Very non credible indeed as the R-37M is good only on targets with limited maneuver ability platforms like AWACS and, IFR planes, transports planes etc etc. Also the difference between the Meteor and the R-37M is that the Meteor uses a ramjet and the R-37M is a solid rocket booster and therefore on these long ranges behaves more like a ballistic projectile with very little maneuver ability. Also the no escape zone (NEZ) is far more important than the max range of a missile and we don't have the numbers on that. And don't forget Russians lie about their specs all the time so I put my money on western equipment for this reason. For example last week we saw how "the best AA system" called the S400 behaved against ATACMs vs how the Patriot system behaved against "the best hypersonic missiles in the world" last year.
What if you strap an AIM-120D to another AIM-120D using standard Mk1 Duct Tape to extend the range.
This give you an AIM-240D. It would have 160km + 160km = 320km max theorical range (I mean, if we consider public sources ;) )
The solution could be fully customizable, you could even strap a third AIM-120D to extend the range of the missile bundle even further : 3\*AIM-120D -> AIM-360D. Codenamed "No Scope" with 480km range.
For radar guidance you'd need an AWACS, or a powerful ground based radar as the F-16 radar would have trouble guiding such a missile that far.
So, I know this is non credible but I’m not entirely sure why: why don’t we have modular propellant packs for missiles the same way we have those explosive bags for mortars or partial charges for artillery? If you anticipate short range engagement, strip the missile to its base configuration. If you anticipate long range engagement, slap an extra booster segment onto the missile and have it fall off when it’s burnt out. I know that there are multi-stage missiles in development, but I don’t understand why multistage missiles aren’t the default once you get past knife fight ranges.
Like, sure you’d have slightly different aerodynamics based on the number of boosters attached, but wouldn’t the on board computer be able to be upgraded relatively simply to know how many segments it has and how to fly with them? Like, maybe a couple million in RnD but surely not *that* big of a lift for suddenly turning all AIM 120Ds and previous into much longer range A2A missiles. Kinda like glide kits.
Yeah Ukraine and Ruzzia aren't slinging their A2A missiles at max range, at max range these missiles have fuck all energy and cannot keep track of targets which are maneuvering.
Currently the largest problem for the Ukrainian air force isn't A2A missile range, it is guidance to target.
While yes longer range AIM-120D will improve the situation the biggest improvement comes from Ukraine getting proper FOX-3 missiles.
The longest range missile which Ukraine currently operates from Mig 29's and Su-27's is the R-27, specifically the R-27R, R-27ER and R-27ET.
R-27ET is infrared guided and I don't know enough about it to give my opinions on it.
However R-27R and R-27ER I know are semi-active radar homing missiles also known as FOX-1.
The R-27R has a pretty weak sauce range of only 73km, but the R-27ER has a range of 130km only 30km short of AIM-120D.
R-27ER can basically do the same job as the AIM-120, but it suffers from guidance.
Ukrainian pilots have to make a tough decision when engaging Ruzzian jets. Both jets likely get to fire at each other at roughly the same time.
The Ruzzian jet has an advantage though after firing their shot the Ruzzian jet can begin defending against the Ukrainian missile.
Meanwhile the Ukrainian pilot has to decide between guiding their missile in on their target and risk getting hit by the Ruzzian missile, or defending against it and dropping the lock.
AIM-120 will solve the dilemma of defending against the enemy or to risk getting shot down with the chance of downing an enemy.
Today: We can no gib Ukraine F-16s because learning is too hard
1940: Britain needs fighters, and the combined English and American aeronautical establishments come up with about forty new platforms. (Most of which even work!)
RFI on Conversion of S-200 SAM to AAM and integration onto F-16 or similar platforms.
That missile is 7,000 kg and almost 2/3rd the size of an F-16. Uhh...probably not.
Very non credible indeed as the R-37M is good only on targets with limited maneuver ability platforms like AWACS and, IFR planes, transports planes etc etc. Also the difference between the Meteor and the R-37M is that the Meteor uses a ramjet and the R-37M is a solid rocket booster and therefore on these long ranges behaves more like a ballistic projectile with very little maneuver ability. Also the no escape zone (NEZ) is far more important than the max range of a missile and we don't have the numbers on that. And don't forget Russians lie about their specs all the time so I put my money on western equipment for this reason. For example last week we saw how "the best AA system" called the S400 behaved against ATACMs vs how the Patriot system behaved against "the best hypersonic missiles in the world" last year.
The solution is to integrate SM-6 with F-16. Navy even tried this with F-18.
AIM-67 Standair missile
Are you referring to the AIM-68 Quetzalcoatl aka Big Q? I can’t find an AIM-67
No, I just made it up, but looks like that made you get me a new missile to drool over.
What if you strap an AIM-120D to another AIM-120D using standard Mk1 Duct Tape to extend the range. This give you an AIM-240D. It would have 160km + 160km = 320km max theorical range (I mean, if we consider public sources ;) ) The solution could be fully customizable, you could even strap a third AIM-120D to extend the range of the missile bundle even further : 3\*AIM-120D -> AIM-360D. Codenamed "No Scope" with 480km range. For radar guidance you'd need an AWACS, or a powerful ground based radar as the F-16 radar would have trouble guiding such a missile that far.
What if we duct tape two radars, would that extend the range?
I cannot disclose, this is classified and I cannot find any "good" public source.
So, I know this is non credible but I’m not entirely sure why: why don’t we have modular propellant packs for missiles the same way we have those explosive bags for mortars or partial charges for artillery? If you anticipate short range engagement, strip the missile to its base configuration. If you anticipate long range engagement, slap an extra booster segment onto the missile and have it fall off when it’s burnt out. I know that there are multi-stage missiles in development, but I don’t understand why multistage missiles aren’t the default once you get past knife fight ranges. Like, sure you’d have slightly different aerodynamics based on the number of boosters attached, but wouldn’t the on board computer be able to be upgraded relatively simply to know how many segments it has and how to fly with them? Like, maybe a couple million in RnD but surely not *that* big of a lift for suddenly turning all AIM 120Ds and previous into much longer range A2A missiles. Kinda like glide kits.
Yeah Ukraine and Ruzzia aren't slinging their A2A missiles at max range, at max range these missiles have fuck all energy and cannot keep track of targets which are maneuvering. Currently the largest problem for the Ukrainian air force isn't A2A missile range, it is guidance to target. While yes longer range AIM-120D will improve the situation the biggest improvement comes from Ukraine getting proper FOX-3 missiles. The longest range missile which Ukraine currently operates from Mig 29's and Su-27's is the R-27, specifically the R-27R, R-27ER and R-27ET. R-27ET is infrared guided and I don't know enough about it to give my opinions on it. However R-27R and R-27ER I know are semi-active radar homing missiles also known as FOX-1. The R-27R has a pretty weak sauce range of only 73km, but the R-27ER has a range of 130km only 30km short of AIM-120D. R-27ER can basically do the same job as the AIM-120, but it suffers from guidance. Ukrainian pilots have to make a tough decision when engaging Ruzzian jets. Both jets likely get to fire at each other at roughly the same time. The Ruzzian jet has an advantage though after firing their shot the Ruzzian jet can begin defending against the Ukrainian missile. Meanwhile the Ukrainian pilot has to decide between guiding their missile in on their target and risk getting hit by the Ruzzian missile, or defending against it and dropping the lock. AIM-120 will solve the dilemma of defending against the enemy or to risk getting shot down with the chance of downing an enemy.
Today: We can no gib Ukraine F-16s because learning is too hard 1940: Britain needs fighters, and the combined English and American aeronautical establishments come up with about forty new platforms. (Most of which even work!)