The Best Type of Attack against a Non-Maneuvering Target with AIM-9B -- High-side Attack with AIM-9B
Overhead Attack with AIM-9B
The Overhead Attack has two basic disadvantages – IR and G. As you will recall, IR tone contrast against sunlight-reflective background – clouds, and ground – forces us to diminish our effective slant range, until we are approximately 6000’ to 8000’ from our target. This IR limitation, combined with the 2G limitation, allows an attacker to fire only at low angles off. To illustrate, by figure 11, if an attacker pulls 2G inside an opponent’s cone of max performance – angular velocity cone – he will generate a radial G considerably different than the total G on the G meter. For example, at 30° angle-off, applying the formula Gt - Gr + Cosθ, we find that the attacker is only able to generate 1.134 Gr.
For fighter and target at 35 - 80,000’,
Vf = .9 Mach = 873’ / second
Vt = .9 Mach = 873’ / second
Gt = 2
θ = 10°, 20°, 30°
Gr @ 10° = 2 - .985 = 1.015
Gr @ 20° = 2 - .94 = 1.06
Gr @ 30° = 2 - .866 = 1.134
For θ = 10°
S = Vf x Vt x Sinθ / 32.2Gr = 23700 x Sinθ / Gr = 23, 700 x 0.174 / 1.015 = 4.060
For θ = 20°
S = 23,700 x 0.342 / 1.06 = 7.650
For θ = 30°
S = 23,700 x 0.5 / 1.134 = 10.450
At 20° angle-off, applying the same formula, we find that the attacker can generate 1.06 Gr. At 10° angle-off, he can generate only 1.015 Gr. Now let’s assume that the fighter making this attack is going .9 Mach against a .9 Mach target at 35,000’. Applying the formula:
S = Vf x Vt x Sinθ / 32.2N
Where
Vf = .9 Mach or 873’ / S
Vt = .9 Mach or 873’ / S
Sine of 30° = .5
N = 1.134
we find that, at 30° angle-off, an attacker can get no closer than 10,450’. At 20° angle off – where Sinθ = .342 and N = 1.06 – we find that an attacker can get no closer than 7,650’. At 10° angle off, using the same procedure, we find that an attacker can get no closer than 4,060’. Since an attacker cannot receive proper IR discrimination at ranges greater than 6000 to 8000 feet, he will be forced to launch his missile inside 20 degrees angle-off in order to secure a kill. Certainly this poses no great problem, as the attacker will be forced in-trail since the fighter/target ratio is much less than 2 to 1. However, despite this aid from a low fighter/target ratio, the overhead attack is the poorest possible for employment of AIM-9B. (This will become especially apparent when we discuss fighter-versus-fighter tactics.)
The Best Type of Attack against a Non-Maneuvering Target with AIM-9B -- High-side Attack with AIM-9B