[Defense Commentary] The Missile Feared by Fighter Jets Worldwide

[Monthly Defense Times Editor-in-Chief An Seung-beom]The AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile is operated by 35 countries worldwide. It began with the AIM-120 air-to-air missile launched from a U.S. Air Force F-16D fighter in 1992, which shot down an Iraqi Air Force MiG-25 fighter approaching the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. In 1994, a U.S. Air Force F-16C fighter shot down a Serbian Air Force J-21 attack aircraft over Banja Luka, Bosnia, and approximately 18 aircraft have been shot down by AMRAAM missiles to date.

The Republic of Korea Air Force also adopted the AIM-120 as its primary medium-range air-to-air missile since the initial introduction of the KF-16 fighter through the Korean Fighter Program (KFP). During the KFP project, the AIM-120B variant was introduced, and later, through the F-X program, the AIM-120C-5 and AIM-120C-7 variants were procured, continuing to the present day.

The AIM-120 AMRAAMs introduced into the ROK Air Force also have a separate mode for use in close combat or self-defense, known as the Boresight mode or Mad dog mode.

The F-15K fighter is equipped with AIM-120C-5 and AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs. Unlike the B model’s WDU-33/B and WGU-41/B warheads, the C model carries the WDU-41/B warhead, which is approximately 11 pounds lighter. This missile’s control surfaces and fins were reduced in size compared to the B model to fit inside the internal weapons bay of the F-22 stealth fighter.

The weight and drag of the C model AMRAAM are reduced compared to the B model, which contributed to improved physical flight characteristics, including increased range. The C model’s initial flight includes maneuvers to increase the missile’s glide ratio, and its attack trajectory is more efficiently configured. For the C-5 variant, the enlargement of the rocket motor was a key factor in extending its range. Additionally, the C-5 variant features enhanced electronic countermeasure capabilities.

For the AIM-120C-7 variant, the seeker’s performance was further enhanced, making it more difficult for targets to evade the missile during the terminal guidance phase. As a result, the hit probability against the same target under identical conditions is higher for the C-7 than for the C-5, and its range is also increased.

The latest AIM-120D variant offers more accurate navigation data calculation than previous AMRAAMs. Unlike earlier models that only received data unilaterally, the AIM-120D supports a two-way data link, improving the quality of data used for flight path corrections. This capability allows for more efficient missile attack trajectories.