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<i>AIM-9X Sidewinder Approved For Full-Rate Production
Story Number: NNS040519-03
Release Date: 5/19/2004 9:13:00 AM


From Naval Air Systems Command PEO-T Public Affairs

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (NNS) -- The Naval Air Systems Command Air-to-Air Missile Program Office announced May 17 that the AIM-9X Sidewinder has been approved for Full-Rate Production.

Authorization for this milestone was granted by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, the Honorable John J. Youngon.

“It’s great to get approval for AIM-9X full-rate production,” said Air-to-Air Missile Systems Program Manager, Capt. Scott Stewart. “Our Navy, Air Force and Allied air crews deserve weapons that allow them to dominate in air-to-air combat. AIM-9X extends their tactical flexibility and capability beyond traditional missiles. It certainly has redefined the way we fight in aerial combat with its inherent transformational war-fighting capabilities.”

The AIM-9X is a joint U.S. Navy and Air Force program, with the Navy designated as the lead service. As an acclaimed U.S. Department of Defense flagship program for Modeling and Simulation (M&S), it saved more than $50 million in development costs. Complemented by this sophisticated and accredited M&S capability, the AIM-9X program underwent an extensive and highly successful flight test program. The program successfully scored an unprecedented 18 of 19 guided flight successes during development testing and completed 22 operational evaluation firings.

AIM-9X also proved to be highly reliable in more than 3,500 hours of rigorous captive flight-testing. Both services have declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The U.S. Air Force declared IOC in November at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the Navy, along with Marine Squadrons at Iwakuni, Japan, in February.

"This key program milestone was achieved through effective teamwork and a strong systems design approach," said Raytheon's Air-to-Air Programs Director Brock McCaman. "It is most rewarding to be delivering this revolutionary capability to our warfighters."

The AIM-9X system design approach incorporates a fifth-generation staring Focal Plane Array seeker for robust guidance performance, and Infrared Countermeasure resistance and jet vane control for extremely agile turning performance.

For related news, visit the NAVAIR - Naval Air Systems Command Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navair.

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Excellent news.

How bout the helmet sight?

"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."

Kipling-

Hardware for the most part has been approved and been in service. Differnt end users (communities) have been doing some slight softwqre and display modifications to assist in their missions. But nothing to stop fullrate integrations to other airframes anymore.

As usual they wil continually be updated like any other avionics package in aircraft.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

Super Hornet is the First manufactored airframe that was integrated with it first as part of its design.

it is not in the fleet yet on a wide scale do to the Naval test community and boeing have been making software changes. Tt is a plug and play system for the Super Bug. If we went to war today and the system was sitting on a manufacturer shelves it could be fielded very rapidly. It is not an Issue of when they get it, but more of implementing feedback from users navalsystem wide, and getting their pet peives put into it. The hardwre is ready.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

As always has been the trend with our Weapondesigns and standards, redundancy is key, so yes other sytems can slave the 9x, much in the same way its predecessors have been.

AS far as the JHMCS. I'd like to know your thoughts as to why you feel you would have concerns to its current configurtion?

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

The owl is 6 times the weight of the JHMCS. I work on this program too, The owl however does incorporate a NVIS monocular on both Sides of the Helmet (removable) with some great HALO reduction that is independent of its Targeting Flir. The System is Superior to the traditional clip on An/PVS aviation has been useing.

THE OWL and the JHMCS are not cued , tracked and calibrated in the same fashion.Tthe through put an processing of the JHMCS is very fast as compared to the Owl.

The owl is most definately not what you want to use in a High G enviroment or in a knife fight. I'm pretty certain the Owl wsa not designed to suffer the G shock the JHMCS is certified to either.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader