Rafael's AIM-AIR IR Missile Countermeasure

Rafael is developing an IR guided missile countermeasure system called
AIM-AIR. It basically uses sensors to track any IR guided missiles
fired at an aircraft and it uses lasers to then burn the guidance head
of the IR guided missile.

Can missile developers get around this by maybe adding a filter to the
warhead or will the solution for now be to fire the missiles in salvos
thereby overwhelming the countermeasure?

-----JT-----

JT wrote:

Rafael is developing an IR guided missile countermeasure system called
AIM-AIR. It basically uses sensors to track any IR guided missiles
fired at an aircraft and it uses lasers to then burn the guidance head
of the IR guided missile.

Can missile developers get around this by maybe adding a filter to the
warhead or will the solution for now be to fire the missiles in salvos
thereby overwhelming the countermeasure?

-----JT-----

Take a look at
http://www.oldcrows.org.au/download/.../langietti.pdf, it
discusses the laser plug-in for the US version.

Stephen

Hobo wrote:
In article ,
(JT) wrote:


Rafael is developing an IR guided missile countermeasure system called
AIM-AIR. It basically uses sensors to track any IR guided missiles
fired at an aircraft and it uses lasers to then burn the guidance head
of the IR guided missile.


Does it actually burn or does it blind?

USAF actually shot down Sidewinders with an airborne laser in the 80's.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/outdoor/od19.htm

On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 04:20:07 +0300, mhd wrote:



Hobo wrote:
In article ,
(JT) wrote:


Rafael is developing an IR guided missile countermeasure system called
AIM-AIR. It basically uses sensors to track any IR guided missiles
fired at an aircraft and it uses lasers to then burn the guidance head
of the IR guided missile.


Does it actually burn or does it blind?

USAF actually shot down Sidewinders with an airborne laser in the 80's.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/outdoor/od19.htm

Or maybe even in the early 70's with a laser in the back seat of an
EB-57? I still think the unclassified picture I saw was a BIG recon
camera in the back seat, but the guy said... And he was from Kirtland
AFB, New Mexico..

On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 00:21:21 +0000 (UTC), Jim Yanik wrote:

Any filter would reduce the seeker sensitivity.If the laser is in the same
wavelengths that the seeker uses,it still would be effective,and the filter
would be useless.

And all the laser has to do is blind the seeker long enough for it to lose
lock,and then it can switch to another missile rapidly.

You could have a filter that optionally goes over the seeker. When a
laser is turned on, the missile uses its "sunglasses"; the power of
the laser is such that the missile can use it to seek the aircraft.
When the laser is switched off, the missile takes its sunglasses off
and guides towards the aircraft in the usual way.

This assumes that the filter can go over the seeker quickly enough
that the laser can't damage it, of course.

--
Phil
"If only sarcasm could overturn bureaucracies"
-- NTK, commenting on www.cabalamat.org/weblog/art_29.html

(JT) wrote in message om...
Rafael is developing an IR guided missile countermeasure system called
AIM-AIR. It basically uses sensors to track any IR guided missiles
fired at an aircraft and it uses lasers to then burn the guidance head
of the IR guided missile.

Can missile developers get around this by maybe adding a filter to the
warhead or will the solution for now be to fire the missiles in salvos
thereby overwhelming the countermeasure?

-----JT-----


One method developed to protect US satelites from blinding laser
sensors waas an array of millions of steerable mirrors on a microchip.
It is a Texas Instument technology now used for fnacy digitital
projectors. Becuase of the mirrors the device can reflect away the
intense spot of light.

A similar device adapted for infrared probably already exists.

Sending a modulated beam of IR or even a microwaved beam to consfuse
the head is not new.

Salvos of more than 3 will be required as many such jamming systems
can handle usualy at least a pair of missiles but I think it is an
effective approach.

Another method is to use inertialy guilded missiles that releases a
protective shield for terminal homming and has a home on jam ability.

Seems like shooting a laser through a canopy would be difficult. The
curvature of the Plexiglas and any imperfections would scatter the beam.

--
Jim Atkins
Twentynine Palms CA USA

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx

"Jim Atkins" wrote in
:

Seems like shooting a laser through a canopy would be difficult. The
curvature of the Plexiglas and any imperfections would scatter the beam.


The housing rotates,and has a flat window,probably quartz or
germanium,depending on wavelength.
Like a thermal 'night-vision' system on a helo.

--
Jim Yanik,NRA member
remove null to contact me

"Jim Yanik" wrote in message
.. .
"Jim Atkins" wrote in
:

Seems like shooting a laser through a canopy would be difficult. The
curvature of the Plexiglas and any imperfections would scatter the beam.


The housing rotates,and has a flat window,probably quartz or
germanium,depending on wavelength.
Like a thermal 'night-vision' system on a helo.

Such IR laser systems use a silicon mirror, such that the shape is variable.