In article ,
"Simon Robbins" writes:
"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
...
the
host parts are the nose and leading edges. No way to get around that.

Hippag. It goes some way to helping that by cryogenically cooling the seeker
head before launch. (Though mainly to improve efficiecy of the IR sensor
than to reduce heat signature.)

That cools the seeker cell itself, not the nosecone/radome/IRdome.
The outer surfaces of teh missile structure are not cooled.
The plume of teh motor & gas generator has a not insignificant radar
signature as well, for most propellant formulations used today. In
order to increase the Specific Impulse (Thrust/Mass/Time), most solid
propellant grains, and some liquid propellants that have been tried,
use Aluminum or Magnesium powder in teh mixture. The unburned
Aluminum dust makes a detectable signature. North Vietnamese Fan Song
Radar Operators were able to detect ARM launches from the various SAM
Supressors flying against them, and occasionally shut down in time.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster