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War Thunder. Official channel.
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| 5s | Air-to-air guided missiles are an essential part of the modern aviation arsenal, |
|---|---|
| 10s | and there’s one type of them that’s especially worth discussing in detail. |
| 14s | Today, we’ll talk about the best infrared-guided air-to-air missiles. |
| 21s | Opening the list is the American AIM-9L, |
| 24s | the first all-aspect missile in the Sidewinder family. |
| 28s | The missile’s seeker head featured an indium antimonide detector |
| 32s | that would detect the longer wavelengths associated with any warm aircraft parts |
| 37s | and not just jet engines and their exhaust plumes, |
| 40s | which granted it its all-aspect capability. |
| 43s | This missile is perfect for close-range aerial combat, |
| 46s | even against highly maneuverable targets. |
| 49s | Additionally, its maximum overload is 30G, making tight turns a breeze. |
| 57s | The Israeli Python 3 and the Chinese PL-8 can withstand slightly higher overloads, |
| 63s | up to 40Gs. |
| 65s | Moreover, they are significantly faster than the Sidewinder, |
| 68s | with both missiles having a max speed of Mach 3.5. |
| 71s | Most often, the enemy won’t even have time to react to the launch. |
| 76s | The bad news is that if the target does notice the launch, |
| 79s | these missiles can be easily diverted by flares. |
| 85s | However, the Soviet R-27ET cannot be fooled by just a couple of IR decoys. |
| 92s | Thanks to its narrow field of view, from certain angles, |
| 95s | it can maintain lock on the target without being distracted by flares. |
| 99s | Of course, it’s still most effective in a rear-aspect engagement, |
| 103s | as the thermal signature of the engine is simply more visible from that angle. |
| 107s | Nevertheless, even in a head-on launch, the missile is still quite difficult to evade. |
| 112s | It’s worth noting that this is the only medium-range missile on our list: |
| 116s | it’s capable of hitting targets up to five kilometers away. |
| 119s | However, it features a larger solid fuel rocket motor, |
| 122s | which significantly affects the size and weight of the R-27ET, |
| 127s | limiting the number of these missiles that you can carry in combat. |
| 134s | The AIM-9M, an improved version of the Sidewinder, does not have this problem. |
| 139s | It’s significantly lighter, and many aircraft can carry up to six of them. |
| 144s | The missile also features improved infrared counter-countermeasures |
| 148s | and a new low-smoke motor that reduces the visual signature of the weapon, |
| 152s | making it extremely difficult to spot in combat. |
| 156s | This forces enemies to be on the constant lookout for a potential launch. |
| 160s | The only downside is that its max speed remains the same as its predecessor: |
| 164s | just Mach 2.5. |
| 171s | The Japanese AAM-3, developed by Mitsubishi to replace missiles of the AIM-9 family, |
| 177s | boasts excellent performance. |
| 179s | Thanks to various improvements, including a new shape, |
| 183s | it’s a highly maneuverable missile with a 40G overload. |
| 189s | The Soviet R-73 is the best short-range missile available to Soviet aircraft |
| 194s | and one of the best in general. |
| 196s | While it doesn’t excel in speed, |
| 198s | it’s highly praised for its thrust vectoring capability, |
| 201s | making the R-73 an ideal choice against highly maneuverable targets. |
| 206s | It’s also worth mentioning that almost all aircraft compatible with the R-73 |
| 211s | are also equipped with helmet-mounted displays. |
| 217s | Finally, the French Matra Magic 2 does not excel at anything, |
| 222s | but performs consistently well all across the board. |
| 225s | It has robust counter-countermeasure features, |
| 228s | excellent maneuverability with a max overload of 35Gs, |
| 232s | and a speed of up to Mach 3, which means that no opponent can escape unscathed. |
| 237s | However, timing of the launch is crucial, |
| 240s | as despite its counter-countermeasure capabilities, |
| 243s | the missile can still be thrown off by well-timed flares. |
| 250s | Every single one of the missiles that we’ve just mentioned |
| 252s | has its own strengths and flaws, but all of them are undoubtedly effective. |
| 257s | Which one is your favorite? |
| 258s | Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments down below! |