AIM-54A Phoenix

[yamatobar]

F-14 is GOOD

F/A-18E/F is Suck

[N1cholas240]

The aim-120D is way better then the aim-54.

[FutureMarine1775USA]

@N1cholas240 The AIM-120D is cheaper... about the only advantage.

[hotpocketpoison]

@FutureMarine1775USA actually, the AIM-120D costs over $330000 more than the AIM-54 but the AIM-54 has close to 3x the range of the AIM-120D, the AIM-54 also flys a whole Mach faster than the AIM-120D, it also has a higher flight ceiling as well. the fact that we dont use this missile just plain enrages me. the only downside is it weighs 3x as much, but also has a 3x larger warhead. all in all the AIM-54 phoenix is the long range best air-air missile ever built.

[FutureMarine1775USA]

@hotpocketpoison Really? fuck, must have accidentally looked at the Sparrow article on wiki.

[iamidiotic]

@hotpocketpoison the D isn't in even in production yet, nor has it debuted. It's supposed to have 50% more range over the C-7 and that'll put it at about 70nmi to the 54's 100nmi, but at 70nmi it'll be far more effective than the phoenix since it'll be less susceptible to countermeasures with its AESA radar and the fact that its far more maneuverable. while the iranians say they've had "success", I've never seen documented proof, it was designed to primarily shoot down a soviet bomber threat

[iamidiotic]

@hotpocketpoison the wikipedia estimation of the D's 700K production cost may be close but thats merely inflation, the 470K is the cost of the 54C model back in 88', for example, the earliest sidewinder models costed around 90 grand and the much improved (just as the D model is) X model is around 370K.. if you're angry over the fact we don't have a ultra-long range missile anymore, theres always the JDRADM that should be in service within a decade

[hotpocketpoison]

@iamidiotic the actual range of the AIM-120D is about 45nm(which is 72km so i see where you got that,its an easy mistake to make). and this scares me because more and more countries are developing longer ranged missiles,while they are completely ineffective against the F-22(by the time they detect it it will already be to late)they can still pose a grave threat to or legacy platforms(which still make up the overwhelming majority of our airforce). but i agree with you the JDRADM looks promising.

[iamidiotic]

@hotpocketpoison hmm i see, only 45nm.. maybe we'll just have to swallow our pride and buy some european designs, the MBDA Meteor is supposed to have at least 60mi of range.

[TheProjektcc]

aim 54 aka tomcat's claws

[jimbo2075]

I still think its unreal that if the F-14 took off with a full compliment of 6 phoenix's that they HAD to fire at least one before they could land back on the aircraft carrier coz they wouldve been too heavy with 6 still on board!

[NobleKorhedron]

@aerodc8: In fact, the AIM-54 is largely replaced by the AIM-120 AAMRAAM so therefore the F-14 was really no longer needed. Anything that can carry the AIM-120 can do the same job.

[FutureMarine1775USA]

@NobleKorhedron The AIM-54 has about 20 miles more range than the AAMRAAM. Also, just because the AIM-54 was retired doesn't mean we don't need the Tomcat.

[minerofblood]

This missile is a bitch to dodge to dodge on lock on:modern air combat, i was in a mig 29, dodgyed about 3, and get close enough to the f - 14, when i get to the f - 14 its fucking Aim 7s are spammed at you, its almost impossiable to kill it without being killed yourself

[peejcj8]

Yeah baby, cut my navy teeth working on the AWG-9 RFTS Tomcats forever!

[NobleKorhedron]

@peejcj8: WHAT exactly is an AWG-9?!

[FutureMarine1775USA]

@NobleKorhedron The Radar carried by the F-14A and A+ Tomcat. The F-14B and F-14D carried the APG-71.

[plutone220696]

The AIM-54 was so heavy that it needed a heavy-duty fighter plane like F-14 to carry it. I'd rather put more AMRAAMs on a plane than loading a Phoenix. Much more effective.

[FutureMarine1775USA]

@plutone220696 Depends on what you are doing.... also, the first plane to test the AIM-120 was the Tomcat, if I recall.

[gafanhotoinstrutor]

nice video

[crytekengine]

wait! who does fire it?? the pilot or the Rio?

[james6speed]

@crytekengine I believe it was the RIO if I remember correctly.

[NobleKorhedron]

@crytekengine: Weapons Systems Officer I think...

[MrXbox221]

The soviets developed a similar missile on their jets, with the tomcat, it truly is a wonderful weapon, too bad the US army retired them from service.

[aerodc8]

It's a pity the US Navy no longer has this capability with the retirement of the Tomcat.

[NobleKorhedron]

@aerodc8: Actually they do. The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet can carry the AIM-54.

[peejcj8]

@NobleKorhedron I guess they could make the Super do that, but no way is it able or planned to carry an AIM54. AWG-9 is the F-14 RADAR BTW

[jjdeliman]

@NobleKorhedron The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Cannot Carry The Aim-54 Phoenix Only The F-14 Tomcat Can

[jjdeliman]

@NobleKorhedron The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Cannot Carry The AIM-54 Phoenix Only The F-14 Tomcat Can

[SuperParsman]

Iranian Tomcats scored a kill against an Exocet missile over Persian gulf ! MiG 25 and Mirage F-1 were among many victims of Iranian F-14s during the war , mostly downed with Aim54-A .

