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Matra R550 Magic 2

2024-10-30T22:48:15Z

U119691041: Changed two instances of "ECCM" to "IRCCM"

{{About
| about = French air-to-air missile '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = Matra R550 Magic 1
}}
== Description ==

The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a French short-range, air-to-air missile developed by Matra [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|infrared homing air-to-air missile]]. It is an advanced version of the original R550 Magic. Designed primarily for the French Air Force and Navy, this missile is renowned for its infrared homing guidance system, which is highly effective against heat-emitting targets, typically jet engines. The Magic 2 stands out for its improved countermeasures against electronic jamming and decoys like flares, making it more resistant to enemy defenses. It features an enhanced off-boresight capability, allowing pilots to engage targets that are not directly in front of their aircraft, thus offering greater tactical flexibility in dogfight scenarios. Initially deployed in various Mirage fighter jets, the Magic 2 has seen action in numerous conflicts, showcasing its reliability and combat effectiveness. Despite being surpassed by newer technologies, the Magic 2 remains a significant development in the history of air-to-air missile technology.

In game The Matra R550 Magic 2 missile is the best IR missile of the French Air tree, featuring very good manoeuvrability and a very strong IRCCM. It was was [[wt:en/game/changelog/current/1358|introduced]] during [[Update "Wind of Change"]].

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|mirage_f1c}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_f1ct}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_f1c_200}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_2000c_s4}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_2000c_s5}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_2000d_r1}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_2000_5f}}
* {{Specs-Link|mirage_4000}}
* {{Specs-Link|jaguar_is}}

== General info ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Missile characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 89 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || IR
|-
| '''Aspect''' || All-aspects
|-
| '''Lock range (rear-aspect)''' || 6 km
|-
| '''Lock range (all-aspect)''' || 3 km
|-
|'''IRCCM'''
|Yes
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 10 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 3 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 35 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 25 secs
|-
| '''Explosive mass (TNT eq.)''' || 9.6 kg
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===
Highest Explosive mass out of all short range missiles, making it quite good at dealing damage and reliably crippling and destroying enemies.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

Compared to competitors such as the [[R-60M]] or [[AIM-9L]], the Magic 2 exerts a huge amount of force on itself due to the incredibly high thrust applied by its booster, thus meaning it has acceleration on par with missiles such as the [[PL-5B]], a missile renowned for excellent flight performance.

== Usage in battles ==

The Matra R550 Magic 2 works incredibly effectively as a short-range [[Air-to-air missiles|air-to-air missile]], capable of pulling hard turns in very small distances.

At sea level, the Matra R550 Magic 2 is capable of destroying targets within 150 m to 2,500 m (assuming they're travelling directly away from your aircraft). This range is only attainable if the enemy aircraft does not manoeuvre - due to the Magic 2's G overload of 35G, it can pull incredibly high angle of attack (AoA) manoeuvres at the cost of its energy. Therefore, if an enemy performs a gentle turn the Matra R550 Magic 2 will burn a substantial proportion of its energy. Therefore, for a guaranteed kill, launching within 1.7 km of your target at sea level is recommended.

Of course at higher altitudes the Magic 2 performs substantially better. Because there is less air resistance at higher altitudes, missiles are capable of travelling substantially further than they can at sea level. At altitudes around 5,000 m, you can safely launch your Magic at an enemy plane travelling away from you at 3.5 km, assuming that plane is travelling at an almost identical speed to you. If they are travelling slower, then obviously you can launch at higher distances - this also applies to engagements at sea level. As well as this, due to planes struggling to be able to perform high G manoeuvres at higher altitudes (due to smaller amounts of air flow under the wings), the Magic 2 will always manage to out perform an enemy aircraft in turning performance so, if you're fighting a Mirage F1 at high altitudes, do not turn - cut your afterburner and drop a substantial amount of flares before turning to the left, right or down (do not go up, this only bleeds your energy further).

This also leads on nicely to another great feature of the Magic 2 - Infrared Counter-Countermeasures. Once fired, the FoV of the seeker will get substantially smaller, making the missile less susceptible at detecting Flares deployed by the target. Overall, it is very reliable when shot from side and rear aspects, and fired from as close as possible.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Very high overload factor
* Very high initial acceleration
* All-aspect missile, making it possible to shoot planes coming at you, and has an easier time locking enemies from the sides from further away
* IRCCM
* Low motor burn time, meaning the enemy will only have 2 seconds to see the missile and react to it after it was fired. It then becomes invisible after the motor burnt out.

'''Cons:'''

* Low motor burn time of 2 seconds, meaning it has a hard time hitting targets above 2.5 km when chasing
* Loses energy quite fast once the motor finishes burning

== History ==
The Magic 2 missile, an evolution of the R550 Magic, stands as a significant chapter in the history of aerial combat technology. Its journey from inception to combat usage mirrors the evolving challenges and demands of modern air warfare.

In the realm of missile technology, the Magic 2's story begins with its predecessor, the R550 Magic, developed by Matra, now part of MBDA. The original Magic, emerging in the early 1970s, was France's response to the American AIM-9 Sidewinder, designed as a short-range, infrared-guided missile adept at engaging enemy aircraft from various angles. However, as the landscape of aerial combat evolved, so too did the requirements for more advanced weaponry. This led to the development of the Magic 2 in the 1980s, a missile that embodied significant enhancements over its predecessor, particularly in its infrared homing capabilities and resistance to electronic countermeasures and decoys such as flares.

Technologically, the Magic 2 marked a leap forward. It featured a more advanced infrared seeker and boasted a wider-angle off-boresight capability, enabling pilots to target enemies not directly in front of their aircraft. This provided a substantial tactical advantage, offering greater flexibility and response options in combat scenarios.

In terms of combat deployment, the Magic 2 first found its place with the French Air Force and Navy, notably enhancing the capabilities of their Mirage fighter jets. Its operational reach extended through exports to various nations, cementing its role in global air defense systems. The missile's combat prowess was notably demonstrated in several conflicts, including the Gulf War, where French and Qatari Mirage fighters employed it with notable success. In these high-pressure environments, the Magic 2 proved its mettle, showcasing its reliability and effectiveness.

Yet, like any missile system, the Magic 2 had its limitations, particularly when faced with advanced electronic countermeasures and newer generation fighter aircraft. It was often compared with contemporaries like the American AIM-9 Sidewinder and the Russian R-73, with each system exhibiting unique strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, the Magic 2 maintained a competitive edge in off-boresight capability and counter-countermeasure technology.

The Magic 2's story doesn't end with its combat achievements. The rapid advancements in missile technology soon ushered in newer systems, but the groundwork laid by the Magic 2 in infrared missile guidance and IRCCM capabilities significantly influenced future developments. As more advanced missiles like the MBDA MICA and the Meteor entered service, the role of the Magic 2 began to wane. However, its influence persists in the ongoing evolution of air-to-air missile technology.

Looking back, the R550 Magic 2 missile represents a pivotal phase in the transition of air-to-air missile technology. It bridged the gap between early infrared missiles and today's sophisticated systems. Its deployment and usage in combat significantly advanced the understanding of aerial warfare tactics and missile guidance technology, cementing its legacy as a key player in the history of military aviation.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

AIM-9M Sidewinder

2024-10-30T22:46:10Z

U119691041: Man, whoever made all of these missile characteristics tables loves to give infrared missiles electronic counter-countermeasure stats. I've corrected the table to say "IRCCM" instead of "ECCM"

{{About
| about = American air-to-air missile '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = AIM-9 Sidewinder (Family)
}}
== Description ==

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a renowned family of short-range air-to-air missiles used by global air forces. Among its variations, the AIM-9M, introduced in the 1980s, stands out. This version was tailored to offer enhanced resistance to IR countermeasures, making it harder for enemy aircraft to evade or deceive. The AIM-9M also features a reduced-smoke rocket motor, minimizing the risk of the launching aircraft being spotted. Its deployment in various conflicts has cemented its reputation as a formidable air-to-air weapon.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


{{Navigation-Start|Vehicles equipped with this weapon}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|'''Jet fighters'''}}{{Specs-Link|tornado_f3_late}}
{{Navigation-Line|F-15}}{{Specs-Link|f_15a}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_15a_iaf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_15c_baz_msip}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_15c_msip2}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_15j}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_15j_kai}}
{{Navigation-Line|F-16}}{{Specs-Link|f_16a_block_15_belgium}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_16am_block_15_mlu_belgium}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_16c_block_50}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_16c_block_40_barak_2}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_16d_block_40_barak_2}}
{{Navigation-Line|JAS39}}{{Specs-Link|saab_jas39c_south_africa}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|saab_jas39c_hungary}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Strike aircraft'''}}{{Specs-Link|a_10c}}
{{Navigation-Line|Harrier}}{{Specs-Link|harrier_gr7}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|sea_harrier_fa2}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|av_8b_plus}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|av_8b_plus_italy}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Attack helicopters'''}}{{Specs-Link|ah_1z}}

{{Navigation-End}}

== General info ==

The most notable characteristics are:

# '''IRCCM''': the AIM-9M's guidance system was uses a form of IRCCM called Suspended Animation to provide increased resistance to infrared countermeasures. This form of IRCCM shuts off the seeker and relies off INS (Inertial Navigation System). This feature makes it harder for adversary aircraft to deploy flares or other means to deceive or divert the missile.
# '''Reduced-smoke rocket motor''': the AIM-9M comes with a motor that produces less visible smoke. This characteristic is vital tactically, as it reduces the chances of the missile giving away the position of the launching aircraft, or the visual cue (besides the missile diamond) that a missile had even been fired.
# '''Reliability''': over the years and through various upgrades, the Sidewinder family has developed a reputation for reliability, and the AIM-9M embodies this trait.

=== Effective damage ===

It has a 4.58 kg warhead, making it average but still reliable at crippling or downing enemy planes with its warhead. The damage can be, at times, inconsistent and larger aircraft may tank the missile in certain (and quite unlikely) conditions.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

In terms of flight characteristics, the missile is identical to the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]].

The IRCCM this missile uses (suspended animation) which currently can only be found on helicopter AAMs. The Japanese AAM-3 which is carried on the F-15J uses the same type of IRCCM, and has slightly better performance overall in comparison.

The other comparable missiles of this generation are the [[Matra R550 Magic 2]] and [[R-73]]. Both of these also have IRCCM, however they use a type of IRCCM called FOV Gating, where once it is fired, the inner FOV of the seeker is reduced, making it harder to "see" flares.

{| class="wikitable"
! Missile Characteristics !! AIM-9M !! R-73 !! Magic 2 !! AIM-9L
|-
| '''Mass''' || 84 kg || 105 kg || 89 kg || 84 kg
|-
| '''Guidance'''
| IR || IR || IR || IR
|-
| '''Aspect''' || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-aspect || All-Aspect
|-
| '''Seeker Head''' || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable)
|-
| '''Lock range (rear-aspect)''' || 11 km || 11 km || 6 km || 11 km
|-
| '''Lock range (all-aspect)''' || 3 km || 3.4 km || 3 km || 3 km
|-
| '''IRCCM''' || Yes || Yes || Yes || No
|-
| '''IRCCM Type''' || Suspended Animation || FOV Gating || FOV Gating
!
|-
| '''Thrust Vectoring''' || No || Yes || No || No
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 18 km || 30 km || 10 km || 18 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 3 M || 2.5 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 30 G || 40 G || 35 G || 30 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 60 s || 25 s || 25 s || 60 s
|-
| '''Explosive Mass''' || 4.58 kg TNTe || 5.96 kg TNTe || 9.6kg TNTe || 4.06 kg TNTe
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The AIM-9M should be used to target enemy fighters. It's potential of destroying a target becomes exponentially higher when firing at a clueless or unsuspecting enemy, such as AFK players or those who don't know you are coming.

