AIM-54 Phoenix
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The AIM-54 Phoenix was a long-range radar guided air-to-air missile, carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the U.S. Navy's F-14 Tomcat, the only aircraft capable of carrying it.
The AIM-54 was originally developed in the early 1960s for the cancelled F-111B naval variant, and based on the Eagle project for the cancelled F6D Missileer. Both were based on the idea of long range, slow cruise non-maneuvering missile carriers to counter long range bombers carrying low-flying cruise missiles. It had no use for close range air superiority.
History
The Phoenix missile was the United States only long-range air-to-air missile. Most other US aircraft relied on the smaller, less expensive AIM-7 Sparrow, which had shorter range. It required that the launching aircraft continuously paint no more than one target for the missile seeker to track, or tracking would be lost if the pilot had to maneuver against incoming fire.
Active Guidance
The Phoenix is guided semi-actively after launch by the reflections from the F-14's AWG-9 radar as it climbs to cruise between 80,000ft and 100,000 ft at close to Mach 5. For a little perspective, at that speed and 100-120 mi range, it covers about 1 mile per second, and an aircraft patrolling the city of Seattle would be able to destroy any target in Western Washington state, or for any other city, any location in a two-hour interstate distance within the time it takes to count down from 120. However visual target identification rules would disqualify the Phoenix which otherwise might seem an attractive way to quickly down errant terrorist-controlled air traffic, as with air combat patrol in peacetime.
Utilizing its high altitude to gain kinetic energy, the missile dives toward its target and activates its active radar system for the final segment of the flight. By comparison, the AMRAAM uses an on-board computer made possible by digital technology to compute a collision course to the target. It can be updated by the launching aircraft, before also using an active seeker in its final phase.
The AIM-54 is part of an airborne weapons system with multiple-target handling capabilities, used to kill multiple air targets with conventional warheads. Near simultaneous launch is possible against up to six targets in all weather and heavy jamming environments. This is possible because of an active seeker which can illuminate the target without help from the launch aircraft. The airframe is a scaled up version of the USAF AIM-47 Falcon with 4 cruciform fins. 4 can be carried under the fuselage tunnel in special aerodynamic pallets, and 1 under each wing root. A full load is over 6,000 lb, about twice the weight of Sparrows, so it was more common to carry a mix of Sparrow and Sidewinders. Depending on the source, there are reports that an F-14 could not be recovered on a carrier with all six missiles, but only two or four.
Nothing else quite like it
The Phoenix was designed to defend fleets against both low flying cruise missiles against ground clutter and water reflections, and very high, fast aircraft such as the MiG-25 'Foxbat'. The improved Phoenix, the AIM-54C, was developed to better counter projected threats from tactical aircraft and cruise missiles. It is thought that the Phoenix was based on the similar AIM-47 missile. The AIM-47 was developed for the experimental Mach 3 Lockheed YF-12 interceptor version of their venerable Blackbird.
The US Air Force adopted neither the AIM-47, nor the AIM-54, operationally. The Air Force had no similar capability with the F-15 Eagle until the introduction of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The latest model, AIM-120C-5, has a range of 65 miles (110 km), still significantly less than the retired AIM-54.
Legacy
The AIM-54 Phoenix was retired from USN service on September 30, 2004. F-14 Tomcats will be retired on September 22, 2006. They will effectively be replaced by shorter range AIM-120 AMRAAMs, employed on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Both F-14 Tomcat and AIM-54 Phoenix missile continue in service of the Iranian Air Force, although the operational abilities of these aircraft and the missiles are questionable, since the United States refused to supply spare parts and maintenance after the 1979 revolution (see F-14 Tomcat for more details).
Despite the much vaunted capabilities, the Phoenix was rarely used in combat with only two confirmed launches and no confirmed targets destroyed. The USAF F-15 Eagle was selected for air combat patrol duties for Desert Storm in 1991 primarily because of IFF capabilities, the Phoenix capability evidently did not matter for this mission. From an engineering and service standpoint, the Phoenix could be said to be notable success. However, as the only surviving member of the Falcon missile family, it was not adopted by any other nation besides Iran, any other US service, or even supported by any other aircraft. It was heavy, large, expensive and not at all useful in close combat compared to the Sparrow or AMRAAM.
