless one party is lying about the capacity of their missiles, or the numbers to achieve the figures.

I’m not arguing the impact speed half of it, only that back of the hand math suggests something is being left out.

What? The PL-15 is supposedly over 500lbs, nearly 150lbs more than the heaviest numbers we have for AIM-120s

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NEVERMIND I am just a dumbass, that all checks out then. So yeah it is just a bigger missile to brute-force the problem, no further questions.

Reach kg as lbs even though I tried very specifically NOT to do that.

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Yes it is a bigger missile, but it’s not just a brute force approach.

Dual-pulse is looking like being the next big thing if ramjets are not preferred.

It’s brute force in the sense that it’s using a larger missile to achieve higher and farther speeds. Dual pulse probably is going to win over ramjets though outside of some special niches that I forsee just due to travel speeds mostly.

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It’s a lot newer than the aim120 so it would have more compact and light electronics and better rocket fuel.

210kg/460lbs

it’s not always the smaller the better. At the beginning, 203mm size was chosen for backward technology, but it do gives advantage in future upgrade. AIM-120D has already reached its extreme, still hard to catch up

from some analysis I saw, ramjets have very special characters in ballistics, makes it not so easy to use, CN and US researched this too but both give up.

most improvement in missiles are improved electronics, make the electronic cabin smaller so the engine can be longer. Like MICA NG to MICA, DERBY ER to DERBY.
the new PL-12AE also used new technology as PL-15, makes it reaching 145km, but still worse than PL-15E due to bigger fins and possibly no dual pulse.
image

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Did not say smaller was better, just that it was brute-forcing the problem because ultimately there is no more room to improve the missiles as of now.

Hence why I said, niche uses. They have better flight envelopes when in thicker atmosphere due to being powered the entire time from my understanding compared to single/dual stage or single/dual pulse motors, however, their transit time for high-altitude firing is still quite a bit less than previously mentioned motor styles.

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30km shots are a though proposition for ANY top tier missile. Aim120 can do them better sure but its still not good at it, at those ranges a missile can be defeated by just not flying straight at the missile