ASRAAM Kills in Rear Hemisphere

[Kusch]

ASRAAM Kills in Rear Hemisphere

 

"(...)In a world first for an Air Force and an infra-red guided missile, Air Combat Group (ACG) of the Royal Australian Air Force has successfully carried out the first in-service 'Lock After Launch' firing of an ASRAAM (Advanced short-range air-to-air missile) at a target located behind the wing-line of the ‘shooter’ aircraft.

 

The firing was conducted from an F/A-18 fighter aircraft, at low level and typical fighter speed, at a target located behind the fighter at a range in excess of 5km. The result was a direct hit on the target.

 

The engagement simulated a "chase down" situation by an enemy fighter and successfully demonstrated the potential for an all-round self protection capability with the ASRAAM. This capability is inherent on all platforms that provide pre-launch 'over the shoulder' designation information such as F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 JSF.

 

Commenting on the firing, a representative from Air Combat Group said “this demonstration of ASRAAM capability is a major step forward for the RAAF and greatly increases the lethality of ACG’s F/A-18 fleet. It is a credit to the RAAF-MBDA-DSTO team who worked together to deliver this capability edge to the fleet.”

 

ASRAAM entered service with the RAAF in July 2004. To provide unique levels of in-service support, facilities for deeper maintenance and software support were established in Adelaide injecting some AUS$20 million into the South Australian economy over a period of 6 years. The software support facility, located at the Defence Science & Technology Organisation at Edinburgh (SA), allows Australia to modify the ASRAAM software in response to the Australian Defence Force's specific requirements. The deeper maintenance facility established at BAE Systems at Edinburgh Park provides the in-country capability to support the front line equipment.

 

Having entered service with the Royal Air Force in 2002, and deployed on Tornado, Typhoon, and shortly F-35 JSF, the ASRAAM programme has provided a unique opportunity for information exchange between the respective air forces, government departments and scientific organisations.

 

MBDA will be exhibiting a range of advanced air and naval weapon systems at Avalon 2009 and welcomes visits at Stand 2H9, Hall B to discuss the warfighting capabilities they provide.

 

With industrial facilities in four European countries and within the USA, MBDA has an annual turnover of more than EUR 3 billion and an order book of more than EUR 13 billion. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems. MBDA is the only group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development(...)"

 

Source: Defence Talk

 

 

More about ASRAAM

http://www.ausairpower.net/API-ASRAAM-Analysis.html

 

 

 

First Russian tests:

 

 

 

"Rearward-launch missile with mixed "aerogasdynamic" controls:"

 

"The developing missile is derivative of the R-73 [RAP comment: A-11 Archer] and designed to provide coverage of the rear hemisphere of the fighter, bomber, transport and ASW aircraft."

 

"The missile is launched in the direction opposite to the carrier aircraft.

This fire-and-forget missile ensures the destruction of the target at night and daylight, under hight ECM and with intense ground clutter."

 

Description:

 

Weight 115 kg

Length 3.2 m

Diameter 0.17 m

Wingspan 0.404 m

No-escape zone 0.05...13 km

Ranges:

Max 10...12 km

Min 1 km

Seaker type passive IR

Seaker view angle 60o

Warhead 7.4 kg

 

"Missile seeker can be slaved to the rearward faced radar. Specific details: The controlled flight at AOA=180...90o for the length of the "reaward" flight (Vx<0) achieved by use of the "gasdynamic" [RAP comment: vectored trust] controls."

 

No known analogs

 

Current state: experimental development

Tests launches were conducted with Su-27 Flanker aircraft in both sub- and supersonic regimes.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Kusch

[A.S]

Good Post :book:

[topol-m]

Thats nice but which western fighter has a radar able to detect targets in the rear aspect? And if there is any at what distance?

[Pilotasso]

You dont need a radar to aim the missiles if you have JHMS. Just point your sights and the missile will look for the target at that location. It requires LOAL capability.

[topol-m]

You dont need a radar to aim the missiles if you have JHMS. Just point your sights and the missile will look for the target at that location. It requires LOAL capability.

 

Its true but at least you have to know someone is at your back and knowing it at the greatest distance possible.

[Pilotasso]

Thats why you have passive sensors, if theres a spike you can look for the target, if not, either spot it by MK1 eyeball before he fires or youll never know what hit you.

[GGTharos]

.. or wingman can tell you, or your awacs can tell you, or you simply know where he is 'cause you turned away from him to start with.

[Force_Feedback]

Still, shouldn't you be in a thousand pieces by the time you detect something is chasing you? Seems to me like a more psychological reassurance for the pilots. Or the adversary is a Mig-19 with one working cannon, if that's the case, the chances of that pilot shooting you down are pretty slim anyway. If other sensors (wingman/awacs/ground) can detect it, then you'll have enough time to make a nice turn, and shoot a radar guided missile, if not, then you're screwed and the 'attacker' is making a dumb move.

[topol-m]

Still, shouldn't you be in a thousand pieces by the time you detect something is chasing you? Seems to me like a more psychological reassurance for the pilots. Or the adversary is a Mig-19 with one working cannon, if that's the case, the chances of that pilot shooting you down are pretty slim anyway. If other sensors (wingman/awacs/ground) can detect it, then you'll have enough time to make a nice turn, and shoot a radar guided missile, if not, then you're screwed and the 'attacker' is making a dumb move.

 

Precisely.

[Pilotasso]

mounting missiles facing backwards would be a waste of pylons because of what you say FF. You would never be able to cue it past 60 frontal or 60 to the rear subtracing the space the fusalage blocks to the pilot.

 

However having a missile than can turn 180º is an extra option.

