AIM-54 Phoenix

AIM-54 Phoenix
AIM-54A on an F-14 at NAS Patuxent River, 1984
TypeLong range BVR air-to-air missile
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1974–present
Used byUnited States Navy (former)
Iranian Air Force
Production history
DesignerHughes Aircraft Company
Designed1960–1966
Manufacturer
Unit costUS$477,131 (1974 FY)
Produced1966
Specifications
Mass
  • AIM-54A/B - 976 lb (443 kg)
  • AIM-54C – 1,015 lb (460 kg)
Length12 ft 9+1⁄2 in (3.9 m)
Diameter15 in (380 mm)
Wingspan2 ft 11+1⁄2 in (0.9 m)
Warhead
  • AIM-54A/B - HE continuous rod
  • AIM-54C – HE Mk 82; WDU‐29/B continuous rod
Warhead weight133 lb (60.33 kg)
Detonation
mechanism
Proximity fuze
EngineSolid propellant rocket motor
Operational
range
  • AIM-54A/B - 72.9 nmi (135.0 km; 83.9 mi)
  • AIM-54C – 99.4 nmi (184.1 km; 114.4 mi)
Flight ceiling103,500 ft (31.5 km)
Maximum speed
  • AIM-54A/B - Mach 4.3 (1,460 m/s; 4,800 ft/s)
  • AIM-54C – Mach 5 (1,700 m/s; 5,600 ft/s)
Guidance
system
Semi-active radar homing and terminal phase active radar homing
Launch
platform
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
ReferencesJanes[1]

The AIM-54 Phoenix is an American active radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only operational launch platform.

The AIM-54 Phoenix was the United States' only operational long-range AAM during its service life; its operational capabilities were supplemented by the AIM-7 Sparrow (and later, the AIM-120 AMRAAM), which served as the primary medium-range AAM and the AIM-9 Sidewinder, serving as the primary short-range or "dogfight" AAM. The combination of Phoenix missile and the Tomcat's AN/AWG-9 guidance radar meant that it was the first aerial weapons system that could simultaneously engage multiple targets. Due to its active radar tracking, the brevity code "Fox Three" was used when firing the AIM-54. The act of the missile achieving a radar lock with its own radar is known under brevity as "Going Pitbull".

Both the missile and the aircraft were used by Iran and the United States Navy (USN). In US service both are now retired, the AIM-54 Phoenix in 2004 and the F-14 in 2006. They were replaced by the shorter-range AIM-120 AMRAAM, employed on the F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet; in its AIM-120D version, the latest version of the AMRAAM just matches the Phoenix's maximum range.[2] In July 2024, the USN announced the operational fielding of the AIM-174, the "Air-Launched Configuration"[3] of the RIM-174 Standard ERAM, the first dedicated long-range AAM to be fielded by the U.S. military since the AIM-54's retirement.[4] While details regarding the AIM-174's range are unconfirmed, certain surface-launched RIM-174 variants are capable of 250 nmi (290 mi; 460 km) launches. With the benefit of being launched already at-speed and at-altitude (where the air is thinner and thus easier to fly through), combined with additional lofting, the AIM-174's range may extend to several hundred miles,[5] though the USN has confirmed a range of 130 nmi (150 mi; 240 km), about a 30% increase in range over the AIM-54C.[6][7]

The AIM-54 has been used in 62 air-to-air strikes, all by Iran during the eight-year Iran–Iraq War.[8][9] Following the retirement of the F-14 by the USN, the weapon's only current operator is the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

  1. ^ Janes (26 February 2021), "AIM-54 Phoenix", Janes Weapons: Air Launched, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 2 October 2022
  2. ^ "New long-range missile project emerges in US budget". November 2, 2017.
  3. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07. The SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today.
  4. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-03). "First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles". The Aviationist. Retrieved 2024-07-07. In essence, this new missile fills the gap left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix. The AIM-54 was a long-range air-to-air missile used by the U.S. Navy's F-14 Tomcat and retired in 2004 alongside the F-14. Known for its impressive range of over 100 nautical miles and multiple-target engagement capability, the AIM-54 left a significant void in long-range engagement capabilities.
  5. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-03). "First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles". The Aviationist. Retrieved 2024-07-07. The SM-6 uses the airframe of the SM-2ER Block IV (RIM-156A) missile, upgraded with an active radar homing seeker derived from the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile. This missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 3.5 and has a maximum range of 200 nautical miles. To that respect, it's not clear what the maximum range of the air-launched version could be: despite the lack of a booster, launching it at high speed and altitude would result in significantly greater range compared to the surface-launched variant.
  6. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  7. ^ West, Lisa (2024-07-06). "U.S. Navy Reveals Longest-Range Air-to-Air Missile at RIMPAC". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  8. ^ John Stillion. "Trends in Air-to-Air Combat: Implications for Future Air Superiority" (PDF). Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
  9. ^ Cooper, Tom; Bishop, Farzad. Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat, p. 85. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1 84176 787 5.