and if we based game performance of purely IRL hit stats, then shouldnt R-27ERs barely hit anything?
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It depends. The AMRAAMs had exceptionally reliable maintenance and still missed targets within their lethal zone. In comparison, the R-27 had complex maintenance requirements, and even the Soviet Union, its creator, faced challenges operating it. Now imagine poorer countries like Ethiopia and Eritrea, which performed poorly with this missile during their conflicts in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
These are all the cases of AIM-120 usage I’ve come across in books, documentaries, and pilot interview statements.
The first operational use of the AMRAAM was during the Gulf War in 1991. In the last nine days of the conflict, F-15Cs from the 58th TFS/33rd TFW conducted around 250 sorties carrying AIM-120A missiles, totaling approximately 1,000 flights. None of these sorties had an opportunity to fire the missiles. Iraqi forces were either hiding their fighters or fleeing to Iran. The missiles were carried on Sidewinder launchers, which accelerated their integration.
The AMRAAM’s first kill occurred on December 27, 1992, by an F-16D from the 33rd TFS/363rd TFW, piloted by Captain Gary L. North. This aircraft was leading a formation of two F-16s, with the callsigns Benji 41 and Benji 42, during a mission for Operation Southern Watch over Iraq. At 10:42, two MiG-25PDs penetrated the no-fly zone below the 32nd parallel, attempting to intercept US Navy fighters near Basra. An E-3A (codenamed Lock Leader) vectored the two F-16s to intercept the bandits, who were flying at medium altitude and over 30 km away from the F-16s. Benji maneuvered to face one of the MiG-25s and was cleared to fire. At 5 km from the target, an AIM-120A was launched, taking 8 seconds to hit the MiG-25. Both aircraft were closing at about 1,500 km/h. The second MiG-25 fled and evaded Benji 42. Two hours later, two F-15Es engaged another MiG-25 but were unsuccessful.
The second firing opportunity occurred on January 16, 1993, involving an F-16C from the 52nd TFW. The pilot’s name is unknown, but they fired an AIM-120A at an Iraqi MiG-23 in the no-fly zone. The target was at close range but on the edge of the missile’s No Escape Zone (NEZ) and was not hit.
On January 2, 1993, a MiG-25 attempted to intercept a U-2R and was attacked by an F-15C, which also failed to secure a kill.
On January 17, 1992, an F-16C from the 86th TFW/23rd FS, piloted by Craig D. Stevenson, fired an AIM-120A at an Iraqi MiG-29 (or MiG-23) flying in the southern no-fly zone but missed.
On January 18, 1993, a strike package of ten F-15Es, four F-16s, four Tornado GR1s, and fourteen support aircraft attacked air defense centers in Najaf, Samawah, and Talil, Iraq. These targets had been hit on the 13th but with limited success due to poor weather. During the attack, an F-15C engaged a MiG-25 below the 32nd parallel with an AIM-120 at 25 miles and an AIM-7 at close range. Both missiles missed.
On February 28, 1994, a pair of F-16Cs from the 86th FS/526 FW, with callsigns Bhasher 51 (Capt. Robert G. Wright) and Bhasher 52 (Capt. Scott O’Grady, later shot down by an SA-6), were patrolling the no-fly zone over Bosnia (Operation Deny Flight). They were directed by an E-3 to intercept six Soko J-21 Jastrebs (or Galebs) flying near Mostar, Bosnia. The J-21s, attacking targets in Bugojno, ignored warnings to leave the no-fly zone.
Bhasher 51 fired an AIM-120A, downing a J-21, then fired two AIM-9Ms within 30 seconds, downing two more. Bhasher 52 engaged another J-21 with an AIM-9M but missed and had to abandon the chase due to low fuel.
A second element of F-16Cs, Knight 25 and 26, was vectored to intercept the remaining J-21s, downing one with an AIM-9M. One fleeing J-21 crashed due to fuel exhaustion. It’s unclear if it was damaged by a missile. These were NATO’s first air-to-air
The AIM-120 works exactly like the USAF planned, it’s not some magic missile, just a tool for suppressing airspace, with a decent kill rate only up close.
The biggest curiosity of all is that the longest AIM-120 kill (considering combat aircraft) in history was made by a Turkish F-16C using an AIM-120C-5 against a Russian Su-24 in Syria. The target was shot down 24 km away from the F-16C, in a head-on engagement, and the Su-24 attempted to escape but couldn’t.
Other types of results to consider:
During Operation Allied Force in 1999, there were several opportunities to engage Serbian aircraft. The Kosovo statistics are as follows:
Missiles fired: 11
Kills: 5-6
Lost targets: 5-6
Damaged: 1
Probable kills: 0-1
The kill probability (Pk) was 45-55%. The hit rate, which is different from Pk, was 55-63%. The data is separated from the total due to the specific conditions of the enemy. Despite being well-trained, the Serbs were flying aircraft that were not capable of engaging in combat and were facing a much more capable enemy with overwhelming numerical superiority.
The overall statistics were:
Fired: 21-24
Kills: 9-12
Damaged: 1
Probable kills: 1
The Pk ranged from 40-60% in total, including one fratricide. The data can vary widely depending on the sources. One source mentions 37 missiles fired. Most of these were fired outside the NEZ (No-Escape Zone) and against long-range targets.
The Americans used tactics that forced the enemy onto the defensive, attempting to hit with a second or even third missile after making the enemy waste energy and lose situational awareness with the first missiles. The enemy had no option but to either evade or die. The Americans had the option to fire many missiles quickly, even at multiple targets.
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