Well i don’t know where you got this from.
The main upgrade of the AIM-120B over the AIM-120A is that:
The AIM-120B distinguished itself with a novel WGU-41/B guidance system equipped with reprogrammable EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) modules and an upgraded processor.
This updated guidance system offered improved capabilities in terms of energy management for long-range shots, ultimately resulting in a higher Probability of Kill (PK).
The AIM-120A already had datalink and LOAL capabilities.
The AIm-120A is a fox 3 missile meaning it has it’s own radar (so it got LOAL capabilities) and since the radar present on the missile is very small and has poor range, the missile is equiped with datalink so it can be guided by the airplane before its radar goes active.
A missile without LOAL and datalink would be the AIM-7M
A missile without LOAL would be the AIM-7P.
Edit:
Indeed the AIM-120B cannot go into the F-22 weapons bay because its fins are too big. That’s why the developed the AIM-120C3 with shorter wing that was able to enter F-22 weapon bay.
I just saw that it indicate that the AIM-120B has LOAL (which is true) but it’s not saying the AIM-120A doesn’t.
Being carriable inside weapon bays is possible for all FOX3 missile since they’re all LOAL and being LOAL is litteraly the principle of FOX 3.
Small add for myself but here’s a thread about FOX3 missile if you want more information on it:
Yeah, he won’t say, strictly speaking, the ONLY thing we know is that Britain is getting something new and its “top tier” which we are only assuming means likely a 12.3 maybe a 12.7.
But it doesnt actually explicitly state a fighter, or even that it might be competitive, britain hasnt had that in years so no guarantees thats gunna change. Anything with Brimstones and Gen 3 Tpod could easily be “top tier”
He wouldn’t confirm if its a fighter, wouldn’t confirm if its a new airframe (I think Tornado GR.4 isn’t a new airframe but a modified GR.1?), but F-14K isn’t open for consideration, Gripen D is highly unlikely, EAP is off the table (for now).
He probably won’t tell us over the past week we have asked a lot and not gotten much back.
Basically he said the UK will get a new top tier aircraft, hell based on that it could be a wildcat with Jerry-rigged ASRAAM
I’m surprised, if you’re operating near a Type 45 or 23 or 26 then you have an air defense shield, but I wouldn’t want to be operating off of one of those dinky little OPV’s (just shitty corvettes).
Highly depends which variant and what you’re trying to do, 50g is no slouch but its not thrust vectoring, but equally in-game it would be a passive system for slamming someone at 50KM, its range is like that or an R27ET but with better IRCCM.
Blk1 ASRAAM, beasts Blk 1 AIM-9X, it has LOAL, equal off–bore iirc and better flare resistance. At Blk 2 AIM-9X they equal out and it depends more on range and launch profile.
At short range I’m not sure how it would fare, it seems to be pretty agile regardless and thrust vectoring tech was made for the ASRAAM P3I but never used as well as the CAMM, despite this, ASRAAM doesn’t use it, my guess is they found it to be unnecessary.