No it doesn’t have a “360°” view.
The missile doesn’t have a 360° seeker.
The most it has is a ±100° gimbal which means a 200° view (witch is already the best worldwide).
The Python 5 has 360° ENGAGEMENT capabilities. Which means you can shoot at a target behind you (ie at more thean 90° to the side).
How can it achieve that:
- Datalink and inertial navigation.
Indeed the missile get information from another figther radar or from the radar rwr for exemple that there is an ennemy behind you. The missile is capable of LOAL (Lock On After Launch) which means the missile can be launched even if the sensor isn’t seing anything yet.
Loal is necessary if you want to have a real 360° capability.
Some missile can do a 180° degree turn and indeed be “360” but they have to lock on the ennemy in front of the sensor and the high turning of the missile can make it do a 180°.
You probably already saw videos of the R-73 shooting at an ennemy coming at you just for it do to a 180° turn.
Anyways, the “360” engagment capability is not something unique to the Python 5 since all “5th” gen missile have this capability. Some of those missile are: MICA IR, ASRAAM, AIM-9X Blk2/ IRIS-T/ AAM-5/R-74M2 (which lack a FPA seeker to be truly called 5th gen but it has LOAL).
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Off topic, but can anyone here grab location off of these photos, I kinda wanna get this tank while russia is distracted
It was made for the Su-57 but its the best russian missile available.
It’s indeed a derivative of the R-73 but it evolved quite a bit since the “basic” R-73 we have in game rn.
- More range (65% upgrade)
- Better seeker (dual color and a lot more modern)
- Better maneuvrabilty (60g )
At 50km it has longuer range than the Python 5, the IRIS-T, the AIM-9X Blck 2, the AAM-5 ect. It match the ASRAAM.
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You should try to ask it on thread which talk a lot of on russian tanks.
Or just go in off topic since a bunch of people there are tank expert:
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25km of range is short? Maybe I’m thinking of the Swedish IRIS-T ER.
From what I know IRIS-T looses a lot of effectiveness past 10-15km. ASRAAM if effective up to 30-40km
Yes that’s what i mean, just very, very dumbed down
For reference the AIM-9L has 18km max range. So its “only” a 40% upgrade.
Which means when you fire the 9L at 3km from the side of your target at low altitude, you can do the same for the IRIS-T at 4km. While a 9X could be launched 5km, a ASRAAM at up to 8km and the MICA IR at 10km.
So while its better than what we currently have in game, its still inferior to other last gen missiles.
Never heard of it.
Aren’t you mixing it with the IRIS-T SLS?
If so then the IRIS-T SLS (which is the IRIS-T launched from the ground) has up to 10km range and 6km altitude when launched vertically and 12km range and 6km altitude when launched already in the direction of its target.
Sweden has interchanged their IRIS-T and Germany’s IRIS-T, I guess I’m thinking of the SL?
Yeah, but considering it’s made for fast, head on engagements, it’s range is fine.
As always when talking about missile, range VARIES A LOT between:
- high and low altitude
Low altitude has denser air which means more drag for the missile. And since the missile only has a short propulsion time, its drag impact heavelly its range
- the speed at witch the missile is launched
The missile has more or less a fixed DELTAV (ie the motor is going to provide around 900m/s speed for the missile). So if its launched at higher speed, the missile is going to have better overall speed and will achieve better range
- the engagment geometry
If the target is at 15km going toward you , the missile only has to go 10km while the target is closing in and has done 5km.
If the target is at 10km and fleeing, the missile has to do 15km+ to intercept the target
- baterry time
Some missiles are limited by their battery time. Instead when the missile is launched , the battery is activated (between 60 to 120s for smaller missiles). Even if the missile still has some kinematics, if the battery is out then the missile is going to be just as usefull as a rocket.
Anyways, the effectiveness really depends on the condition of the engagement.
So saying the IRIS-T is effective between 10-15km and ASRAAM between 30-40km is not very scientific.
And if we take the max range number as guesstimate for kinetics then if your effective range for the IRIS-T is 10-15km the one for the ASRAAM would probably be 20-30km.
AIM-9X actually uses essentially the same motor as AIM-9M, but with a thrust vectoring unit bolted to the back of it.
It is smokeless for the majority of the flight, thiugh interestingly it produces a short puff of smoke at ignition (I’m not sure if this is exclusive to it or if it’s normal for all smokeless missiles). In general it produces no visible trail except for higher altitudes where it’s normal for all missiles because of condensation
Iirc, only the first 9X used a derivative of late 9M motor.
Later block came with a new motor: the MTI/ Hercules MK.139 and not the MTI/ Hercules MK.36.
While its still a derivative, its an evolved motor with probably better ISP while keeping the very low smoke characteristic.
Yeah, obviously it’s an over simplification. But put simply. A Typhoon with IRIS-T will probably want to close the gap and engage in shorter range dogfights. Meanwhile a Typhoon with ASRAAM will probably want to keep more of a distance, circling the fight and firing off ASRAAM at more medium ranges.
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Thats the same range ballpark as the other missiles
And like the others its very manouverable. Its not in any unique class as its ballpark the same as the others.
What its not same ballpark in being seeker tech, but as a missile its an upgraded R-73. Same range ballpark with benefits like lofting to increase range. Just like the Aim-9x/Irist-T and others with their lofting capability.
When i say its in its all ballpark it really was about the seeker, so i agree with you on this point. Having an non IIR seeker missile nowaydays seems really special.
To be clear, the AIM-9X Blck 1 doesn’t have automatic loft (only the Blck 2 has it). And the IRIS-T doesn’t loft at all. (I mean you can always loft it manualy so just pull your nose up so the missile is already going up)