When an enemy is flaring, or ready to flare the missile, shooting it from side aspect is generally most reliable, with rear aspect being fairly reliable and front aspect not being reliable at all.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Missile difficult to evade from as knowledge about how suspended animation IRCCM works is required to have a chance at evading missile
* Long range for its class of missile. Can reliably be fired from 2.5 km when chasing a supersonic target at low altitude. Up to 4.5 km when at altitude, and even 6-7 km if conditions allow for it
* Very manoeuvrable, it is extremely hard to dodge this missile kinetically

'''Cons:'''

* It becomes "dumb" if the target keeps flaring, trying to hit the enemy based on right before seeker shut off due to flares
* Not very useful in a dogfight as it doesn't pull hard enough against a close range manoeuvring target

== History ==

Despite the successful development and service of the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]], the team at China Lake still believed that there were still more capabilities that could be implemented into the missile that didn't fit within the AIM-9L development scope. When the US government came back and asked what else in the missile could be improved, the team set to work on the AIM-9L Product Improvement Package (PIP) that focused on adding these no capabilities.<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9M">Westrum 2013, 197</ref>

The primary improvement was better resistance to countermeasures, and as such a counter-countermeasure was implemented into the missile. One method was through the use of optical filters, which combined with the missile's own processing power in the installed computer chip meant it could not only filter out countermeasures, but also terrain and clouds, letting the missile focus on the optical signature of its target.<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9M" /> A low-smoke motor was also installed to reduce its visibility when fired.<ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder">Goebel 2023</ref>

The new and improved missile was designated '''AIM-9M''' and would be put into production in 1981.<ref name="Westrum_Sidewinder9M" /> More than 7,000 AIM-9M missiles would be produced, with different subtypes developed, labeled sequentially from "AIM-9M-1" to "AIM-9M-10", for improvements such as better ability to distinguish countermeasures from an aircraft and new component improvements.<ref name="Designation_Sidewinder">Parsch 2008</ref>

===Future Sidewinder variants===
The next significant AIM-9 variant to be developed was the ''AIM-9R'', which attempted to evolve the AIM-9 design with the use of a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector, allowing the missile to use an imaging system to track the target. However, cost overruns, staff mismanagement, use of expensive and complicated components, and the fact the imaging system could not work in the night caused the backers of the program to lose faith and the missile was cancelled by the US Navy in December 1991.<ref name="Westrum_9R">Westrum 2013, 198-203</ref>

[[File:AIM-9X_F-15C_2002.jpg|x150px|left|thumb|none|An AIM-9X Sidewinder on an F-15C.]]
The most recent Sidewinder variant to see use is the ''AIM-9X'', which uses the Mk 36 motor and WDU-17/B warhead from the AIM-9M, but the airframe had been redesigned with smaller fins and canards for lower drag and better flight performance. Rollerons have been removed from the Sidewinder's design as the flight control system was sophisticated enough to no longer need them. The WPU-17/B propulsion section uses a jet-vane steering system to steer the Sidewinder with thrust-vectoring. The result was a more compact missile that could fit within a fighter's internal bay, such as the F-22 and F-35.<ref name="Designation_Sidewinder" /> The biggest improvement of the AIM-9X over the predecessors was the guidance, using a seeker that was developed for the AIM-132 {{Annotation|ASRAAM|Advanced Short-Range Anti-Air Missile}} with an imaging infrared array, cooled by a Stirling-cycle cryocooler.<ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder" /> The AIM-9X also introduced an "Off-Boresight" capability, allowing the missile to be used with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) to acquire target with the pilot's helmet.<ref name="AirVector_Sidewinder" /><ref name="Designation_Sidewinder" /> Continually seeing development as late as 2019,<ref name="Drive_AIM9X">Rogoway et al. 2019</ref> the AIM-9X looks to be the main Sidewinder model for the 21st century aerospace.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

=== References ===

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Goebel, Greg. 2023. "The Falcon & Sidewinder Air-To-Air Missiles." Air Vectors. Last modified June 01, 2023. [https://www.airvectors.net/avusaam_1.html#m6 Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220107173258/https://www.airvectors.net/avusaam_1.html Archive]).
* Parsch, Andreas. 2008. "AIM-9." Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. Last modified July 09, 2008. [http://www.designation-systems.info/dusrm/m-9.html Website]
* Rogoway, Tyler and Josephy Trevithick. 2019. "The AIM-9X Sidewinder May Finally Evolve Into A Completely New And Longer-Range Missile". The Drive. Last modified September 03, 2019. [https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29158/the-aim-9x-sidewinder-may-finally-evolve-into-a-completely-new-and-longer-range-missile Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211123183940/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29158/the-aim-9x-sidewinder-may-finally-evolve-into-a-completely-new-and-longer-range-missile Archive]).
* Westrum, Ron. 2013. ''Sidewinder; Creative Missile Development at China Lake''. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

R-73

2024-10-30T22:42:48Z

U119691041: Excuse edit spam, i fixed all instances of "ECCM" and corrected them to "IRCCM"

== Description ==

The '''R-73''' (NATO reporting name: AA-11 ''Archer'') is a Soviet [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|infrared homing air-to-air missile]] introduced in the [[Update "La Royale"]]. It serves as an advanced infrared-guided Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in the game and has been the preferred missile for Soviet/Russian jets since the mid-1980s. Additionally, it has been adopted by countries that received its export version, the '''R-73E''', including Mainland China and East Germany.

Boasting one of the highest overload capacities among infrared AAMs and equipped with Infra-Red Counter-Countermeasures (IRCCM) capabilities, the R-73 instils fear and prompts second thoughts in enemy jet pilots before engaging with aircraft armed with this missile.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


;R-73

* {{Specs-Link|su_25_558arz}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25t}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25tm}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25sm3}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27sm}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29smt_9_19}}

;R-73E (Export)

* {{Specs-Link|mig-21_bison}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_12g}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11a}}

== General info ==
The R-73, a Soviet infrared Air-to-Air Missile (IR AAM), became operational in 1982 and entered service by 1984, designed as a successor to the outdated R-60 (NATO reporting name: AA-8 ''Aphid''). Notably, it marked a significant advancement in Soviet missile technology, being the first in its class to incorporate thrust vectoring, High Off Boresight (HOB) capabilities, and the ability to withstand forces up to 40 G.

This missile was engineered to address the limitations of its predecessor and enhance the combat effectiveness of Soviet/Russian fighter jets. The incorporation of thrust vectoring allowed for improved manoeuvrability, enabling the missile to change direction rapidly during flight. The High Off Boresight capabilities enable the R-73 to engage targets even when not directly in its line of sight, offering increased flexibility in combat scenarios.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |Missile characteristics
|-
|'''Mass'''||105
|-
|'''Guidance'''||IR
|-
|'''Aspect'''||All-aspects
|-
|'''Lock range (rear-aspect)'''||11 km
|-
|'''Lock range (all-aspect)'''||3.4 km
|-
|'''Launch range'''||30km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''||2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''||40 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''||25 sec
|-
|'''Explosive mass'''||5.96 kg TNTeq
|}
=== Effective damage ===

The R-73 is equipped with a payload of 5.96 kg TNTeq. It can destroy almost every plane in one hit.

=== Comparison with analogues ===


* [[Python 3]]/[[PL-8]] - Israeli/Chinese (licensed) IR AAM at higher speed, long guidance time and explosive content; while having shorter head-on range and being heavy.
* [[R-60M]][[R-60MK|(K)]] - USSR/Eastern Block IR AAM is the predecessor to the R-73 with limited range and speed but is very light.
* [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] - US/NATO standard IR AAM with very long guidance time; while having lesser overload, head-on range and explosive content.
* [[AIM-9M Sidewinder|AIM-9M]] - AIM-9L-based Missile equipped with an advanced heat seeker which has IRCCM capabilities and a Low/reduced smoke motor.
* [[AAM-3]] - Japanese advanced IR AAM with with an advanced heat seeker which has IRCCM capabilities and a low/reduced smoke motor; while having the same overload factor and roughly the same range.
* [[Matra R550 Magic 2|Magic 2]] - French standard IR AAM with higher explosive content, slightly more guidance time and flies faster; while having a slightly less overload and head-on range.

{| class="wikitable"
!'''Missile Characteristics'''
! AIM-9M !! R-73 !! R-60M !! Magic 2 !! AIM-9L
|-
|'''Mass'''
| 84 kg || 105 kg || 44 kg || 89 kg || 84 kg
|-
|'''Guidance'''
| IR || IR || IR || IR || IR
|-
|'''Aspect'''
| All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect
|-
|'''Seeker Head'''
| Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable)
|-
|'''Lock range (rear-aspect)'''
|11 km || 11 km || 7.4km || 6 km || 11 km
|-
|'''Lock range (all-aspect)'''
|3 km || 3.4 km || 2 km || 3 km || 3 km
|-
|'''IRCCM'''
| Yes || Yes || No || Yes || No
|-
|'''IRCCM Type'''
|Suspended Animation || FOV Gating || - || FOV Gating || -
|-
|'''Thrust Vectoring'''
| No || Yes || No || No || No
|-
|'''Launch range'''
| 18 km || 30 km || 10 km || 10 km || 18 km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''
| 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 3 M || 2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''
| 30 G || 40 G || 30 G || 35 G || 30 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''
|60 sec || 25 sec || 25 sec || 25 sec || 60 sec
|-
|'''Explosive Mass'''
| 4.06 kg TNTeq || 5.96 kg TNTeq || 1.35 kg TNTeq || 9.6kg TNTeq|| 4.06 kg TNTeq
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The R-73 is famous for its thrust vectoring, advanced heat seeker with IRCCM capabilities, and its very high overload factor and slightly longer head-on range than its NATO counterparts. With such features, if players can make sure their missiles lock onto the target instead of its flares and lead enough for the seeker, the R-73 has a very high chance of taking down the target in one take without another round, which could be fatal in a heated battlefield.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High G overload factor (40G)
* Equipped with IRCCM
* Thrust Vectoring for sharper turns

'''Cons:'''

* Flies slower than NATO counterparts
* Heavier to NATO counterparts albeit lighter than Python-3/PL-8
* Relatively less explosive content than some counterparts

== History ==

After observing the advancements in Western short-range infrared (IR) missile development during the early 1970s, exemplified by the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] (later followed by the AIM-9M), and their success in combat, particularly the Sidewinder's role in Middle Eastern conflicts arming Israeli aircraft, the Soviet Union recognized the limitations of their own "Dogfight missiles" like the [[R-60]] and [[R-60M]]. These Soviet missiles faced challenges, primarily in terms of range and flare resistance. Motivated to bridge the gap, the Soviet Union embarked on developing a new class of missiles that would amalgamate the strengths of both Dogfight missiles (such as the [[SRAAM]] and R-60) and contemporary short-range missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder and [[R-13M]].

In response to a directive from the Soviet government, Vympel OKB initiated development in 1973 to create a new generation, all-aspect "Kill on sight" missile, designated '''''Izdeliye'' 730''' (Project 730). This missile aimed to combine the high manoeuvrability and instantaneous tracking of older dogfight missiles with the reliable range and tracking capabilities of short-range missile designs. The R-73 emerged as the first air-to-air missile to incorporate a hybrid control system, utilizing thrust vectoring for high angles of attack and instantaneous manoeuvring, along with conventional aerodynamic controls through fins and destabilizers. This innovative design not only improved manoeuvrability over older models like the R-60M but also allowed for a larger size, accommodating more fuel and a stronger motor to achieve ranges comparable to contemporary missiles like the AIM-9L.

