F-35 one step closer to AIM-9X off-boresight capability

A step in the right direction for it's WVR strength, especially as the F-35's helmet has some impressive capability. The test happened today at 6,000ft over the Pacific by AF-1.

Link to Air Force Mag

Personally I think this is very exciting. With a majority of the defense media and the media in general dogging on the AF's only hope, this is a major capability upgrade. We all know that the final version of the F-35 may not match some of the 4th gen air-superiority fighters, but if it can ripple off AIM-9x on an aircraft that it can't keep up with in a dogfight than that super-maneuverability may not be as much of an edge. I would be curious to see how off-boresight off-boresight is and how well it plays with the F-35's super advanced helmet-mounted cueing technology. Either way any good news is great news for the F-35, because every blemish, no matter how small, is a major target on the programs back.

a reply to: Caughtlurking

Does off bore sight drop off the rail or is it launched of same? Do you do any mods to the missile to make it turn sharper?

flagg it's real cool of the U S industry...love it....off-boresight....first I've heard

In the olden days, did fighters have 20mm guns for air-to-air dogfighting......offset to the upside for inside turns.....was that possible....I'll go lookup off-boresight now....

Im assuming its the Block II..From Wiki..

Testing work on the AIM-9X Block II version began in September 2008.[23] The Block II adds Lock-on After Launch capability with a datalink, so the missile can be launched first and then directed to its target afterwards by an aircraft with the proper equipment for 360 degree engagements, such as the F-35 and F-22.[24] By January 2013, the AIM-9X Block II was about halfway through its operational testing and performing better than expected. NAVAIR reported that the missile was exceeding performance requirements in all areas, including lock-on after launch (LOAL). One area where the Block II needs improvement is helmetless high off-boresight (HHOBS) performance. It is functioning well on the missile, but performance is below that of the Block I AIM-9X. The HHOBS deficiency does not impact any other Block II capabilities, and is planned to be improved upon by a software clean-up build. Objectives of the operational test were due to be completed by the third quarter of 2013.[25] However, as of May 2014 there have been plans to resume operational testing and evaluation (including surface-to-air missile system compatibility).[26] As of June 2013, Raytheon has delivered 5,000 AIM-9X missiles to the armed services.[27] In February 2015, the U.S. Army successfully launched an AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder from the new Multi-Mission Launcher (MML), a truck-mounted missile launch container that can hold 16 of the missiles. The MML is part of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-Intercept (IFPC Inc. 2-I) to protect ground forces against cruise missile and unmanned aerial vehicle threats. The X-model Block II Sidewinder has been determined by the Army to be the best solution to CM and UAV threats because of its passive IIR seeker. The MML will complement the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger air defense system and is expected to begin fielding in 2019.

a reply to: Forensick

It's launched the same. The missile just curves around until the seeker can see the target.

a reply to: GBP/JPY

In the olden days, did fighters have 20mm guns for air-to-air dogfighting……

Guns were for dogfighting in a sky filled with bogeys. The fur balls in WWII, Korea…

then during Vietnam they dropped the gun, thinking in the world of whiz bang air to air missiles it would be obsolete.

Were they wrong. After missiles were expended, they were defenseless, turning tail and running for home. So they brought the gun back. Yes, at first 20 MM pods under the wing, but eventually under the nose internally mounted vulcan cannons.

Does the f35 have a gun?

a reply to: intrptr


F-35 has a cannon, A is internal, B+C external. Everyone talks about guns on fighters being a solid way to keep fighting when you're out of missiles, no one ever wants to talk about the fact that these guns fire for mere seconds and they're empty as well. Fighter aircraft aren't designed to loiter and fight for long periods of time in A2A engagements because there isn't enough available weight to carry that many weapons and still be an agile dogfighter. It's always been find the bogies, kill the bogies and go home to reload.


The AIM-9X will enable the F-35 to engage and kill targets that may have the ability to outmaneauver it.

a reply to: Zaphod58
I should know this but,
Does the F-35 use a helmet mounted targeting system? Or does the missile get initial targeting from the plane's radar?

a reply to: Phage

The entire HUD is displayed on the helmet. That's why it's been so difficult to develop and do expensive. Each helmet is custom made at this point. And yes, it has a targeting system as well. The AIM-9X can use its own seeker for straight shots, and takes guidance from the helmet for HOBS shots.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So presumably, the pilot would visually track the target and that would guide the plane's sensor suite, which would guide the missile until it acquires the target on its own?

"Bandit at 10:00. Fox 2!"

a reply to: Phage

He visually tracks the target, which allows the missile to lock on, then once it's fired it turns and uses the on board sensor, yes. They can hit targets in any direction including behind them.

a reply to: Zaphod58

If the target is offbore of the missile's IR sensor, how does that work? What guides the missile until the onboard sensor acquires?

If the pre-launch instruction is simply "go thataway until you find something", it seems a bit iffy.

a reply to: Phage

It has a small INS unit on board. The helmet sensor translates the location of the target to coordinates for the INS which guides the missile to the area, then the seeker takes over.

a reply to: intrptr

And in times after the Vietnam War, how important has the gun been in air-to-air combat?

The seekers and software were primitive then. They aren't now.

The gun seems relevant for air-to-ground only.

a reply to: Caughtlurking

Everyone talks about guns on fighters being a solid way to keep fighting when you're out of missiles, no one ever wants to talk about the fact that these guns fire for mere seconds and they're empty as well.

I know. But the legacy of Vietnam remains.

That they include an internal gun on the F35 shows that lesson hasn't been forgotten.

originally posted by: mbkennel
a reply to: intrptr

And in times after the Vietnam War, how important has the gun been in air-to-air combat?

Haven't mixed it up with another super power yet. That may come sooner than expected.

Believe me when the missiles are gone, and the distances close, you would want that reassurance.

originally posted by: mbkennel
a reply to: intrptr

And in times after the Vietnam War, how important has the gun been in air-to-air combat?

The seekers and software were primitive then. They aren't now.

The gun seems relevant for air-to-ground only.

until they build cannon shells that track and maneuver and slow the rate of fire down. there are experimental 50 cal bullets that do this. you can load a hell of a lot more of those or even 30-40 mm than you can regular missiles.

EXACTO round. scale this up for a fighter's cannon round which can support improved munition shells. something like tungsten shot or flechettes that burst just before impact as well as normal Kinetic or HE impactors.

Raytheon just received funding to continue development of SACM and MSDM. SACM would double the missile payload of aircraft that can carry them. MSDM would give them an anti missile capability, including against some ballistic missiles.

"aft point defense Bravo/Alpha flack 2 Fox!"

starboard aft conformal point defense blister fires 2 rounds with a tungsten fragment charge. Each round maneuvers to within a couple of meters from pursuing craft or missile and detonates about 1/4 to half a second apart.