[Defense Commentary] The Missile Feared by Fighter Jets Worldwide

[Monthly Defense Times Editor-in-Chief An Seung-beom]The AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile is operated by 35 countries worldwide. It began with the AIM-120 air-to-air missile launched from a U.S. Air Force F-16D fighter in 1992, which shot down an Iraqi Air Force MiG-25 fighter approaching the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. In 1994, a U.S. Air Force F-16C fighter shot down a Serbian Air Force J-21 attack aircraft over Banja Luka, Bosnia, and approximately 18 aircraft have been shot down by AMRAAM missiles to date.

The Republic of Korea Air Force also adopted the AIM-120 as its primary medium-range air-to-air missile since the initial introduction of the KF-16 fighter through the Korean Fighter Program (KFP). During the KFP project, the AIM-120B variant was introduced, and later, through the F-X program, the AIM-120C-5 and AIM-120C-7 variants were procured, continuing to the present day.

The AIM-120 AMRAAMs introduced into the ROK Air Force also have a separate mode for use in close combat or self-defense, known as the Boresight mode or Mad dog mode.

The F-15K fighter is equipped with AIM-120C-5 and AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs. Unlike the B model’s WDU-33/B and WGU-41/B warheads, the C model carries the WDU-41/B warhead, which is approximately 11 pounds lighter. This missile’s control surfaces and fins were reduced in size compared to the B model to fit inside the internal weapons bay of the F-22 stealth fighter.

The weight and drag of the C model AMRAAM are reduced compared to the B model, which contributed to improved physical flight characteristics, including increased range. The C model’s initial flight includes maneuvers to increase the missile’s glide ratio, and its attack trajectory is more efficiently configured. For the C-5 variant, the enlargement of the rocket motor was a key factor in extending its range. Additionally, the C-5 variant features enhanced electronic countermeasure capabilities.

For the AIM-120C-7 variant, the seeker’s performance was further enhanced, making it more difficult for targets to evade the missile during the terminal guidance phase. As a result, the hit probability against the same target under identical conditions is higher for the C-7 than for the C-5, and its range is also increased.

The latest AIM-120D variant offers more accurate navigation data calculation than previous AMRAAMs. Unlike earlier models that only received data unilaterally, the AIM-120D supports a two-way data link, improving the quality of data used for flight path corrections. This capability allows for more efficient missile attack trajectories.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.