The second aspect of the "Kill on sight" missile doctrine was the development of a helmet-mounted targeting system, which allowed the missile's seeker to target "High off-boresight" without requiring the aircraft to manoeuvre and position the target within the missile's seeker, providing a significant advantage in dogfights. Project 730, culminating in the R-73 missile, was completed in 1982 after almost a decade of development and immediately entered trials.<ref>Gordon, Yefim. ''Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two,'' Midland Publishing, 2004.</ref>

[[File:Inert R-73.jpg|alt=Close-up image of an R-73 missile mounted on the outer pylon (Station 4) of an upgraded MiG-21 prototype demonstrator, on static ground display during the 1999 MAKS airshow. There is a R-77 visible on the inner pylon (Station 3)|thumb|R-73 Missile on display at MAKS 1999]]
Following successful trials, the R-73 officially entered service in 1984, receiving the NATO reporting name AA-11 ''Archer''. Shortly thereafter, an export variant (R-73E) was produced and sold to most allies of the USSR operating the new [[MiG-29]] fighters. The R-73 became a staple in Soviet (and later Russian) missile design, evolving into numerous variants to modify and improve its performance, including the R-73L and the most recent R-74M1.

In 1990, after Germany's reunification, the Luftwaffe inherited a surplus of ex-[[MiG-29 (Germany)|East German MiG-29]] aircraft, along with stockpiles of R-73 missiles. A dissimilar air combat training in 1994 between USAF [[F-16A]]s aircraft and Luftwaffe MiG-29s showcased the overwhelming superiority of the German MiG-29s, equipped with the R-73 and helmet-cued targeting. This revelation prompted the realization that the R-73 possessed better manoeuvrability, tracking, and seeker acquisition than contemporary NATO missiles (AIM-9L and AIM-9M).<ref>Menon, KB., ''Evolution of the Air-To-Air Missiles: Options for the IAF", IDR Publishing, 2012''</ref> The US and NATO countries, recognizing the need for advanced counterparts, subsequently developed missiles such as the AIM-9X, AIM-132 ASRAAM, IRIS-T, and the MICA Infrarouge.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[R-13M]] / [[R-13M1]]
* [[R-60]] / [[R-60M]] / [[R-60MK]]

;Analogues

* [[AIM-9L]] / [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]]
* [[Matra R550 Magic 2]]
* [[Python 3]] / [[PL-8]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

=== References ===
<references />

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

R-73

2024-10-30T22:41:45Z

U119691041: /* Pros and cons */ Just as with the previous table edit, the "Pros and cons" section said the missile has ECCM, even though it is IRCCM. i fixed.

== Description ==

The '''R-73''' (NATO reporting name: AA-11 ''Archer'') is a Soviet [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|infrared homing air-to-air missile]] introduced in the [[Update "La Royale"]]. It serves as an advanced infrared-guided Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in the game and has been the preferred missile for Soviet/Russian jets since the mid-1980s. Additionally, it has been adopted by countries that received its export version, the '''R-73E''', including Mainland China and East Germany.

Boasting one of the highest overload capacities among infrared AAMs and equipped with Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM) capabilities, the R-73 instils fear and prompts second thoughts in enemy jet pilots before engaging with aircraft armed with this missile.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


;R-73

* {{Specs-Link|su_25_558arz}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25t}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25tm}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25sm3}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27sm}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29smt_9_19}}

;R-73E (Export)

* {{Specs-Link|mig-21_bison}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_12g}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11a}}

== General info ==
The R-73, a Soviet infrared Air-to-Air Missile (IR AAM), became operational in 1982 and entered service by 1984, designed as a successor to the outdated R-60 (NATO reporting name: AA-8 ''Aphid''). Notably, it marked a significant advancement in Soviet missile technology, being the first in its class to incorporate thrust vectoring, High Off Boresight (HOB) capabilities, and the ability to withstand forces up to 40 G.

This missile was engineered to address the limitations of its predecessor and enhance the combat effectiveness of Soviet/Russian fighter jets. The incorporation of thrust vectoring allowed for improved manoeuvrability, enabling the missile to change direction rapidly during flight. The High Off Boresight capabilities enable the R-73 to engage targets even when not directly in its line of sight, offering increased flexibility in combat scenarios.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |Missile characteristics
|-
|'''Mass'''||105
|-
|'''Guidance'''||IR
|-
|'''Aspect'''||All-aspects
|-
|'''Lock range (rear-aspect)'''||11 km
|-
|'''Lock range (all-aspect)'''||3.4 km
|-
|'''Launch range'''||30km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''||2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''||40 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''||25 sec
|-
|'''Explosive mass'''||5.96 kg TNTeq
|}
=== Effective damage ===

The R-73 is equipped with a payload of 5.96 kg TNTeq. It can destroy almost every plane in one hit.

=== Comparison with analogues ===


* [[Python 3]]/[[PL-8]] - Israeli/Chinese (licensed) IR AAM at higher speed, long guidance time and explosive content; while having shorter head-on range and being heavy.
* [[R-60M]][[R-60MK|(K)]] - USSR/Eastern Block IR AAM is the predecessor to the R-73 with limited range and speed but is very light.
* [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] - US/NATO standard IR AAM with very long guidance time; while having lesser overload, head-on range and explosive content.
* [[AIM-9M Sidewinder|AIM-9M]] - AIM-9L-based Missile equipped with an advanced heat seeker which has IRCCM capabilities and a Low/reduced smoke motor.
* [[AAM-3]] - Japanese advanced IR AAM with with an advanced heat seeker which has IRCCM capabilities and a low/reduced smoke motor; while having the same overload factor and roughly the same range.
* [[Matra R550 Magic 2|Magic 2]] - French standard IR AAM with higher explosive content, slightly more guidance time and flies faster; while having a slightly less overload and head-on range.

{| class="wikitable"
!'''Missile Characteristics'''
! AIM-9M !! R-73 !! R-60M !! Magic 2 !! AIM-9L
|-
|'''Mass'''
| 84 kg || 105 kg || 44 kg || 89 kg || 84 kg
|-
|'''Guidance'''
| IR || IR || IR || IR || IR
|-
|'''Aspect'''
| All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect
|-
|'''Seeker Head'''
| Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable)
|-
|'''Lock range (rear-aspect)'''
|11 km || 11 km || 7.4km || 6 km || 11 km
|-
|'''Lock range (all-aspect)'''
|3 km || 3.4 km || 2 km || 3 km || 3 km
|-
|'''IRCCM'''
| Yes || Yes || No || Yes || No
|-
|'''IRCCM Type'''
|Suspended Animation || FOV Gating || - || FOV Gating || -
|-
|'''Thrust Vectoring'''
| No || Yes || No || No || No
|-
|'''Launch range'''
| 18 km || 30 km || 10 km || 10 km || 18 km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''
| 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 3 M || 2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''
| 30 G || 40 G || 30 G || 35 G || 30 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''
|60 sec || 25 sec || 25 sec || 25 sec || 60 sec
|-
|'''Explosive Mass'''
| 4.06 kg TNTeq || 5.96 kg TNTeq || 1.35 kg TNTeq || 9.6kg TNTeq|| 4.06 kg TNTeq
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The R-73 is famous for its thrust vectoring, advanced heat seeker with ECCM capabilities, and its very high overload factor and slightly longer head-on range than its NATO counterparts. With such features, if players can make sure their missiles lock onto the target instead of its flares and lead enough for the seeker, the R-73 has a very high chance of taking down the target in one take without another round, which could be fatal in a heated battlefield.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High G overload factor (40G)
* Equipped with IRCCM
* Thrust Vectoring for sharper turns

'''Cons:'''

* Flies slower than NATO counterparts
* Heavier to NATO counterparts albeit lighter than Python-3/PL-8
* Relatively less explosive content than some counterparts

== History ==

After observing the advancements in Western short-range infrared (IR) missile development during the early 1970s, exemplified by the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] (later followed by the AIM-9M), and their success in combat, particularly the Sidewinder's role in Middle Eastern conflicts arming Israeli aircraft, the Soviet Union recognized the limitations of their own "Dogfight missiles" like the [[R-60]] and [[R-60M]]. These Soviet missiles faced challenges, primarily in terms of range and flare resistance. Motivated to bridge the gap, the Soviet Union embarked on developing a new class of missiles that would amalgamate the strengths of both Dogfight missiles (such as the [[SRAAM]] and R-60) and contemporary short-range missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder and [[R-13M]].

In response to a directive from the Soviet government, Vympel OKB initiated development in 1973 to create a new generation, all-aspect "Kill on sight" missile, designated '''''Izdeliye'' 730''' (Project 730). This missile aimed to combine the high manoeuvrability and instantaneous tracking of older dogfight missiles with the reliable range and tracking capabilities of short-range missile designs. The R-73 emerged as the first air-to-air missile to incorporate a hybrid control system, utilizing thrust vectoring for high angles of attack and instantaneous manoeuvring, along with conventional aerodynamic controls through fins and destabilizers. This innovative design not only improved manoeuvrability over older models like the R-60M but also allowed for a larger size, accommodating more fuel and a stronger motor to achieve ranges comparable to contemporary missiles like the AIM-9L.

The second aspect of the "Kill on sight" missile doctrine was the development of a helmet-mounted targeting system, which allowed the missile's seeker to target "High off-boresight" without requiring the aircraft to manoeuvre and position the target within the missile's seeker, providing a significant advantage in dogfights. Project 730, culminating in the R-73 missile, was completed in 1982 after almost a decade of development and immediately entered trials.<ref>Gordon, Yefim. ''Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two,'' Midland Publishing, 2004.</ref>

[[File:Inert R-73.jpg|alt=Close-up image of an R-73 missile mounted on the outer pylon (Station 4) of an upgraded MiG-21 prototype demonstrator, on static ground display during the 1999 MAKS airshow. There is a R-77 visible on the inner pylon (Station 3)|thumb|R-73 Missile on display at MAKS 1999]]
Following successful trials, the R-73 officially entered service in 1984, receiving the NATO reporting name AA-11 ''Archer''. Shortly thereafter, an export variant (R-73E) was produced and sold to most allies of the USSR operating the new [[MiG-29]] fighters. The R-73 became a staple in Soviet (and later Russian) missile design, evolving into numerous variants to modify and improve its performance, including the R-73L and the most recent R-74M1.

In 1990, after Germany's reunification, the Luftwaffe inherited a surplus of ex-[[MiG-29 (Germany)|East German MiG-29]] aircraft, along with stockpiles of R-73 missiles. A dissimilar air combat training in 1994 between USAF [[F-16A]]s aircraft and Luftwaffe MiG-29s showcased the overwhelming superiority of the German MiG-29s, equipped with the R-73 and helmet-cued targeting. This revelation prompted the realization that the R-73 possessed better manoeuvrability, tracking, and seeker acquisition than contemporary NATO missiles (AIM-9L and AIM-9M).<ref>Menon, KB., ''Evolution of the Air-To-Air Missiles: Options for the IAF", IDR Publishing, 2012''</ref> The US and NATO countries, recognizing the need for advanced counterparts, subsequently developed missiles such as the AIM-9X, AIM-132 ASRAAM, IRIS-T, and the MICA Infrarouge.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[R-13M]] / [[R-13M1]]
* [[R-60]] / [[R-60M]] / [[R-60MK]]

;Analogues

* [[AIM-9L]] / [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]]
* [[Matra R550 Magic 2]]
* [[Python 3]] / [[PL-8]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

=== References ===
<references />

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

R-73

2024-10-30T22:40:51Z

U119691041: /* Comparison with analogues */ I've corrected the "Missile Characteristics" table, in the previous version it used to say "ECCM" and "ECCM Type", but obviously infrared missiles do not work on the EM spectrum so i've fixed it.