[mrdavies09]

The bloody missile smashes out the other side of the enemy jets!

[vahxes]

corrections

AIM 54

[vahxes]

how do you say that?

one of our pilots brought down 4 iraqi fighters with one agm54 missile ofcource they where flying close to each other .and several others scored 2 or 3 aircraft with one missile

another one shot down a bomber and its anti ship missile by two missile's

several other

the russians and the french set up a camp in iraq to study on how to jam agm54s and tomcats of iranian air force.

dude that missile is awesome.

[gosciu555]

"one of our pilots brought down 4 iraqi fighters with one agm54 missile ofcource they where flying close to each other .and several others scored 2 or 3 aircraft with one missile"

I don't think so. Where are you getting this info from?

[fludblud]

cant say im surprised, the aim 54 had one of the largest warheads of any air to air missile not to mention its range far exceeded that of anything the iraqis had during the iran iraq war. they probably never saw it coming.

[james6speed]

@fludblud 132 pound warhead is huge!!!!

[P51F86F4F15F22]

agreed i can understand 2 because thats happened with other missiles

[favioalex]

to kill a bomber or a maneoubering fighter even a cruise missile.you most remember that RWR were not as sofisticated as today Sistems. you are trying to bring down all the respect that the buffalo have

[ukrainesuperpower87]

Phoenix had almost zero effectiveness against jet fighters, it had low capabilities even against slow maneuverable targets

Almots it was crazy expensive

I think that soviet R-37 missile is better

[ukrainesuperpower87]

Also Phoenix was too much expensive, crazy expensive

[shackvan]

The Iranians proved the complete oposite, it was extreamly effective to the point that the tomcat and that missile scared the iraq's so much that in the first gulf war as soon as the US tomcats switched on there radar they turned tail and ran

[NobleKorhedron]

@shackvan: Yeah, but I wonder how the Iranians managed to beat the Iraqis so badly? They had no further maintainence/support/advisers from the U.S. as the Iran-Iraq War was post-Revolution....

[shackvan]

@NobleKorhedron No small amount of luck and a lot of black market sourceing of spares and expertise, the iranians spent huge sums of money keeping the tomcats and there missiles going but in the end turned out to be well worth it

[YarisTex]

That´s not true. Phoenix was effective against targets pulling up to 7g´s. And it didn´t even needed a direct hit because its warhead was big. It could potentially destroy a target if it exploded near. The Phoenix was innefective if it was shot close to its Rmin which was somewhat big. When it was shot from long distances it was deadly, specially at the time when it came out when RWR´s weren´t sophisticated enough even against the old A model. Iran-Iraq war proved this.

[shiakue666]

It was a shame that the F14 was phased out. No other plane can carry the Phoenix. Of course, at present day there is no need for it, but in a conflict where US airspace or other US interest airspace is threatened by multiple air threats, the F14's with six AIM54s would be a excellent defense. Now that it's gone I feel as though a child sleeping without his "security blanket". If a mass conflict occurs the other side won't send one plane at a time, but large sortes along with decoy aircraft.

[JohnoUsenko]

It depends on the theatre.

I agree that visual identification is impractical today. Nevertheless, ROI for the Vietnam theatre required it. Remember, ROI are written by the politicians rather than the people on the ground (or in the air) that know what's going on!

I am unsure of the detail of the ROI for recent deployments, but my understanding was that the digital camera was added to Tomcats in 1996 in case this ludicrous regulation was used again.

[ironroad18]

The television camera set started showing up on F-14s in the mid 80s. Still by then (even before) ROE did not require visual id. You must remember that fighters then and even now do not operate in a vacuum. With AWACS, Hawkeye, and Aegis (which all came of age in the 70s-80s) providing an almost God's Eye on the aerial battle field. In the late 1990s, the F-14 started using Lantirn for ground attack. The aviators discovered the system had a better resolution than the TCS.

[RedopProduktions]

what does ROI stand for?

[JohnoUsenko]

Not a bad little firecracker . .

But made largely useless by rules of engagement. Nearly all combat engagements since the deployment of the AIM-54 have required visual identification, and by the time you can make a visual ID you are already too close to launch a phoenix. No wonder they've been phased out.

[blackbirdbe]

lol, I don't think they would wait to visualy identify the target to defend a carrier :D

But it was only ment to take out less manouverabel planes

[Tenjac]

I'm not sure where you're getting that, but they lied to you. IFF identifies friendly from enemy aircraft at range. There is absolutely no rule of engagement that states you must visually identify aircraft. Considering aircraft fly at several hundred miles per hour, it's extremely difficult to ID aircraft coming at you, and by the time you could you would have no time to shoot.

[ironroad18]

Exactly, the whole purpose of developing planes like the E-2 (to replace the S-1/2), the Aim-54, the F-14, and eventually the Aegis system, was so that pilots would not have to ever enter the visual spectrum and so the carrier battle group could screen flights for hundreds of miles out well before Russian Bombers got into cruise missile range.

Those systems were to work in conjunction to electronically identity, track, and or attack bombers well before they could be seen.

[ironroad18]

Visual identification were the rules of engage that were unique to the air war over North Vietnam.

[RedopProduktions]

especially because they had a range of over a hundred nautical miles!

[DEVILCESAR]

woooooo!!! thats a legedari missil AIM-54A Phoenix berry god! buddy