AIM-9 Sidewinder Missile

• A heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft.
  
• Has a high-explosive warhead and an infrared heat-seeking guidance system.
  
• Main components are an infrared homing guidance section, an active optical target detector, a high-explosive warhead and a rocket motor.
  
• Guidance section enables the missile to home in on the engine exhaust of target aircraft.
  
• Infrared unit costs less than other types of guidance systems and can be used day or night in all weather conditions.
  
• Infrared seeker also permits the pilot to launch the missile then leave the area or take evasive action while the missile guides itself to the target.
  
• The most widely used air-to-air missile in the West, with more than 110,000 missiles produced for 27 nations excluding the United States.
  
• The AIM-9 is one of the oldest, least expensive and most successful missiles in the entire U.S. weapons inventory.
  
• Primary Function: Air-to-air missile.
  
• Power Plant: Thiokol Hercules and Bermite MK 36 Mod 11; single-stage, solid-propellant rocket motor.
  
• Length: 9 feet 6 inches (2.89 meters).
  
• Diameter: 5 inches (.13 meters).
  
• Fin Span: 2 feet 1 inch (0.63 meters).
  
• Speed: Supersonic.
  
• Warhead: Blast fragmentation (conventional) weighing 20.8 pounds (9.36 kg).
  
• Launch Weight: 190 pounds (85.5 kg).
  
• Range: 10+ miles (8.7 nautical , 16 km).
  
• Guidance System: Solid-state infrared homing system.
  
• Unit Cost: $41,300.
  
• Date Deployed: 1956.