== Description ==

The '''R-73''' (NATO reporting name: AA-11 ''Archer'') is a Soviet [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|infrared homing air-to-air missile]] introduced in the [[Update "La Royale"]]. It serves as an advanced infrared-guided Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in the game and has been the preferred missile for Soviet/Russian jets since the mid-1980s. Additionally, it has been adopted by countries that received its export version, the '''R-73E''', including Mainland China and East Germany.

Boasting one of the highest overload capacities among infrared AAMs and equipped with Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM) capabilities, the R-73 instils fear and prompts second thoughts in enemy jet pilots before engaging with aircraft armed with this missile.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


;R-73

* {{Specs-Link|su_25_558arz}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25t}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25tm}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_25sm3}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27}}
* {{Specs-Link|su_27sm}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29smt_9_19}}

;R-73E (Export)

* {{Specs-Link|mig-21_bison}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig_29_9_12g}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_11a}}

== General info ==
The R-73, a Soviet infrared Air-to-Air Missile (IR AAM), became operational in 1982 and entered service by 1984, designed as a successor to the outdated R-60 (NATO reporting name: AA-8 ''Aphid''). Notably, it marked a significant advancement in Soviet missile technology, being the first in its class to incorporate thrust vectoring, High Off Boresight (HOB) capabilities, and the ability to withstand forces up to 40 G.

This missile was engineered to address the limitations of its predecessor and enhance the combat effectiveness of Soviet/Russian fighter jets. The incorporation of thrust vectoring allowed for improved manoeuvrability, enabling the missile to change direction rapidly during flight. The High Off Boresight capabilities enable the R-73 to engage targets even when not directly in its line of sight, offering increased flexibility in combat scenarios.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |Missile characteristics
|-
|'''Mass'''||105
|-
|'''Guidance'''||IR
|-
|'''Aspect'''||All-aspects
|-
|'''Lock range (rear-aspect)'''||11 km
|-
|'''Lock range (all-aspect)'''||3.4 km
|-
|'''Launch range'''||30km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''||2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''||40 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''||25 sec
|-
|'''Explosive mass'''||5.96 kg TNTeq
|}
=== Effective damage ===

The R-73 is equipped with a payload of 5.96 kg TNTeq. It can destroy almost every plane in one hit.

=== Comparison with analogues ===


* [[Python 3]]/[[PL-8]] - Israeli/Chinese (licensed) IR AAM at higher speed, long guidance time and explosive content; while having shorter head-on range and being heavy.
* [[R-60M]][[R-60MK|(K)]] - USSR/Eastern Block IR AAM is the predecessor to the R-73 with limited range and speed but is very light.
* [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] - US/NATO standard IR AAM with very long guidance time; while having lesser overload, head-on range and explosive content.
* [[AIM-9M Sidewinder|AIM-9M]] - AIM-9L-based Missile equipped with an advanced heat seeker which has IRCCM capabilities and a Low/reduced smoke motor.
* [[AAM-3]] - Japanese advanced IR AAM with with an advanced heat seeker which has IRCCM capabilities and a low/reduced smoke motor; while having the same overload factor and roughly the same range.
* [[Matra R550 Magic 2|Magic 2]] - French standard IR AAM with higher explosive content, slightly more guidance time and flies faster; while having a slightly less overload and head-on range.

{| class="wikitable"
!'''Missile Characteristics'''
! AIM-9M !! R-73 !! R-60M !! Magic 2 !! AIM-9L
|-
|'''Mass'''
| 84 kg || 105 kg || 44 kg || 89 kg || 84 kg
|-
|'''Guidance'''
| IR || IR || IR || IR || IR
|-
|'''Aspect'''
| All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect || All-Aspect
|-
|'''Seeker Head'''
| Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable) || Uncaged (radar slavable)
|-
|'''Lock range (rear-aspect)'''
|11 km || 11 km || 7.4km || 6 km || 11 km
|-
|'''Lock range (all-aspect)'''
|3 km || 3.4 km || 2 km || 3 km || 3 km
|-
|'''IRCCM'''
| Yes || Yes || No || Yes || No
|-
|'''IRCCM Type'''
|Suspended Animation || FOV Gating || - || FOV Gating || -
|-
|'''Thrust Vectoring'''
| No || Yes || No || No || No
|-
|'''Launch range'''
| 18 km || 30 km || 10 km || 10 km || 18 km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''
| 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 3 M || 2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''
| 30 G || 40 G || 30 G || 35 G || 30 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''
|60 sec || 25 sec || 25 sec || 25 sec || 60 sec
|-
|'''Explosive Mass'''
| 4.06 kg TNTeq || 5.96 kg TNTeq || 1.35 kg TNTeq || 9.6kg TNTeq|| 4.06 kg TNTeq
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The R-73 is famous for its thrust vectoring, advanced heat seeker with ECCM capabilities, and its very high overload factor and slightly longer head-on range than its NATO counterparts. With such features, if players can make sure their missiles lock onto the target instead of its flares and lead enough for the seeker, the R-73 has a very high chance of taking down the target in one take without another round, which could be fatal in a heated battlefield.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High G overload factor (40G)
* Equipped with ECCM
* Thrust Vectoring for sharper turns

'''Cons:'''

* Flies slower than NATO counterparts
* Heavier to NATO counterparts albeit lighter than Python-3/PL-8
* Relatively less explosive content than some counterparts

== History ==

After observing the advancements in Western short-range infrared (IR) missile development during the early 1970s, exemplified by the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] (later followed by the AIM-9M), and their success in combat, particularly the Sidewinder's role in Middle Eastern conflicts arming Israeli aircraft, the Soviet Union recognized the limitations of their own "Dogfight missiles" like the [[R-60]] and [[R-60M]]. These Soviet missiles faced challenges, primarily in terms of range and flare resistance. Motivated to bridge the gap, the Soviet Union embarked on developing a new class of missiles that would amalgamate the strengths of both Dogfight missiles (such as the [[SRAAM]] and R-60) and contemporary short-range missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder and [[R-13M]].

In response to a directive from the Soviet government, Vympel OKB initiated development in 1973 to create a new generation, all-aspect "Kill on sight" missile, designated '''''Izdeliye'' 730''' (Project 730). This missile aimed to combine the high manoeuvrability and instantaneous tracking of older dogfight missiles with the reliable range and tracking capabilities of short-range missile designs. The R-73 emerged as the first air-to-air missile to incorporate a hybrid control system, utilizing thrust vectoring for high angles of attack and instantaneous manoeuvring, along with conventional aerodynamic controls through fins and destabilizers. This innovative design not only improved manoeuvrability over older models like the R-60M but also allowed for a larger size, accommodating more fuel and a stronger motor to achieve ranges comparable to contemporary missiles like the AIM-9L.

The second aspect of the "Kill on sight" missile doctrine was the development of a helmet-mounted targeting system, which allowed the missile's seeker to target "High off-boresight" without requiring the aircraft to manoeuvre and position the target within the missile's seeker, providing a significant advantage in dogfights. Project 730, culminating in the R-73 missile, was completed in 1982 after almost a decade of development and immediately entered trials.<ref>Gordon, Yefim. ''Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two,'' Midland Publishing, 2004.</ref>

[[File:Inert R-73.jpg|alt=Close-up image of an R-73 missile mounted on the outer pylon (Station 4) of an upgraded MiG-21 prototype demonstrator, on static ground display during the 1999 MAKS airshow. There is a R-77 visible on the inner pylon (Station 3)|thumb|R-73 Missile on display at MAKS 1999]]
Following successful trials, the R-73 officially entered service in 1984, receiving the NATO reporting name AA-11 ''Archer''. Shortly thereafter, an export variant (R-73E) was produced and sold to most allies of the USSR operating the new [[MiG-29]] fighters. The R-73 became a staple in Soviet (and later Russian) missile design, evolving into numerous variants to modify and improve its performance, including the R-73L and the most recent R-74M1.

In 1990, after Germany's reunification, the Luftwaffe inherited a surplus of ex-[[MiG-29 (Germany)|East German MiG-29]] aircraft, along with stockpiles of R-73 missiles. A dissimilar air combat training in 1994 between USAF [[F-16A]]s aircraft and Luftwaffe MiG-29s showcased the overwhelming superiority of the German MiG-29s, equipped with the R-73 and helmet-cued targeting. This revelation prompted the realization that the R-73 possessed better manoeuvrability, tracking, and seeker acquisition than contemporary NATO missiles (AIM-9L and AIM-9M).<ref>Menon, KB., ''Evolution of the Air-To-Air Missiles: Options for the IAF", IDR Publishing, 2012''</ref> The US and NATO countries, recognizing the need for advanced counterparts, subsequently developed missiles such as the AIM-9X, AIM-132 ASRAAM, IRIS-T, and the MICA Infrarouge.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[R-13M]] / [[R-13M1]]
* [[R-60]] / [[R-60M]] / [[R-60MK]]

;Analogues

* [[AIM-9L]] / [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]]
* [[Matra R550 Magic 2]]
* [[Python 3]] / [[PL-8]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

=== References ===
<references />

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

Air-to-air missiles

2024-07-18T21:25:44Z

U119691041: /* SARH missile usage */ changed "semi active radio homing" to "semi active radar homing", because thats what fox1's are.

__TOC__

==Overview==
Air-to-air missiles were added to the game in [[Update 1.85]]; they are available to many aircraft from around the Korean War era and onwards. In-game they are a potent weapon to have at your disposal, allowing you to destroy enemy aircraft from several km away in some situations. There are currently a few categories of air-to-air missiles available to use: command guided missiles, beam riding missiles, infrared homing (heat-seeking) missiles, and semi-active and active radar homing missiles.

===Rockets vs. Missiles===
The thing that separates air-to-air missiles from rockets is the presence of a guidance system. When a rocket is fired it will simply fly along its trajectory until it hits something (a target or more often the ground), or self-destructs. By comparison, an air-to-air missile has an active guidance system, allowing it to fly towards and follow a target.

==Command guided missiles==
The most basic type of air-to-air missiles in-game are command guided missiles. Command guided missiles are manually guided to the target by the pilot (or another crew member) of the aircraft which fired them. Once the missile was fired the pilot would watch the missile (many missiles had a flare in the tail to aid visibility) and manually guide it towards the target, using a joystick.

===Command guided missile usage===
[[File:AA-20_Fired.jpg|thumb|400px|right|An [[AA-20]] command guided missile, fired at a [[MiG-15]] from a [[G.91 R/4]]. Notice the lack of HUD elements relating to the missile, you have to watch the missile's flare and manually guide it to the target.]]
In-game if a command guided missile is fired, and no further input is given, then it will act like an unguided rocket with a proximity fuse. In order to guide the missile you must set up guided weaponry controls (see below); after you have fired the missile you can then use the controls to manually guide it towards the target. Guiding a missile will usually require you to stop controlling your aircraft, as guiding the missile to its target is hard enough without also manoeuvring your aircraft at the same time, so make sure there is no one on your tail before you fire one. It takes a lot of practice to get good at using command guided missiles, however, such missiles usually have a large warhead and proximity fuse, making the job slightly easier. It can sometimes be desirable to use command guided missiles as unguided, proximity-fused rockets; such as in head-ons or if an enemy is dead in front of you (e.g. after they over-shot you).