 

Mybe thats why the russians decided to scrap those plans

[topol-m]

mounting missiles facing backwards would be a waste of pylons because of what you say FF. You would never be able to cue it past 60 frontal or 60 to the rear subtracing the space the fusalage blocks to the pilot.

 

However having a missile than can turn 180º is an extra option.

 

Mybe thats why the russians decided to scrap those plans

 

It is a pretty good feature to have in a close maneuverable air combat, but its not revolutionary. R-73 is doing the same.

[GGTharos]

Actually this feature is fairly revolutionary. Right now only Python-5 and ASRAAM have been tested for it.

 

And having this option is very good; unlike the rear-firing missile, these missiles still retain their forward-firing ability, but they grant you the ability to use them in RARE chase situation where rear-firing missiles would have been a waste of pylons most of the time.

[topol-m]

Actually this feature is fairly revolutionary. Right now only Python-5 and ASRAAM have been tested for it.

 

And having this option is very good; unlike the rear-firing missile, these missiles still retain their forward-firing ability, but they grant you the ability to use them in RARE chase situation where rear-firing missiles would have been a waste of pylons most of the time.

 

 

R-73 has been tested for it too. On the little picture in post 1 you can actually see the trajectory of the missile which is not straight at the target, but shows the turn the forward launched (not using backward facing launching pods) missile performs.

[EtherealN]

I'd like a direct translation of that pic actually, for clarity of what it actually showed.

 

To me the photos in it looked like it was actually rearward facing, but it will obviously have the same trajectory as the aircraft on release and therefore paint such a trajectory even if it was always pointed backwards.

 

(Though I know the tags on the pics appear to say "start", "v<0", "v~0" and "v>0", assuming the v is a velocity. The initial picture after the Start one would then indicate that the missile has negative spead - i.e is going backwards and then negates that with the engine to shoot off towards the enemy.)

Edited March 23, 2009 by EtherealN

[mvsgas]

I always thought all this missiles where capable of ding that

R-73, ASRAAM, Python-5, IRIS-T (AKA as AIM-2000)and AIM-9X.

Learn something every day

[EtherealN]

Well, you have quite different aerodynamics in the case of a rear launch since you either have to turn quite sharply or be able to keep control even though you are at first flying into your own exhaust. Then there's the ability of sensors and control systems to acquire in the rear hemisphere as well. Not an expert on which missiles can do what, though. :P

[topol-m]

A video showing the turning rate of su-37, that VTC is worth every cent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWN3-s9ACpw

 

With such a fast 180gr. turn there is no need for such backward firing systems.

[RedTiger]

I think there's plenty of good reasons for such a system. Try to imagine what the turn rate of an F-16 is when its full of A/G stores. I think its perfect for those types of situations.

[GGTharos]

You are mistaking maneuverability with lethality.

 

If you attempt to turn over like this to shoot a pursuer, you die - and he might survive, because he has speed to evade your missile, if, indeed, you get one off in time.

 

You on the other hand have zero speed to distance yourself from your own flares and other countermeasures - you are sitting duck, hanging there waiting to be hit by that missile, completely unable to get out of the way.

 

TVC has its merits, but what you mentioned it for isn't it.

 

A video showing the turning rate of su-37, that VTC is worth every cent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWN3-s9ACpw

 

With such a fast 180gr. turn there is no need for such backward firing systems.

[topol-m]

You are mistaking maneuverability with lethality.

 

If you attempt to turn over like this to shoot a pursuer, you die - and he might survive, because he has speed to evade your missile, if, indeed, you get one off in time.

 

You on the other hand have zero speed to distance yourself from your own flares and other countermeasures - you are sitting duck, hanging there waiting to be hit by that missile, completely unable to get out of the way.

 

TVC has its merits, but what you mentioned it for isn't it.

 

I`m gonna do that turn 30 km away from you and fire first, so the ball is in your field.

[GGTharos]

There's a fighter pilot proverb: Speed is life.

[Perry]

Right now only Python-5 and ASRAAM have been tested for it.

 

The MICA missile was tested in 2007 with this kind of scenario.

 

The Rafale conducts the first operational “over-the-shoulder” firing

of a MICA (RF) air-to-air missile

 

On June 11, 2007, MBDA’s MICA multi-mission air-to-air missile successfully destroyed its

intended target following launch from an operational French Air Force Rafale F2 aircraft.

For this firing, a complex combat scenario was created with a MICA-armed Rafale (with its radar

in silent mode) being chased and threatened by an “enemy aircraft” (actually a C22 target

drone) approaching at a distance of several nautical miles from its rear sector. A second

Rafale, acting as wingman (and maintaining situational awareness with a combination of the

RBE2 radar, the FSO sensor and the Link 16 data link), acquired the target and provided target

designation information to the first aircraft via the Link 16. On being launched, MICA (the RF

variant in this case) carried out an extremely sharp 180° maneuver (an “over-the-shoulder”

maneuver) in its inertial guidance phase, a maneuver made possible by the missile’s exceptional

agility provided by its thrust vector control feature. MICA then advanced towards the designated target

which it destroyed.

Patrick Tramier, MBDA’s Director of Programs, said: “This latest success proves MICA’s extreme

efficiency in carrying out an out of sector self defense role with target data provided by a

support aircraft. It is just one of a series of successful tests within the current training campaign

which has shown MICA’s exceptional performance against targets flying at different altitudes and

speeds as well as targets carrying out evasive maneuvers and within a countermeasures

environment”

 

There are some differences though, the MICA used was the RF version (there is also an IR version) and the targeting was done via Link 16. The IR version could probably do the same with targeting done via Link 16 or HMSS.

 

MICA webpage at MBDA :

http://www.mbda-systems.com/mbda/site/ref/scripts/siteFO_contenu.php?lang=EN&noeu_id=124&page_id=107