The AIM-54 Phoenix missile - Technology, History and Performance

The Aim-54C+ and ECCM/Sealed had seeker improvements on top of the base C model seeker(WGU-11/AB). Something to take note of is that the AMRAAM A’s guidance part is named the WGU-16/B, while this new seeker for the Aim-54C+ ECCM is the WGU-17/B.

I do believe that this seeker is MPRF and at a minimum an equivalent of the AMRAAM A’s seeker.

As I said before, I’m also working on gathering up all my sources for a bug report to bring the base Aim-54C up to par with every other missile in the game by giving it an MPRF all aspect seeker and RAID target discrimination, which is just another way to say the missile tracks individual, small, and/or clustered targets much better. If that get’s passed and implemented, it’ll make the Aim-54 much better at least for non-afk BVR fights.

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but that MPRF is not for the base 54c which is what we have in game. That’s for the later upgraded variant no?

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From the sources I’ve gathered, MPRF All aspect capability was implemented with the base C in 1980.
This source, https://www.navair.navy.mil/node/12701#:~:text=1977 Development%20of,54C%20flight%20tests. (1980)
This source,

1983
and this source,
Screenshot 2025-12-08 at 10.20.24 AM
1980

They are all detail the base C, instead of the ECCM/Sealed or C+ (which I found out are base Aim-54C’s retrofitted into ECCM/Sealed variants). The ECCM variant started development later that decade in 1986.

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Nice. Can’t you report it using just these 2 seondary sources? My bug reports for radars are accepeted using just 2 secondary sources (though one was published on a primary source website that manufactuered the radars)

my bug report example

image

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I plan to use all 3 seeing as I’ve found a PDF version of the website (which is a primary source), but i just wanted to make sure I had every individual source I could before I pitched it to the tech mods.

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even better then, I’ve found that they sometimes treat secondary sources that are published on manufacturers websites as primary ones, which is nice. gives me hope that it will actually go through for the 54c

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As an aside, do we know if the missile used in this test was locked onto anything? If not, then I would imagine that it could have followed a more ballistic trajectory in this test.

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Finally some zoomed out footage of Phoenix launches. I might be able to get some angles on the loft from this.

I’ve read back on this thread and also thought about people who don’t particularly agree with AMRAAM on Tomcats. As we approach (hopefully) the F-14D’s addition in Early 2026 I’ll focus more of my efforts on specifically the Phoenix. We already have the data for all aspect capability and stream raid function for the Aim-54C, I’m just waiting for dev server to drop so we get priority.

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Pretty cool to see the missile snap up so quickly at 7:27 definitely doesn’t move like that in game.

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having 1.5 times the fin aoa and g load will do that


Mach 5 Confirmation??
Screenshot 2026-02-10 at 8.54.29 AM
Cites the SAR which for performance metrics are considered Primary Sources. We might have something here.

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Oh, this is wonderful!

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Bros digging real deep for these files lmao. Good stuff

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It’s nice finding the origins of things thought to be previously not possible. Before this I gave up on Mach 5 Phoenix a while ago even though I’ve heard otherwise anecdotally.

Indeed. Tech Mods better get ready assuming the F-14D is added next major.

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I thought allegedly it was actually supposed to be Mach 6?

I haven’t read through this at all (and there’s no mention of the Aim-54 Phoenix) but I’m just saving this here incase there are formulas that would be helpful to accurately model bank-to-turn missiles ingame (stuff like delay in maneuver effectiveness depending on angle).

Something like this: The AIM-54 Phoenix missile - Technology, History and Performance - #2320 by Xeno_quaza

@Xeno_quaza this is a brilliant report by the way. (Go Support it Here) With more modern missiles coming to the game that use BTT maybe we could come together to create an updated report for stuff like the AAM-3, Aim-54, and future missiles?

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The only mention of Mach 6 capability was from an alleged engineer that tested the YAIM-54A. However, it should be noted he’s almost certainly talking about the missile’s speed peak limit and not the actual speed it could theoretically get to.




Yes, this is from a DCS forum page.

This is for asymmetrical missile models using 180 degree BTT, the missiles in game use 90 degree CBTT, where they start turning before fully in alignment.

Some of the models in this could be derived for approximations, but the issue is the results given from them are from probablistic simulations, not actual irl teats, sure there are charts and references to distribution patterns, but anyways… itd be a pain to get most of the more technical stuff from this. About the only thing that can somewhat be obtained in a usable form is roll gain scheduling, which like, is better than nothing I suppose.

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Old Forum thread: The AIM-54 Phoenix missile - Technology, History and Performance - Aircraft Discussion - War Thunder - Official Forum