{{Notice|Unlike heat-seeking missiles, command guided missiles will not trigger a missile launch warning for the enemy player.}}

===Command guidance pros and cons===
'''Pros:'''

* Not vulnerable to countermeasures
* Do not trigger missile warnings
* Much better manoeuvrability than beam riding missiles, and better than some heat-seekers
* Can be used as unguided proximity rockets

'''Cons:'''

* Have to stop controlling aircraft to control missile
* Can be hard to manually guide missiles
* Can be easy to dodge if the missile is spotted soon enough

===Command guided missile controls===
To control command guided missiles you set up axis controls for the pitch and yaw; select the relevant control from the menu and click the edit axis button, this will display various controls you can edit. The "maximum value" control is the button you want to press to increase the missile's steering angle (make the missile go up in pitch or right in yaw); and the "minimum value" control is the button you want to press to decrease the missile's steering angle (make the missile go down in pitch or left in yaw). The rest of the controls (apart from relative control, see next paragraph) can be left on default values without much thought and are present for user preference.

An important option to consider is "relative control"; this dramatically changes how you control the missile. With relative control off pressing a control key will immediately set that axis's steering value to 100% and back to 0% when the key is released. By comparison with it on pressing a control key will gradually increase / decrease the steering angle and it will remain at that value until the player changes it.

What this amounts to is that if relative control is off and the player presses the control to move the missile right, the missile will begin moving to the right, then start flying straight in whatever direction it is facing when the player releases the key. With relative control on the missile will begin moving the right and when the player releases the key the missile will keep turning to the right in an arc until the player presses the left key to move the missiles steering angle back to 0%. Personal preference will determine how you set this option, but turning relative control off can be more intuitive, as it makes correcting the missile's course quicker and easier.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Command guided missile controls
|-
! Control name
! Default Keybind (PC keyboard & mouse)
! Description
|-
| Yaw axis for aim weapons || {{key press|Shift|A}} / {{key press|Shift|D}} || Keys to control the yaw (side to side) movement of the missile
|-
| Pitch axis for aim weapons || {{key press|Shift|W}} / {{key press|Shift|S}} ||Keys to control the pitch (up and down) movement of the missile
|-
| Fire air-to-ground missile || {{key press|Space}} || Fire the command guided missile (they are treated as proximity fused air-to-ground missiles)
|-
|}

===List of command guided air-to-air missiles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Command guided missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max guidance range
|-
| [[AA-20|AA-20 Nord]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 8,000 m
|-
|}

==Beam riding missiles==
Beam riding is another primitive form of missile guidance. An aircraft equipped with beam riding missiles will also carry a small radar transmitter, which projects a narrow (few degrees wide) radio beam in front of the aircraft. When the missile has launched, a receiver on the rear of the missile detects the beam from the aircraft and steers the missile to keep it within the beam. The effect of this is that the missile will fly wherever the beam is pointing.

===Beam riding missile usage===
[[File:Fireflash_Fired.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A [[Fireflash]] beam riding missile, fired at a [[MiG-17]] from a [[Swift F.7]]. Like with the command guided missile, there are no HUD elements associated with the missile; the missile is following the beam projected from the aircraft towards the targets.]]
In-game to use a beam riding missile, you simply fire it; the missile will then enter the beam and fly towards where the nose of your aircraft is pointing. You can gently manoeuvre the nose of your aircraft to correct the course of the missile.

Beam riding missiles have a number of disadvantages; firstly once the missile is fired you have to keep the nose of the aircraft pointing at the enemy aircraft, as the missile follows wherever the nose of your aircraft is pointing. Secondly the missile has a very low turning ability, if you move the nose of your aircraft too quickly the beam will move away from the missile quicker than the missile can correct, so the missile will fall out of the beam, at which point you lose all control of the missile; therefore you can only make gentle movements once the missile is launched. Finally, the missile becomes less accurate the further it gets away from the launching aircraft; the beam from the aircraft spreads as it moves away from the aircraft, so at long ranges the missile can still be within the beam, but off-centre (some missiles are better at staying centred within the beam than others)

{{Notice|Unlike heat-seeking missiles, beam riding missiles will not trigger a missile launch warning for the enemy player.}}

===Beam riding pros and cons===
'''Pros:'''

* Not vulnerable to countermeasures
* Do not trigger missile warnings
* Can be easier to guide than command guided missiles
* Can be used as unguided proximity rockets

'''Cons:'''

* Must keep your aircraft pointing at the target
* Bad at engaging manoeuvring targets
* Anything more than gentle corrections will make missile fall out of beam and lose tracking
* Gets less accurate with increased range
* Easy to dodge if the missile is spotted

===Beam riding missile controls===
To control the missile, launch it then gently correct its course by moving where the nose of your aircraft is pointing.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Beam riding missile controls
|-
! Control name
! Default Keybind (PC keyboard & mouse)
! Description
|-
| Fire air-to-ground missile || {{key press|Space}} || Fire the command guided missile (they are treated as proximity fused air-to-ground missiles)
|-
|}

=== List of beam riding air-to-air missiles ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | Beam riding missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max overload || Max guidance range
|-
| [[Fireflash]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || 4,000 m
|-
|}

==Infrared homing (heat-seeking) missiles (FOX-2)==
Infrared (IR) homing missiles, also known as heat-seeking missiles, or heat-seekers, are the most widespread type of air-to-air missile in War Thunder. Infrared homing missiles have what is known as an IR seeker mounted in the nose of the missile. The IR seeker is capable of detecting the infrared light emitted by the target; and when the missile is launched the IR seeker tracks the source of infrared light and steers the missile towards it. These missiles are commonly called "heat-seekers", as things which are hot emit large amounts of infrared light, so the missile is effectively looking for hot things to lock on to.

{{Notice|Infrared homing missiles will lock on to any suitably strong infrared light source; this includes friendly aircraft (RB and SB) and the sun|!}}

===Infrared homing missile usage===
[[File:AIM-9B_Caged_Lock.jpg|thumb|400px|right|An [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] missile locked on to a [[MiG-15]]. The seeker ring is red as it has locked onto the MiG. This is a caged seeker (see the section below).]]
Firing infrared homing missiles in-game is a little more complicated than firing other types of weaponry. You must first turn on the IR seeker (see controls section below). Once the seeker is turned on you will see a circle (green by default) appear on your screen, the missile seeker is now cooling down to improve the performance; the length of time required for the seeker to cool-down can vary between missiles (see individual missile pages for details), but is generally a second.

Once the seeker has cooled down it will become active and the green circle will begin to flash; this will be accompanied by a "growling" noise to let you know the missile is active. You must now manoeuvre your aircraft to place the circle over the target you wish to click on to. The seeker on each missile has a maximum range at which it can lock on to a target; you will need to be within that range to get a lock. Most missiles will also require you to be in the rear aspect of your target (behind the target) so that the missile can lock onto the target's engine exhaust (see the all aspect seekers section for more information). Once a lock is achieved the green circle will turn solid red and the growling noise will change in tone, indicating a lock. Once a lock is achieved you can fire the missile, after this point the missile requires no further input and will guide itself to the target.

Once the missile is fired there is no guarantee it will hit the target. Early missiles cannot turn very tightly (about 5G), so it is possible for the enemy player to dodge the missile.

'''Important notes:'''

* If your missile locks onto the wrong target before you launch it, you can turn the seeker off then back on again to reset it and force it to find a new target (this is mainly a problem for missiles with uncaged seekers, where you cannot easily move the seeker ring off the target).

* If you are in the cockpit view there are no rings visible, you must rely purely on the growling tone to know when the missile seeker is active and locked.

* Each missile has a maximum amount of time the seeker can be powered up for before launch. If this time is exceeded the seeker will turn off and have to be turned back on again manually (see individual missile pages for details).

* Just because you have achieved a missile lock does not mean it is a good idea to fire the missile; many missiles can lock onto a target which is outside of their effective range (although within their max range), make sure you have closed to a good firing range. In addition, firing while yourself, or the enemy plane, is mid-manoeuvre, is just asking for the missile to lose its lock.

* Once a missile is fired it can lose its lock on the enemy aircraft and lock on to something else; if a friendly flies in front of your missile be prepared for the missile to start chasing them instead. Likewise, if the sun is in the background of your target, expect the missile to fly towards the sun (after all the missile is looking for infrared light, and the sun puts out way more of that than the enemy plane does).

* If there is more than one target in front of the missile's seeker then the seeker may get confused and the missile will likely fly off course and miss.

====Caged vs uncaged missile seekers====
[[File:SRAAM_Uncaged_Lock.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A [[SRAAM]] missile locked on to a [[MiG-15]]. As the seeker is uncaged the lock is maintained so long as the target stays within the larger ring.]]
Most early infrared homing missiles have what is known as a caged IR seeker prior to being launched, this means the seeker is locked facing directly forwards. This is the mode described in the section above (and the image in that section); in-game you will see a small circle, which you have to position over a target to get a lock, then hold over the target until you fire the missile.

Some more advanced missiles are capable of "uncaging" their seeker once a target has been locked. This means that once the seeker has locked onto a target it is free to move. In practice this means that once you have locked on to a target with one of these missiles you no longer have to manually keep the missile's seeker over the target to maintain a lock prior to launch, the missile will maintain its own lock and you can (within reason) manoeuvre you aircraft before firing the missile.

In-game when the seekers of these missiles are turned on you will see the normal missile seeker ring, but there will also be a larger ring present around the missile seeker ring. To lock on you still need to position the smaller ring over the target, but once a lock is achieved you only need to keep the target within the big ring to maintain a lock. The user interfaces for missiles with uncaged seekers can be seen to the right.

Uncaged seekers are a major advantage as they make maintaining a lock prior to launch much easier. They also allow you to "lead" the missiles like you would your guns, making them more likely to hit turning opponents.

====Slaving the seeker to an aircraft tracking radar====
[[File:Firestreak_Slaved_Seeker.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A [[Firestreak]] missile with the seeker slaved to the [[Javelin F.(A.W.) Mk.9]]'s tracking radar. The seeker ring is green as it has not achieved a lock yet, but it is automatically placed over the tracked target.]]
Aircraft which have [[Airborne_radars#Target_tracking_radars|tracking radars]] have the option of slaving the missile's IR seeker to their radar system. This means that when a target is being tracked by the radar and the missile seeker is turned on, instead of the seeker pointing directly forwards it will receive data from the radar and point at the target the radar is locked on to.

Rotorcraft with a gunner seat or ATGM tracking camera may also guide their seeker manually by hopping in the gunner seat or using the tracking camera, however it is not possible to fire the missile until the player switches back to pilot mode. It is important that the crosshair is pointing at the enemy aircraft and locked upon switching back to the pilot seat otherwise the seeker head will reset.

The benefits of slaving the IR seeker to the tracking radar are essentially the same as having an uncaged sensor; making achieving and maintaining a lock easier, as well as allowing you to "lead" the missile in some situations. A disadvantage is that opponents with RWR will become alerted by the locking of the radar, thus alerting them to the presence of a potential missile.

====All aspect seekers====
Most infrared homing missiles in-game are what are known as "rear-aspect" missiles, which require you to be in the rear aspect of your target (behind the target) in order for the missile to lock on. This is because early IR seekers were only sensitive enough to lock on to very hot targets, such as the exhaust of a jet engine. There are however some more advanced missiles in-game which are known as "all-aspect" missiles, these missiles have more sensitive IR seekers and better tracking systems which are able to detect other heat sources, such as those emitted from the body of the aircraft or from the plume of afterburner flame expanding out from the aircraft, allowing the missile to lock on to and engage a target from any direction. These missiles are a major upgrade other infrared homing missiles, they allow you to attack a target from any direction and are much harder to dodge.

====Countermeasures====
There are general techniques pilots can employ to dodge missiles (covered in a later section), however, in addition, some vehicles also have systems dedicated to defeating infrared homing missiles. These systems fall into two categories: flares and IRCM systems.

=====Flares=====
The most basic countermeasure to infrared homing missiles is the use of flares. Flares are a type of pyrotechnic which can be fired (usually in bursts) from the target aircraft when the pilot believes a heat-seeking missile has been fired at them. The flare burns extremely hot and produces a large amount of infrared light; this will often trick the IR seeker of the missile into locking on to the flares instead of the target aircraft. More modern missiles with more advanced IR seekers are less vulnerable to flares.

If a target you are locking onto deploys flares, you will often see the seeker ring move over to the flares instead of the target. If the target deploys flares after a missile has been fired, then the missile will often switch course and fly towards the flares. Some modern missiles in-game are not affected as much by flares, however, this doesn't mean the missile is completely invulnerable to countermeasures.

=====Infrared Counter Measures (IRCM) systems=====
A more advanced countermeasure to infrared-guided missiles are Infrared Counter Measures (IRCM) systems, these systems are effectively jammers for infrared missiles. There are two techniques used by these systems: older systems would have a powerful infrared light source, which was then flickered on and off; this would disrupt the missile's guidance system and cause it to fly off course. More modern systems detect the missile and shine a laser directly at it, blinding the IR seeker.

In-game, these systems make locking on to aircraft with the system activated much harder. These systems are predominantly found on helicopters, with a few planes possessing IRCM systems like the Su-25T and the Su-39.

===Infrared homing missile controls===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Infrared homing missile controls
|-
! Control name
! Default Keybind (PC keyboard & mouse)
! Description
|-
| Weapon lock || {{key press|Alt|X}} || Toggles the missile's IR seeker on or off
|-
| Fire air-to-air missile || {{key press|Alt|Space}} || Fires the air-to-air missile once a target is locked, or if IR seeker is not active it will activate the seeker.
|-
|}

===Infrared homing pros and cons===
'''Pros:'''

* Fire and forget in nature
* Hardest type of missile to physically dodge (although this depends on the exact missile, some like the [[SRAAM]] can be extremely hard to dodge, while others are quite easy)
* Easiest missiles to use
* Can be all-aspect depending on missile

'''Cons:'''

* Vulnerable to other heat sources
** Can lock on to the sun and friendly players
** Vulnerable to flares and IRCM (generally making most IR missiles near useless against top tier helicopters)

=== List of infrared homing air-to-air missiles ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" | Infrared homing missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max overload || All-aspect || Uncaged seeker || Radar slaving
|-
| [[9M39 Igla]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10.2 G || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[AAM-3]] || [[File:Japan_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 40 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder]] || [[File:Germany_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[AIM-9D Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 18 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[AIM-9E Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[AIM-9G Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 18 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9H Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 18 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9J Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9L/I Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9P Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[AIM-9P4 Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[ATAS (AIM-92)]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 13 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[Firestreak]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 15 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Flz Lwf 63/80]] || [[File:Switzerland_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[MAA-1 Piranha]] || [[File:Brazil_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 45 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Matra R530E]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 15 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Matra R550 Magic 1]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Matra R550 Magic 2]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Mistral]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 16 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[PL-2]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[PL-5B]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[PL-5C]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[PL-7]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[PL-8]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 40 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Python 3]] || [[File:Israel_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 40 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-3S]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[R-13M1]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-23T]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-24T]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 24 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-27T]]/[[R-27T1]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-27ET]]/[[R-27ET1]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-60]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-60M]]/[[R-60MK]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[R-73]]/[[R-73E]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 40 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[RB24]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[RB24J]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[RB 74]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[RB 74(M)]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Red Top]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 12 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
| [[Shafrir]] || [[File:Israel_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 11 G || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[Shafrir 2]] || [[File:Israel_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 18 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[SRAAM]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
| [[TY-90]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}

== Semi-Active Radar Homing (SARH) missiles (FOX-1) ==
SARH guidance is often used for medium-range and long-range air-to-air missiles, which rely on the launch aircraft to provide guidance (specifically a radar lock). SARH missiles rely on radar waves from the launch aircraft reflecting off the target, similar to beam-riding missiles. However, due to the larger boresight angles and larger radar scanning angles, these missiles offer increased performance.

=== SARH missile usage ===
{{main|wt:en/news/6879-development-sarh-air-to-air-missiles-en|l1=SARH Air-to-Air Missiles Devblog}}

; How are these missiles fired?

Since SARH missiles are capable of locking onto targets that are out of the pilot's visual range, it might be tricky for the said pilot to estimate the distance to the target. This type of armament has a specific operational range, or the launch envelope, which can be defined as the distance between minimum and maximum ranges of the missile given the present movement parameters of the player's aircraft and the target. This zone is strictly individual for every missile model and varies with technical characteristics.

The minimum launch range is affected by parameters such as:

* The commit time when the missile begins homing in on the target. For instance, for the R-3R model, this is equal to 0.5 seconds, while for the AIM-7D/E – approximately 2 seconds.
* The post-launch time required to arm the fuse.
* The turn rate of each particular model of missile. For example, if an opponent is flying directly towards or away from the player's aircraft, the manoeuvring time window of the missile will be minimal, while if the movement trajectory of the opponent's aircraft is perpendicular to the player's, the time window will be maximal.

In a similar vein, each missile has a maximum launch range, which depends on:

* The aerodynamics, motor thrust, and firing duration of the missile.
* The flight altitude of the player's aircraft – the higher its value, the greater the missile's flight range.
* The flight altitude of the opponent's aircraft – correspondingly, the higher up in the sky they are, the shorter the flight range of your missiles.
* The speed of the player's and the opponent's aircraft, as well as the angle at which the opponent's aircraft is moving with respect to the player – if they are flying away from you, the maximum launch range is severely reduced.

The armament control system calculates all the aforementioned parameters and helps the player identify the potential launch envelope – the minimum and maximum launch ranges will appear as small marks by the right-hand side of the indicator if the B-Scope (rectangular coordinate system) is used, and as arcs if the radar uses the polar system. Check [[Airborne radars]] for more information, because not all planes have such a feature.

[[File:Radar Indicators SARH DEVBLOG.jpg]]

Moreover, the pilot has the indicator of the target's velocity vector at their disposal. You will find it right under the square marking the locked-on target. If the target's velocity vector changes laterally, the side component will reveal their speed, and the vertical component – the direction in which they are moving with respect to the player (down and up are towards and away correspondingly).

Don't expect an "intelligent" armament to do all the hard work for you – if your target changes speed or direction after you have fired the missile, it may not hit the target. Besides, when tracking the target, the missile may be confused by ground clutter. Such a scenario is possible if you are radiating a signal down on the target (in this case, the opponent is situated below the horizon line). This causes the radio waves to bounce off the ground, that might prevent the seeker from tracking down the target. Additionally, there's even a higher risk of this phenomenon when firing a missile at a low altitude, because the side lobes of your aircraft radar and the missile seeker receive all-ways signals reflected off the Earth surface, which may result in the missile losing its target. To ensure you don't run into these problems, lock onto the target and launch your SARH missiles when you are positioned below them.

; How does the SARH home in on its target?

Unlike IR guided missiles, missiles with a semi-active radar seeker lock onto and track their target and maintain range or speed tracking. Thus, the missile will never become distracted by other targets within the reflected radio-signal acquisition zone while simultaneously ignoring some of the emissions reflected back from ground and water surfaces. The seeker is equally operable whether pulse or continuous wave signal is used. However, different missiles have different subtle aspects depending on targeting mode, and it's crucial to study them in advance if you wish to make the best use of your SARH missiles.

When bombarding an opponent with pulsed emissions, the guided warhead will home in on the target according to distance – the R-3Rs, Matra R.530 and some others employ this approach. This mode allows the pilot to mark the desired target and fire a missile at it while ignoring other possible targets and parasitic signal reflections off the Earth surface that are reflected at ranges different from the range to the target the missile is locked on. In addition to this, you can lock onto the target of choice before launching the missile. When deploying SARH warheads in pulsed mode, it's important to remember that locking onto a target positioned below the horizon line or at low altitudes may cause issues. For a perfect lock-on, target opponents at medium and high altitudes – and only if they are level with you or above you. If the distance between you and the target is less than the flight altitude of your aircraft, you can totally neglect the emission bouncing off the ground – under these conditions, the missile is guaranteed to lock onto and track the target.

Specific missiles, like the American AIM-7D/E, track the target based on its radial speed by using the Doppler effect as they are guided by a continuous or pulse-Doppler radar signal. In this particular instance, the seeker ignores any targets and signals reflected off the ground surface in the set direction with different speed values. The cons of such technology include the impossibility for the seeker to lock onto a target before launch, issues locking onto a target travelling perpendicular to the movement trajectory of your aircraft, and the reduction of the lock-on range when pursuing fleeing targets. In order to lock onto a target, the missile must travel at least 1–2 km away from the carrier, which renders them useless in a dogfight. These missiles are most effective against opponents moving towards you, as well as against fleeing targets travelling at medium or high altitudes – in this case, the seeker will never misidentify any signal reflected off the Earth surface as objects travelling at the target's speed.

=== SARH guidance: Pros and Cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Radar guidance
** All-aspect capability
** Immune to flares and helicopter IRCM
* Usually boasts medium or long range

'''Cons:'''

* IR missiles generally accelerate faster and are initially more manoeuvrable in short ranged scenarios
* Requires you to maintain radar lock on your target for the entire duration of flight
* Vehicles with a Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) can tell when you are locked on to them
* Performance significantly depends on the potency of the launching aircraft’s radar

=== SARH missile controls ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Infrared homing missile controls
|-
! Control name
! Default Keybind (PC keyboard & mouse)
! Description
|-
| Lock radar target on || {{key press|Alt|F}} || Locks onto a target with the aircraft's tracking radar.
|-
| Weapon lock || {{key press|Alt|X}} || Toggles the missile's seeker on or off.
|-
| Fire air-to-air missile || {{key press|Alt|Space}} || Fires the air-to-air missile once a target is locked, or if seeker is not active it will activate the seeker.
|-
|}

=== List of SARH air-to-air missiles ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | SARH missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max overload || Launch range
|-
| [[AIM-7C Sparrow]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 15 G || 25 km
|-
| [[AIM-7D Sparrow]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 15 G || 45 km
|-
| [[AIM-7E Sparrow]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 50 km
|-
| [[AIM-7E-2 Sparrow]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 50 km
|-
| [[AIM-7F Sparrow]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 100 km
|-
| [[AIM-7M Sparrow]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 100 km
|-
| [[AIM-9C Sidewinder]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 18 G || 18 km
|-
| [[Aspide-1A]] || [[File:Italy_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 80 km
|-
| [[Matra R511]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 12 G || 8 km
|-
| [[Matra R530]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 15 G || 18 km
|-
| [[Matra Super 530D]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 30 G || 40 km
|-
| [[Matra Super 530F]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || 40 km
|-
| [[R-3R]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 10 G || 9 km
|-
| [[R-23R]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 20 G || 27 km
|-
| [[R-24R]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 24 G || 50 km
|-
| [[R-27R]]/[[R-27R1]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || 55 km
|-
| [[R-27ER]]/[[R-27ER1]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || 100 km
|-
| [[RB71]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 50 km
|-
| [[Skyflash]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 50 km
|-
| [[Skyflash SuperTEMP]] || [[File:Britain_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 25 G || 50 km
|-
|}

==Active Radar Homing (ARH) missiles (FOX-3) ==
Active radar homing (ARH) missiles have a radar emitter built in so that they don't have to rely on target illumination by the aircraft that fired it, making them fire-and-forget weapons. Unfortunately, this is only true to an extent: ARH mode is only available when the missile is coming close to the target, as the range of the built-in radar is limited by its size, which needs to fit inside the compact missile. During the first stage of the flight, the missile has to either rely on inertial guidance, act like a SARH missile, or be course-corrected by Datalink from the aircraft.

