Guidance and Control

INTERCEPT PROCEDURES TEXTBOOK

A. Guidance and Control

At medium to short ranges, the fighter is not required to illuminate the target with a radar

lock because the AMRAAM can guide via a Track While Scan system similar to the AIM-54.

These advanced tracking techniques allow any fighter carrying the AMRAAM to have multi-

target capability without a multi-target radar system.

B. Fuse

Like all previously mentioned missiles, the AIM-120 also has a safe and arm mechanism that

delays arming of the missile for the safety of the firing aircraft. The AMRAAM also uses a laser

scanning device to verify external shape, and thus confirm aircraft type, in its fusing mechanism.

C. Warhead

The AIM-120 employs a 50 pound annular blast fragmentation (ABF) warhead that explodes

into thousands of tiny fragments. Although one third smaller than the warhead of the AIM-7M,

the AMRAAM utilizes higher density gases to propel fragments more explosively than the

Sparrow.

D. Rocket Motor

The AMRAAM has a high-impulse motor giving rapid acceleration to a Mach number higher

than 4.0 above aircraft airspeed.

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