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Air-To-Air Missiles 83
Typical Missile Envelope Against a Co-altitude, Non-maneuvering Target
Notice the right-hand illustration in the figure above. This shows the second major
factor in missile range: altitude. Generally speaking, a missile’s kinematic range
doubles for each 6,100 m (20,000 ft) that altitude is increased. For example, if the
missile’s kinematic range is 20 km at sea level, it will double to approximately 40
km when fired at a co-altitude target 6,100 m higher. At 12,200 m (approximately
40,000 ft), missile range would increase to 80 km. When fired at a higher or lower
target, the missile’s range is generally associated with the median altitude
between the shooter and the target (assuming the missile can climb high enough
when fired at a higher altitude target).
Finally, the speed of the launching aircraft greatly impacts missile kinematic range.
The slower the launcher is moving, the longer the missile will take to reach
maximum speed. More of its limited motor burn will be spent accelerating to
cruise speed. If the missile is launched at a higher speed, it will reach cruise
speed and altitude faster, saving more of the motor burn for the “cruise” portion
of the flight. Likewise, the speed of the target impacts the missile range as well.
The faster the target is moving, the more distance it will cover during the missile’s
time of flight. In a tail-chase scenario, the target may escape the missile’s
maximum range. In a head-on scenario, the target may close inside the missile’s
minimum range!
Maneuvering Targets and Missile Evasion
Unfortunately, target aircraft rarely cooperate with your plans and often attempt to
evade your missiles. So far, we have not discussed how target maneuvering
affects missile performance. When fired at a maneuvering target, the missile will
follow a curved trajectory to the target. This increases drag, bleeds speed, and
reduces the missile’s effective range.
The target may attempt to “drag” the missile; in this case the target executes a
high-g turn until it facing directly away from the missile, then unloads to 1 g and
accelerates directly away from the incoming missile. In this case, the target is
attempting to place the missile in the shorter “tail aspect” portion of its flight
envelope. Success depends primarily on how quickly the target can turn (a light
fighter may execute an 8 g or 9 g turn; a heavily laden attack aircraft may be
limited to 5 g or 6 g) and how quickly it can accelerate after bleeding speed away
in that turn. Modern, more-capable missiles may have a no-escape zone; that is, at
a given range (say 10 km), no aircraft in the world can turn fast enough and
accelerate fast enough to escape. That same missile, though, may be unable to
catch an aircraft performing a 6.5 g drag turn 25 km away.
The target may also attempt to “beam” the missile by turning toward the missile
to place the inbound missile at either the 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock position, then
maintaining a sufficient turn to keep the missile there. This forces the missile to