=== List of ARH air-to-air missiles ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" | ARH missiles
|-
! Missile || Country || Max overload || Launch range || ARH range
|-
| [[AAM-4]] || [[File:Japan_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 32 G || 100 km || 16 km
|-
| [[AIM-54A Phoenix]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 17 G || 150 km || 16 km
|-
| [[AIM-54C Phoenix]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 17 G || 150 km || 16 km
|-
| [[AIM-120A]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
| [[AIM-120B]] || [[File:USA_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
| [[Derby]] || [[File:Israel_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 40 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
| [[MICA-EM]] || [[File:France_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 50 G || 50 km || 16 km
|-
| [[PL-12]] || [[File:China_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 38 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
| [[R-77]] || [[File:USSR_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 50 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
| [[R-Darter]] || [[File:South_Africa_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 40 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
| [[RB 99]] || [[File:Sweden_flag.png|40px|link=]] || 35 G || 80 km || 16 km
|-
|}

==Avoiding air-to-air missiles==
There are various techniques you can use to avoid the different types of air-to-air missiles. As a general rule though situational awareness is absolutely key, you should be looking out to see if any aircraft around you could have air-to-air missiles, and judging what type they are likely to have. If an enemy is on your tail keep looking to see if a missile is launched. You may not get a warning (depending on missile type) and even if you do it may be too late.

===Avoiding command guided missiles===
Begin manoeuvring to make it hard for the enemy player to hit you. If one is fired at you in a head-on, then abandon the head-on immediately, if you don't the proximity fuse will get you.

===Avoiding beam riding missiles===
Any manoeuvre pulling more than a few G's will likely cause the missile to fall out of the beam from the chasing aircraft, at which point the missile poses little threat. Again if one is fired in a head-on then abandon immediately and pull off to the side.

===Avoiding heat-seeking missiles===
How you best avoiding heat-seeking missiles depends largely on what missile was fired at you; it is recommended to familiarise yourself with what missiles different planes carry and what the characteristics of each are. For early missiles, you should be able to turn tighter than the missile and make it lose its lock that way. For missiles which you can't simply throw off with a hard turn your options are more limited, you can try pulling a sort of barrel roll manoeuvre, the combination of turning hard and rolling can sometimes throw the missile off. Depending on how far away it was launched, it may be possible to outrun the missile, making gentle side-to-side manoeuvres to maximise the missile's flight path while maintaining speed. A final option is to manoeuvre your aircraft so that it is directly between the missile and the sun, causing the missile to lock onto the sun; although this is rarely possible in battle situations, this can be done pre-emptively (i.e. fly towards the sun when you spot an enemy with air-to-air missiles on your tail).

If you have flares deploy them and turn sharply so you get away from the missile seekers field of view. Advanced heat-seeking missiles can have IRCCM (InfraRed Counter-Counter-Measures) which are not easily confused by flares.

===Avoiding radar-guided missiles===
Like IR-guided missiles, the best method of dodging radar-guided missiles largely depends on the missile. Early missiles can be dodged kinetically, by turning and rolling vigorously to throw off the missile's lead. In the case of a more capable missile, it may be easier to break the radar lock from the opposing aircraft instead - this can be achieved by deploying chaff, and also [[Airborne_radars#Notching_a_Pulse-Doppler_radar|notching]] against pulse-Doppler radars. This can also apply against active radar-homing missiles, breaking the radar lock of the missile itself rather than the aircraft's.

[[File:AvoidingRadarMissileLowAlt.jpg|thumb|Pointing the nose down will make the missile crash.]]
In a low altitude head-on situation, the radar in question will commonly be in pulse-Doppler mode, so your best defence is to point the nose down, which will cause the incoming missile to calculate the interception point below the ground surface and thus make it crash. This will however not work if the enemy is at a higher altitude than you, because the interception point will be still above the ground. This at the same time means that if you are attacking in such a situation loft the missile up so it will have more probability in hitting the target, unless you have to evade yourself. Flying particularly close to the ground can also cause missiles to lose track of their target signal within the [[Airborne_radars#Clutter|ground clutter]], causing them to harmlessly veer off course.

[[File:HighAltHeadon.jpg|thumb|View from above: First turn left to make the missile calculate the interception far left, then turn right so it will have problems coming back on you because of G-limits.]]
At high altitudes, radars in simple pulse mode become more prevalent, against which notching is not effective. If you see the missile early enough, a side-to-side manoeuvre can be utilised, which will burn energy from the missile, slowing it down and also causing it to turn very hard to intercept, after which it will be unable to manoeuvre hard enough to hit after you change direction.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|NUuKlydTMUc|'''The Shooting Range #392''' - ''Round Study'' section at 06:13 compares top IR-guided air-to-air missiles.|f3sRtaPqENE|'''The Shooting Range #376''' - ''Round Study'' section at 07:34 compares top radar-guided air-to-air missiles.|v8j3kJwm_Eg|'''Air To Air Missiles: The Complete Guide (Current 2024)''' - ''Tims Variety''|PICL4dLt2zI|'''Danger Sticks: A Beginners Guide to Air to Air Missiles''' - ''rampageTG''|_txt7q-KlnA|'''Fox 1 - A Guide to SARH Missiles''' - ''rampageTG''|TclR7XJMoWY|'''Heat Seekers. How they work''' - War Thunder Official Channel|omcme8er-7o|'''Heat-seeking missiles 101''' - War Thunder Official Channel}}

== See also ==


* [[Template:Missiles|Missiles]]
* [[Air-to-ground missiles]]
* [[Anti-tank guided missiles]]
* [[:Category:Countermeasures|Countermeasures]]

== External links ==


;Devblogs

* [[wt:en/news/8102-development-improved-heat-signatures-for-jet-engines-en|[Devblog] Improved heat signatures for jet engines]]
* [[wt:en/news/6879-development-sarh-air-to-air-missiles-en|[Development] SARH Air-to-Air Missiles]]
* [[wt:en/news/5947-development-air-to-air-missiles-en|[Development] Air-to-air Missiles]]

;Wikipedia

* [[wikipedia:Command_guidance|[Wikipedia] Command guidance]]
* [[wikipedia:Beam_riding|[Wikipedia] Beam riding]]
* [[wikipedia:Infrared_homing|[Wikipedia] Infrared homing]]

[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Armaments]]

Tornado GR.1

2024-07-16T09:01:22Z

U119691041: /* Usage in battles */ someone put the tornado's optimal speed at 800 to 900 meters per second, but obviously the tornado does not go mach 2.8 so by assumption i've fixed it to say kilometers an hour.

{{About
| about = British strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Tornado (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=tornado_gr1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The Panavia Tornado GR.1 stands as a testament to its lasting impact within the Royal Air Force, spanning from its debut in the late 1970s to its operational tenure until the turn of the millennium. The Tornado GR.1's exceptional versatility was further underscored during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s, where it executed precision strikes with remarkable precision, solidifying its reputation as a potent force in modern aerial warfare. As the new millennium dawned, the aircraft continued to serve valiantly, being a key asset in peacekeeping missions and coalition operations in various theatres, including Bosnia and Kosovo. The Panavia Tornado GR.1's legacy extends beyond its operational prowess; it symbolizes the RAF's commitment to operational innovation and its ability to evolve to meet the changing demands of global security scenarios.

The Tornado GR.1 was introduced in [[Update "Apex Predators"]], a versatile and multifaceted aircraft poised to reshape the lacking CAS capabilities of British tech-tree. This remarkable aircraft seamlessly adapts to the role of a versatile multi-role warrior, skillfully engaging both ground and aerial targets across an array of scenarios. With a flexible array of armaments at its disposal, the Tornado GR.1 stands ready to confront a wide spectrum of challenges, from lightly armoured targets able to be taken out with rockets, to entrenched ground targets. As it materializes as underappreciated, the Tornado GR.1 silently emerges as a potent ground assailant, utilizing its capacity for precision strikes from a calculated distance, unsettling even the most vigilant of anti-aircraft units with Precision Guided Munitions (PGM). Tailored to pilots who revel in the intricate dynamics of multifaceted operations and diverse weapon configurations, the Panavia Tornado GR.1 beckons to those who traverse the skies with a combination of deliberate patience and honed skill.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 10,972 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,979 || 1,958 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 31.4 || 31.5 || 153.7 || 149.7 || rowspan="2" | 800
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,035 || 2,005 || 30.6 || 31.0 || 202.3 || 177.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="60%"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Limits
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
! Min sweep
| 972 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || rowspan="2" | 1,166 || rowspan="2" | 552 || rowspan="2" | 440 || ~8 || ~3
|-
! Max sweep
| 1,555 || ~9 || ~3
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 670 || < 650 || < 700 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="6" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full internal fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk.101 || 2
| colspan="3" | 14,309 kg || colspan="3" | 634 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="5" | Mass with internal fuel (no weapons load or external fuel) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 17m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 58m fuel
|-
| 968 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 15,836 kg || 16,054 kg || 16,926 kg || 18,234 kg || 19,399 kg || 25,910 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="6" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 17m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 58m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,633 kgf || 7,015 kgf
| 0.89 || 0.87 || 0.83 || 0.77 || 0.72 || 0.54
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,032 kgf (1,400 km/h) || 7,845 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 0.99 || 0.98 || 0.93 || 0.86 || 0.81 || 0.61
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

The Tornado has no armour to speak of and is relatively large, making it an easy target for enemy guns. Almost any hit to the center part of the Tornado will leave its speed crippled, while any hit to the wings and tail will most likely cripple flight performance, if not disabling the aircraft outright. Although it could in theory make its way back to base even with only one engine, any enemy attention during this timespan will most likely get you sent back to the hangar. It also has 2 pilots, which means that plane can continue flying in the unlikely case that only 1 pilot is knocked out.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! Lead indicator
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Mauser BK27 (27 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 27 mm Mauser BK27 cannons, chin-mounted (180 rpg = 360 total)

This Tornado has a pair of autocannons loaded primarily with APHE (one more that it's fighter equivalent). A single tap of the "fire" button should be enough to destroy howitzers and other unprotected targets from 3 km away, should pilot not miss.

The guns also receive aim assist from the radar at about 1.5 km range when head-on and 1.2 km when behind. The radar tracker is super focused despite not having a pulse-doppler technology, therefore the guns rarely miss when using it and pilot can easily attack an enemy wing from behind or at ground level, where radar missiles of enemies are irrelevant. Unfortunately, the radar can be chaffed.

The guns also receive aim assist if TIALD is locked onto the enemy aircraft. The ranges of aim assist are from 2 to 1.4 km when head-on (depending on enemy angle and speed) and 1.2 km when behind. The laser cannot be fooled in any way and is even more accurate, but it is sometimes excruciatingly difficult to lock onto the enemy plane. Having TIALD just for the gun without guided bombs is still useful strategically, as it still provides thermal vision and flipping between thermal scope on TIALD and third person view forcibly spots every plane within 20 km range for 5 seconds, working as a makeshift "search radar".

