AIM-9X Sidewinder: the powerful missile with which the US shot down the Chinese spy balloon

@DefAviation ES 2·06·2023 · 23:44 0

In recent days there has been a lot of talk about the Chinese spy balloon that has flown over Canada and the United States at high altitude.

A comparison of the maneuverability of the most advanced US and Russian fighters
The curious image of a USAF F-15C Eagle fighter with the White Eagle of Poland

Here we can see the video of the demolition , in which it is not clear which weapon could have been responsible for its destruction:

Last Saturday, the US Department of Defense pointed out the following: "An F-22 Raptor fighter from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, fired one AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon. The balloon fell approximately six miles off the coast in about 47 feet of water. No one was hurt." So, we already have the name of the missile used: the AIM-9X Sidewinder. Let's know more about it.

The AIM-9X Sidewinder is the latest version of a long-standing family of short-range air-to-air missiles. The first prototype of the Sidewinder, the AIM-9A, was first successfully fired in September of 1953. The first production version, the AIM-9B, entered service with the United States Navy in 1956. The United States Air Force (USAF) did not adopt it until 1964. Since then they have been used by all kinds of fighters from the US and 46 allied countries, including Spain, being used in aerial combat in different wars in recent decades. It is estimated that this missile has been responsible for the downing of some 270 aircraft.

The Spanish Air Force comments the following about this missile: "It is a short-range, infrared-guided supersonic air-to-air missile of North American origin that is equipped with an optical or laser detector with a high-explosive homing head This type of sensor allows the pilot to launch the missile and leave the combat area or perform evasive actions while the missile continues its automatic guidance to the target, that is, is a missile with 'fire and forget' characteristics. The missile is guided by tracking the infrared energy of the thermal source that every aircraft gives off."

Regarding the version used to shoot down the Chinese balloon, the Spanish Air Force states the following: "The latest development of the Sidewinder missile family, the AIM-9X, significantly increases the characteristics of the current versions, which which provides a greater field of view and greater maneuverability thanks to a new seeker head and a new thrust vectoring engine."

The AIM-9X is 3 meters long (9.9 feet), and the missile body has a diameter of 13 cm (5 inches). The wingspan of its hind flippers is 45 cm (17.6 inches), and its weight is 84 kg (186 lbs). Despite how widespread it is, its top speed is rated, according to the US Navy, although it is a supersonic missile and is estimated to exceed Mach 2.5< /strong>(3.087 km/h or 1918 mph). Its range is also rated, although it is estimated to be able to shoot down targets at a distance of about 35.4 km (22 miles).