The F/A-22 & FB-22

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-05-23 05:07pm

phongn wrote:
Hrm. Raytheon has their ramjet-powered AMRAAM derivative (that competed against and lost to the Meteor). Maybe the USAF could pick that up. There was also the dual SARH/IR seeker for the AIM-7R, I wonder if that could be adapted to the AMRAAM as well.

AIM-7 had a wider airframe as I recall, so packing it in could be a problem. Though a new seeker to do the same thing should work. What I'd really like to see is an infrared imaging seeker, as the latest block of Stinger was to have. But getting it to lock on after launch without a human in the loop could be difficult.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-05-23 07:18pm

AIM-7 was somewhat wider, so miniaturizing it could pose a problem (IIRC, they also put that seeker on one of the SM2 varients, though not ESSM).

IIR might be an issue, but if you're in a Raptor that's datalinking with the AMRAAM, it should be able to figure out what its pointing at once in range and then target accordingly

Striderteen · Post by **Striderteen** » 2003-05-23 07:34pm

The AIM-7 is a significantly bigger missile than the AIM-120, so the seeker head wouldn't fit.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-05-24 02:25am

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Bah, Fencers range sucked shit, even with drop tanks its inferior to an F/A-18.

Eh? With what mission profiles and with what tankage?

The AL-21F-3A turbojets didn't do wonders for it's range, but:

Range:

Ferry range 2,500km with maximum internal and external fuel and 4,270km with one internal refuelling.

Mission profiles:

lo-lo-lo with 3,000kg warload 410km (without external tanks) and 560km (with external tanks)

1,050km for a hi-lo-hi attack mission with 3,000kg warload and two drop tanks,

or 950km on a lo-lo-hi attack mission with a 2,500kg warload,

or more than 322km on a lo-lo-lo attack missilon with a full 8,000kg warload.

My F/A-18C information-

ferry range is given as 3,336km (presence of external tanks and need for IFR unknown)

Combat radius is 1,065km on an 'attack mission', or 537km on a hi-lo-hi interdiction mission.

F/A-18C also carries 1,000kg less ordnance than the Su-24 FENCER: only 7,031kg in comparison to FENCER's maximum 8,000kg (the normal, however, is 3,000kg).