I’m not at all sorry to tell you that you have no clue all-aspect missiles work. Earlier AIM-9s were just rear-aspect missiles. Beginning with the AIM-9L which entered service in 1977, the AIM-9 had a seaker head sensitive enough to detect the friction between the airframe of the target and the air around it. That friction is not as detectable as the engine which is why the rear-aspect lock range for the AIM-9L is greater than the side-aspect and front-aspect lock ranges.
This entire thread, but especially this comment, is the definition of r/confidentlyincorrect.
Have you seen the IR signature of a jet flying around mach speed? The missile seeker is absolutely sentitive enough to see this:
If you think an IR seeker can’t lock onto that from the front. You are very, very mistaken. That is an F-35, the missiles can see you.
Yeah I wouldn’t say that represents “massively underperforming” in the game - those examples are at 36-45,000 ft where heat plumes stand out a lot more, and air resistance is massively less than the low altitudes we play WT at.
I did see an official engagement map for Red Top when I was looking this up late last year, but do you think I can find it now??!! 🙄
Requires a login to get the pictures - but that’s simple - registration only takes a minute and then answer the confirmation email.
Basically - Red Top has a considerable all aspect range when slaved to radar, but also a massive minimum lunch range from any forward aspect - depending on the target - eg it is much smaller blind spot for a Blinder than a “Hypo” (Hypothetical?) mach 2 at 60k feet
Yep, though currently it barely has any side-aspect ability. Even with radar lock. I think ive had a headon lock once. at alt, with radar, vs F-104 and it was barely 1km away before I could fire
It is most amusing to see someone post a source link and then have the source say the complete opposite thing. I could have left it there, but the F-35 thermal image is just fun. The F-35 can’t even go as fast as previous gen jets because it will heat up too much and damage the anti radar coating.
Both SRAAM and Red Tops are actually underperforming a lot. Both should have double their current range and limited all-aspect ability. An SRAAM overhaul was rumoured back in June, but we’ve heard nothing since. Both missiles are no where near as fun to use as they were back in 2022.
SRAAMs are the coolest missile ever put on an awful airframe. I only say that because I only have the Harrier Gr1 and not the Hunter. So fun to use except for the whole range thing. Doesn’t help with a plane that can’t close the distance ever…
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Harriers and want to unlock them all, but short range missiles just dont work well with the subsonic airframe.
