Beyond-visual-range missile

A beyond-visual-range missile (BVR) is an air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is capable of engaging at ranges of 20 nmi (37 km) or beyond. This range has been achieved using dual pulse rocket motors or booster rocket motor and ramjet sustainer motor.

"BVR" redirects here. For other uses, see BVR (disambiguation).

In addition to the range capability, the missile must also be capable of tracking its target at this range or of acquiring the target in flight. Systems in which a mid-course correction is transmitted to the missile have been used.

History

Early air-to-air missiles used semi-active radar homing guidance, that is the missile used the radiation produced by the launching aircraft to guide it to the target. The latest generation of BVR missiles use a combination of semi-active and active radar.

The first such missiles were relatively simple beam riding designs. The Sparrow 1 mounted on the US Navy's Skyknight became the first operational BVR missile in 1954.[1] These primitive BVR missiles were soon replaced by missiles using semi-active radar homing (SARH). This is where the launching aircraft's radar is "locked" onto the target in a single target track (STT) mode, directing a radar energy at the target that the missile seeker can "see" as it reflects off the target. The radar antenna must "illuminate" the target until impact. Missiles like the Raytheon AIM-7 Sparrow and Vympel R-27 (NATO designation AA-10 'Alamo') home in on the reflected radiation, much as a laser-guided bomb homes in on the reflected laser radiation. Some of the longest-range missiles in use today still use this technology.

The first air-to-air missile to introduce a terminal active seeker of its own was the AIM-54 Phoenix carried by the F-14 Tomcat, which entered service in 1972. This relieved the launch platform of the need to illuminate the target until impact, putting it at risk. The Phoenix and its associated Tomcat radar, the AWG-9 was capable of multiple track and launch capability, which was unique to the Tomcat/Phoenix until the advent of AMRAAM in 1991.

Newer fire-and-forget type missiles like the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM and the R-77 (NATO designation AA-12 'Adder') instead use an inertial navigation system (INS) combined with initial target information from the launching aircraft and updates from a one or two-way data link in order to launch beyond visual range, and then switch to a terminal homing mode, typically active radar guidance. These types of missiles have the advantage of not requiring the launching aircraft to illuminate the target with radar energy for the entire flight of the missile, and in fact do not require a radar lock to launch at all, only target tracking information. This gives the target less warning that a missile has been launched and also allows the launching aircraft to turn away once the missile is in its terminal homing phase or engage other aircraft. The very longest-range missiles like the Hughes (now Raytheon) AIM-54 Phoenix missile and Vympel manufactured R-33 (NATO designation AA-9 'Amos') use this technique also.

Some variants of the Vympel R-27 use semi-active radar homing (SARH) for the initial guidance and then passive infra-red guidance for the final stage. This type of missile requires active guidance for a longer part of the flight than fire-and-forget missiles but will still guide to the target even if radar lock is broken in the crucial final seconds of the engagement and may be harder to spoof with chaff due to the dual-type guidance.

Criticism

The efficacy of BVR air-to-air missiles has been criticized. The increased success rate of BVR combat during Operation Desert Storm may have significantly depended on other factors, such as assistance of AWACS, NCTR system of F-15Cs, as well as enemy incompetence. One major issue with BVR is still unreliable IFF technology (Identification friend or foe).[2][3]

In 2015 United States Naval Air Forces commander Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker cited the sensor fusion of the Fifth-generation jet fighter Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the way to "bring that long-range ID capability and then share that information" with other platforms.[4]

See also
Beyond-visual-range missiles

References
  1. "Guided Missiles ride Navy Jet". Popular Mechanics. Popular Mechanics Company: 116. November 1954.
  2. Higby, Patrick (30 March 2005). "Promise and Reality: Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-To-Air Combat" (PDF). Maxwell AFB: Air War College. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  3. Sprey, Pierre (2011). "Evaluating Weapons: Sorting the Good from the Bad". In Wheeler, Winslow (ed.). The Pentagon Labyrinth. Center for Defense Information. pp. 105, 106. ISBN 978-0-615-44624-0. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  4. Fuentes, Gidget (9 June 2015). "Navy Air Boss: F-35C Advanced Sensors, Situational Awareness a 'Game-Changer'". news.usni.org. USNI. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  5. Mizokami, Kyle (2016-01-28). "Revealed: Japan's New Fighter Prototype". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
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