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I've been comparing what I can easily get from a Duck-Duck-Go search between the AIM-54C and the AIM-174B.
The AIM-174B is bigger and heavier than a Phoenix.
Millenium 7* History Tech has a speculative analysis of the newer missile giving it an ultimate max range of 364 miles. That's more than triple the old Phoenix.
Color me impressed.
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteBecause Big Blue has missed that BVR fleet air superiority mission ever since they retired the Tomcats.
The ability to whack incoming problems far over the horizon would be gratifying to carrier battle group commanders, especially those looking at sporty times in the South China Sea or the GIUK Gap.
U.S. combat experience
ReplyDeleteOn January 5, 1999, a pair of US F-14s fired two Phoenixes at Iraqi MiG-25s southeast of Baghdad. Both AIM-54s' rocket motors failed and neither missile hit its target.[17][18]
On September 9, 1999, another US F-14 launched an AIM-54 at an Iraqi MiG-23 that was heading south into the no-fly zone from Al Taqaddum air base west of Baghdad. The missile missed, eventually going into the ground after the Iraqi fighter reversed course and fled north.[19]
The Iranians had a much better success rate
Phoenix was a first gen active homer, and they had so many miles on them by the time anyone was allowed to fire a war-shot for reals. And that assumes that the crew did their job setting up the shot correctly.
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