Versions
AIM-54A: The original version to become operational, in 1974.AIM-54C: Improved version, better able to counter cruise missiles. Superseded the AIM-54A from 1986.
AIM-54 ECCM/Sealed: Improved to include electronic counter-countermeasure capabilities, does not require coolant conditioning during captive flight. Used from 1988 onwards.
Because the AIM-54 ECCM/Sealed receives no coolant, Tomcats carrying this version of the missile may not exceed a certain airspeed.
In recent years, Iran is said to have developed its own version of the Phoenix.
There were also test, evaluation, ground training and captive air training versions of the missile, designated ATM-54, AEM-54, DATM-54A, and CATM-54. The flight versions had A and C versions. The DATM-54 was not made in a C version as there was no change in the ground handling characteristics.
Iranian combat experiences with AIM-54 Phoenix
Reports of use of the 285 missiles supplied to Iran [link] during the Iran-Iraq War, from 1980–88 vary. US technical personnel report that they sabotaged the aircraft and weapons before they left the country following the coup, making it impossible to fire the missile. However, some claim that the IRIAF was able to repair the sabotage and that the damage only affected a limited number of planes, not the entire fleet.
Two additional factors make it unlikely that the Phoenix was used operationally. First, as difficult as the missile and fire control systems were to operate, Iran had hired many American technicians. Upon leaving, they took most of the knowledge about how to operate and maintain these complex weapon systems with them. Also, without a steady supply of engineering support from Hughes Aircraft Missile Systems Group and corresponding spares and upgrades, even a technically competent operator would have extreme difficulty fielding operational weapons. Iran had, indeed, aggressively pursued spares for their planes in the years following the coup.
Most sources claim that the primary use of the F-14 was as an airborne early warning aircraft, guarded by other fighters. Some, however, allege that the IRIAF used the F-14s actively as a fighter-interceptor with the AIM-54 scoring 60-70 kills. Supporters of these claims point to the fact that, in the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi fighter pilots consistently turned and fled as soon as American F-14 pilots turned on their fighters' very distinctive AN/AWG-9 radars, which suggests that Iraqi pilots had learned to avoid the F-14. The counter-argument is that virtually all Iraqi fighters turned and fled when confronted, as they were without exception outnumbered and using inferior technology.
American combat experience
The Gulf of Sidra incident (1981), in which American F-14s shot down 2 Libyan Su-22s is sometimes thought to have involved AIM-54. However, the engagement was conducted at short ranges using the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The other US F-14 fighter to fighter engagement, the Gulf of Sidra incident (1989) used AIM-7 Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles, not the Phoenix.
In training, the Phoenix hit a target drone at a range of 212 km (in January 1979, in Iran).
Actual ranges at which the Phoenix has successfully hit targets in tests:
- longest shot to kill: ~ 140 km
- average engagement ranges: 20 to 70 km
- the shortest shot to kill: 7.5 km
Characteristics
- Primary function: Long-range air-launched air intercept missile
- Contractor: Hughes Aircraft Company and Raytheon Corporation
- Unit cost: US$ 477,131
- Power Plant: Solid propellant rocket motor built by Hercules
- Length: 3.9 m (13 ft)
- Weight: 460 kg (1,014 lb)
- Diameter: 380 mm (15 in)
- Wing span: 900 mm (3 ft)
- Range: 184 km (114 mi, 99 nautical miles)
- Speed: >1300 m/s (3,000 mph)
- Guidance system: Semi-active and active radar homing
- Warheads: Proximity fuse, high explosive
- Warhead weight: 60 kg (130 lb)
- Users: USA (US Navy), Iran
- Date deployed: 1974
- Date retired (US): September 30, 2004
See also
- AIM-47 Falcon
- Medium range air-to-air missiles: AIM-7 Sparrow, MBDA Meteor, AIM-120 AMRAAM
- Short range air-to-air missiles: AIM-9 Sidewinder
- List of missiles
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