|
R-60 (missile)
The Molniya (now Vympel) R-60 (NATO reporting name: AA-8 "Aphid") is a short-range lightweight infrared homing air-to-air missile designed for use by Soviet Union, Soviet fighter aircraft. It has been widely exported, and remains in service with the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS and many other nations. History The R-60 was initially developed for the MiG-23. Work began on the weapon, under the bureau designation K-60 (''izdeliye'' 62), in the late 1960s. Series production began in 1973. It entered service with the designation R-60 (NATO reporting name "Aphid-A"). When introduced, the R-60 was one of the world's lightest and most agile air-to-air missiles, with a launch weight of . It has infrared guidance, with an uncooled ''Komar'' (Mosquito) seeker head. Control is by forward rudders with large rear fins. The distinctive canard (aeronautics), canards on the nose, known as "destabilizers," serve to improve the rudders' efficiency at high angle of attack, angles of atta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infrared Homing
Infrared homing is a passive weapon guidance system which uses the infrared (IR) light emission from a target to track and follow it seamlessly. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers" since infrared is radiated strongly by hot bodies. Many objects such as people, vehicle engines and aircraft generate and emit heat and so are especially visible in the infrared wavelengths of light compared to objects in the background. Infrared seekers are passive devices, which, unlike radar, provide no indication that they are tracking a target. That makes them suitable for sneak attacks during visual encounters or over longer ranges when they are used with a forward looking infrared or similar cuing system. Heat-seekers are extremely effective: 90% of all United States air combat losses over the past 25 years have been caused by infrared-homing missiles. They are, however, subject to a number of simple countermeasures, most notably by dropping flares beh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
