AIM-152 AAAM Phoenix replacement projects

[Scott Kenny]

As far as I know both teams got as far as ground tests of test articles (Including rocket-motors) before the programme was cancelled, I suspect that if the Cold War had lasted a year longer we'd have seen flight-tests of XAIM-152A prototypes.

I'm pretty sure I've seen photos of the ramjet missiles on Tomcats in flight. Probably just fit/flow tests, not a drop test, though.

 

[NMaude]

I'm pretty sure I've seen photos of the ramjet missiles on Tomcats in flight.

Got any links?

 

[Scott Kenny]

Got any links?

Not readily found. A quick check now only shows a missile on the ground for ACIMD, all the in flight images I'm finding now are drawings/renderings.

 

[NMaude]

A quick check now only shows a missile on the ground for ACIMD

I do believe I've seen that photograph and IIRC it was mounted on an F-14 on one of its' wing-pylons.

 

[iwantmoresources]

I think this is the picture you were looking for.

Apart from the advanced guidance tech demonstrated during the AIM-152 program, I would also assume that GDWs missile used much more advanced propellant when compared to AIM-7F/M/ and AIM-120A/B. And I think that propellant was CL-20 nitroamine. The timeline matches perfectly. CL-20 was developed during the 80s, and the GDW/HR were selected as competitors in 1987. The fuels used in contemporary Sparrows and AMRAAM wouldn't be energetic enough to achieve 100+ NM range.

 

[NMaude]

I think this is the picture you were looking for.

That's the one.

I think that if the Hughes/Raytheon/McD ACIMD missile had got to the flight-test stage then for the initial flight-tests (Autopilot only no radar-seeker) testing the boost-phase only I suspect they would've used surplus Mk-52 rocket-motors from AIM-7Es.

 

[zjz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1859224447573500039

View: https://x.com/RealAirPower1/status/1859224447573500039

 

[NMaude]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1859224447573500039

View: https://x.com/RealAirPower1/status/1859224447573500039

This was a wasted research opportunity, using modified AIM-54s for hypersonic research would've saved money AND at the same time de-milling them to prevent them from being surreptitiously acquired by the Iranians.

 

[zjz]

This was a wasted research opportunity, using modified AIM-54s for hypersonic research would've saved money AND at the same time de-milling them to prevent them from being surreptitiously acquired by the Iranians.

I recalled seeing a paper on this .... always thought it's objective was to arm the F-15 with the Pheonix .....

[edit] found it!

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20060004771/downloads/20060004771.pdf

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20070025193/downloads/20070025193.pdf

 

[NMaude]

I recalled seeing a paper on this .... always thought it's objective was to arm the F-15 with the Pheonix .....

[edit] found it!

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20060004771/downloads/20060004771.pdf

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20070025193/downloads/20070025193.pdf

I've got those PDFs downloaded somewhere on my computer. The thing is that there were IIRC ~5,000 AIM-54s when they were retired, just think of how many NASA/JPL supersonic/hypersonic research could've been done on these surplus LRAAMs.