There was one made by Rocketdyne utilizing their Mk47 Mod 0 motor. There were also 2 distinct variants of motors used by the AIM-54A.
High Altitude Performance (HAP) modification improved performance against very high-altitude and high-speed targets. Reject Image Device (RID) offered improved capabilities against low altitude targets over water, and was incorporated during production of later missiles.Įxtended Active Gate (EAG) improved the missile’s resistance to certain ECM threats, and was also a production feature of later missiles. There were several subvariants/improvements of the AIM-54A that are known specifically about what the exact improvements did in terms of performance.
Sidenote: AIM-54As can be distinctly differentiated from AIM-54Cs because they're all painted white compared to AIM-54Cs (which initially came in white but were later phased out with grey as their standard color). Initial AIM-54A production would eventually end in 1981. These were determined that if there were no hardware malfunctions, the missiles would have hit the targets. Most famously in 1973, an F-14A was able to fire 6 AIM-54As at various target drones within 37 seconds at ranges up to 43.19 nms (80 kms) with 4 scoring direct hits, 1 missing due to the target drone veering off course due to a malfunction, and 1 missing due to a hardware failure. AIM-54As during airborne testing had achieved a success rate of 88% during its test program. The first production AIM-54A missiles were delivered in 1973 and were ready for deployment with the first F-14A squadron (VF-1 Wolfpack on the USS Enterprise) in 1974 during the first F-14 deployment. Initially intended to be mounted on the F-111B, it was later mounted on the F-14 platform after the F-111B was cancelled. The missile was then optimized to face that threat along with fighter aircraft. Without going into the history of the precursor systems that eventually led to the development of the AIM-54, the development of the AIM-54 Phoenix (AAM-N-11 Phoenix at the time) began in 1960 by Hughes with it being redesignated the AIM-54A in 1962. The Phoenix was developed initially to face the ever growing threat of Soviet bombers carrying anti-ship missiles against US carriers. Target size large sends the active signal at 13 nms Target size normal sends the active signal at 10 nms Target size small sends the active signal at 6 nms The AIM-54 can have varying active distances depending on the target size switch in the RIO's pit as this switch changes when the AWG-9's WCS sends the active command to the missile.
This datalink guidance (not to be confused with military tactical data links like Link-16 or Link-4) uses the AWG-9's pulse signals, datalink transmitter at the tail of the AIM-54, and the antenna of the AIM-54 itself in order to give mid-course guidance to the missile. An exception is used for P-STT and PH-ACT when used outside of a the seeker's own detection range: the AIM-54 will fall back to the AWG-9's datalink guidance and guide on that course using that guidance until it detects the target with its own seeker. disregards if you're in PD-STT or TWS, that missile is going active off the rail). The AIM-54 can be fired in an active mode off the rail when ether in P-STT (Pulse Single Target Track), PH ACT switch is selected in the RIO seat, a TCS track is used, the missile is fired within 10nms of the target, or ACM cover is lifted upwards (which disregards any prior radar modes i.e. This mode doesn't not allow for the AIM-54 to go active in any way (unless fired within 10nms) and will basically be a super long range AIM-7. The AIM-54 will be fired in a Fox-1 mode (continuous semi-active) when the AIM-54 is fired in a PD-STT (Pulse Doppler Single Target Track) at a target. Once the missile is active, the firing aircraft no longer has to support the missile and can turn away. The sample data semi-active, like stated in the document above, is used during the mid-course guidance phase of a TWS missile shot prior to the missile going "pitbull" or fully radar active. For a pretty good explanation of the AIM-54 guidance, I'll direct you to a thesis written about the AIM-54 and AWG-9 system written by Naval Undergraduate Stephen Thornton Long. Those 3 modes are sample data semi-active (datalink mid-course guidance), continuous semi active (Fox-1 mode basically), and active (Fox-3 fire and forget). The AIM-54's operates in 4 distinct modes, 3 of which will be important to gameplay in WT.
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