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4.8%" | 1 !! width="4.8%" | 2 !! width="4.8%" | 3 !! width="4.8%" | 4 !! width="4.8%" | 5 !! width="4.8%" | 6 !! width="4.8%" | 7 !! width="4.8%" | 8 !! width="4.8%" | 9 !! width="4.8%" | 10 !! width="4.8%" | 11
| rowspan="9" width="25%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13]] bombs
| || || 1, 2 || 1, 2‡ || 1, 2‡ * || 1*‡ || 1, 2‡ * || 1, 2‡ || 1, 2 || ||
|-
! [[H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117]] bombs
| || || 1, 2 || 1, 2‡ || 1, 2‡ * || 1*‡ || 1, 2‡ * || 1, 2‡ || 1, 2 || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83]] bombs
| || || 1, 2 || 1, 2‡ || 1, 2‡ * || 1*‡ || 1, 2‡ * || 1, 2‡ || 1, 2 || ||
|-
! [[Mk.13 (546 kg)|546 kg Mk.13]] bombs
| || || 1† || 1† || || 1*†‡ || || || 1†* || ||
|-
! [[PGM 500 (404 kg)|404 kg PGM 500]] bombs
| || || 1 || 1* || || || || 1* || 1 || ||
|-
! [[PGM 2000 (1,060 kg)|1,060 kg PGM 2000]] bombs
| || || 1 || 1* || || || || 1* || 1 || ||
|-
! [[GBU-24 Paveway III (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb GBU-24 Paveway III]] bombs
| || || || 1*† || || || || || || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| || 1 || || || || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! Large calibre countermeasures
| 28 || || || || || || || || || || 28
|-
! TIALD targeting pod
| || || || || || || || 1† || || ||
|-
! 1,500 l drop tanks
| || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || ||
|-
| colspan="13" | * Marked guided bombs on hardpoints 4/8 cannot be equipped with bombs on hardpoint 6 or hardpoints 5/7 respectively † TIALD targeting pod must be equipped when using marked guided bombs ‡ Bombs on hardpoint 6 cannot be equipped with dual bomb mounts on hardpoints 4-8
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 2 x 1,500 l drop tanks
* 56 x large calibre countermeasures
* 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x 546 kg Mk.13 bombs (2,184 kg total)
* 1 x 2,000 lb GBU-24 Paveway III bomb (2,000 lb total)
* 7 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 7 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 12 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 12 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 12 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 404 kg PGM 500 bombs (1,616 kg total)
* 3 x 1,060 kg PGM 2000 bombs (3,180 kg total)
{{Navigation-End}}

In air RB, just 5 LDGP mk 83 bombs are enough to take out single base. If they are all carried under fuselage (points 4-8, only one bomb per point) they cause much less stress to the plane and reduce the effect on plane's speed. If 10 of those are carried, the plane can bomb two bases, but will accelerate slower and will be unable to fly faster than 1.05 MACH without constant direct help of gravity.

Due to the lack of "bomb series" option of 5 for use by strategic bombing computer, it is possible to substitute it by equipping two different types of bombs and choosing 6 bombs option (the second "series" could consist of H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs), but then it will be impossible to equip TIALD targeting pod for convenience.

TIALD itself has 20 km maximum range, has thermal vision and can lock onto targets, much like on Jaguar GR.1A. Installation of TIALD unlocks installation of up to 4 small laser guided bombs or 1 big laser bomb with 2 small laser ones or 2 big TV ones (the plane will still be able to carry 2 more dumb bombs in any case). The ballistic computer does not calculate maximum drop potential for these bombs, as they are more aerodynamic and can glide much further than the UI implies. The small laser bombs are quite stupid and will not continue to correct their course if TIALD lock was lost (in case plane was destroyed or had to retreat), the big one has IOG and will continue falling towards last painted location even if the plane is gone.

A unique feature for British bomber Tornado is the ability to install TV bombs. The TV bombs do not require TIALD to function (although it might make their use much easier, particularly on consecutive launches) and so 4 of them can be mounted (maximum of 3 big PGM 2000 with one PGM 500 or TIALD and 2 dumb bombs as support), but the ones on points 4 and 8 will prevent installation of anything else next to them on the fuselage. The TV bombs will inherit the plane speed on launch (but no more than MACH 1) and have rocket engine that will let them keep their altitude and speed for about 12 km and can be fired at targets with moderate heat signature from about 25 km away. They might as well be called "cruise missile" with the War Thunder map sizes and they can outrange and destroy any SPAA that does not immediately smoke itself upon seeing weird things on their radar, but their usefulness against fast moving targets like other planes is questionable due to the low manoeuvrability of its engine. It's also ill adviced to launch these when diving down, as the plane might crash into one and blow up. Unfortunately they will not lock onto plain ground from anything further than 15 km unless the plane is about 8 km higher than current target spot and cruise at about MACH 0.93 (which is one of height/speed combinations generally necessary for them to even reach a target 23 km away), so they cannot be used for base bombing outside of enemy fighters range (even though 3 PGM 2000 is enough for 1 base). These bombs also have issues with launching during evening and night time (regardless of the TIALD or plane itself having NVD), so sometimes laser or even dumb bombs should be used in a loadout instead.

== Usage in battles ==

There are multiple ways to use the Tornado in Air RB, one tactic is to stick to the team and try and give support with your AIM-9Ls on your way to the enemy bases and/or ground targets. This gives you the advantage of team cover and a bit of safety, although you will undoubtedly be in the midst of battle once enemy interceptors and fighters reach your team and there is always a chance that someone else will bomb all the bases.

The other tactic would be to go full throttle directly to the enemy bases while keeping extremely low to the ground to decrease your chances of being spotted visually or by radar. While this leaves you mostly alone and isolated from the possible support of your team, you will be able to take a more direct route to your main target, meaning you'll be able to evade any slower or unsuspecting enemies. Having TIALD to scan immediate surroundings during solo run can be helpful, as to not fall victim to a random IR missile from the sky.

Although taking only 3 TV bombs and firing them akin to cruise missiles to avoid interacting with enemy fighters at all sounds like a decent idea, as the plane will be able to fly significantly faster and fire much earlier, it's generally not worth doing in an uptier due to the randomness of the TV bomb behaviour - on some maps they will fire from 25 km, allowing you to just barely evade 12.3 planes and their SARH missiles (and the F14 with ARH could theoretically be countered by chaff spam), more often than not they will have you to fly closer to about 18 km close, which will be way too close and too late. The TV bombs don't work at long range during evening, further reducing viability of this strategy. Moreover, the problem of teammates getting the base first remains, as the bombs can't fly faster than MACH 1.0 at all, as opposed to the Tornados or the ever present Phantoms.

Taking an active role in air-to-air combat is not advised, as the Tornado's flight performance is not very suited to it, especially with bombs, and you'll most likely be shot down very quickly. So keep in mind that although the Tornado is fast, its not very manoeuvrable at high speed so try to avoid faster turning enemies such as the [[F-16 (Family)|F-16]] or the [[F-14A Early|F-14]]. In the case of 1-to-1 confrontation the best option is to blast them away in a head-on by using aim assisted guns, then run behind a mountain. If there is no choice, drop bombs and fuel tanks, then drop speed to around 800-900 km/h (via reverse thrust) to use flaps, which will grant you a turn speed of an average fighter-bomber (maybe even higher, if you only have 18 minutes of fuel). Against superior fighters like the F-16, MiG-29, Viggen, F-14, and Mirage 2000 you don't stand a chance in a turnfight, unless the enemy pilot is extremely inexperienced, but you may waste enough of their time to get saved. With countermeasures you are able to survive for longer if you can time their use and can dodge without losing too much of your speed, but their number is very limited.

In GRB, if you only have dumb bombs you're going to need to stick to the ground as much as possible or to fly at extemely difficult to hit angles to avoid enemy AA, you can't linger too much on the battlefield or else the entire enemy team will begin to prioritise you as a target. Once TIALD was unlocked, you can fling pairs of dumb bombs onto enemy tanks from range, but you also need to be very wary of what type of enemy air has been spawned in - if you focus too much on ground vehicles you become easy pickings for any enemy aircraft which can take advantage of you not realising they're there. You can easily pick off enemy SPAA once you have unlocked your laser guided bombs, so try to fly as high as possible. In conclusion, play a reserved role and only engage when you think its clear. After unlocking TV bombs, you might as well avoid enemy AA altogether and only appear in the sky above your own airfield to drop some giant missile-bombs towards enemy tanks or even odd static helicopter to avoid unnecessary risk, but these bombs will not work well during evening and won't work at all at night.

In Air Arcade Assault, playing the plane with 10 dumb bombs and 2 9L is the best until the TV bombs are researched. You can lock onto specific planes with TIALD to avoid usual "radar echo" from the formation to accurately snipe one plane and the rest of its wing, everything else is not very different from normal planes as you can still fly at acceptable speed even with bombs on. Once ground targets appear, carpet bomb them, then dive down with air brakes out, activate ballistic computer at 3 km range and start firing on howitzers that you didn't target with bombs with your gun. Since ballistic computer is completely accurate against ground, you generally only need a single tap of a gun to remove howitzers, no need to hold the trigger. if you do a clean job, at least 16 howitzers should disappear by the moment you are forced to disengage. Once the TV "bombs" are unlocked, you can fire those at enemy bombers while approaching them (Use WEP to reach MACH 1, start firing at 12 km range, make sure you are higher than them to ensure a hit, do not fire at 5 km range or closer), much like allied F14 spam their "phoenix" missiles, the difference is that even a small TV bomb can obliterate 2 planes at once, a big one is going to cause even more collateral damage, allowing you to guarantee victory not only through neutralizing artillery, but securing air victory as well, just make sure that you attack ground targets first if they appear.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Variable sweep wing, can be used as a fighter after bombing if necessary
* Unlike other Tornado bombers, can carry TV bombs, including 1 ton versions
** The TV bombs have their own rocket engine, so they can be launched like a cruise missile from way outside of any AA firing range
* Large payload and is supersonic
* Although it's slower than other Tornado bombers, it is also much more stable

'''Cons:'''

* Can struggle in air-to-air combat, doesn't have as many countermeasures as the rest of British planes at the tier to compensate
* High fuel consumption
* Full bombing loadout severely limit its maximum speed to about Mach 1.05
* TV bombs cannot inherit more speed than MACH 1, very likely to destroy Tornado itself if launched at higher speeds or when diving down
* No search radar for planning around enemies, only compensated by spotting with TIALD at maximum 20 km range (when they already can engage with medium range SARH missiles)
* Can destroy itself by rolling too much if "New boosters" are equipped

== History ==

The Panavia Tornado GR.1 was a multi-role combat aircraft, the result of an international collaboration between British, German and Italian companies which in 1969 formed the Panavia company to manufacture the Tornado. Its first flight was 14th August 1974 and was introduced to the RAF in 1986 but its first use in combat was not until 1991 in the Gulf war and was in service until March 2019.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=tornado_gr1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;[[Tornado (Family)|Related development]]

* [[Tornado IDS ASSTA1 (Germany)]]
* [[Tornado IDS (1995) (Italy)]]

; '''Other jet planes with variable sweep wings'''

* [[MiG-23 (Family)]]
* [[Su-17/22 (Family)]]
* [[F-14 (Family)|F14 (Family)]]
* [[F-111A]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8013-development-tornado-ids-gr-1-the-european-striker-en|[Devblog] Tornado IDS (GR.1): The European Striker]]

{{AirManufacturer Panavia}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}