Infrared Missiles

Acquire the aircraft you intend to hit. An infrared missile follows its own seeker and does not need your radar lock after launch. Radar or helmet cueing can point compatible seekers, but the missile must still acquire the target. Do not fire into a confused group unless you can establish what the seeker is following.

Make the first turn manageable

All-aspect and rear-aspect describe acquisition capability, not equally effective shots from every direction. Consider the immediate flight path. A target at the edge of the seeker's acquisition area may demand a substantial turn just after release.

Where your seeker and cueing system permit, lead the target before release to reduce the initial correction. A valid lock does not prove the missile can make the intercept.

Flare resistance depends on the seeker

IRCCM is not one universal system. Some seekers narrow their tracking field to exclude nearby flares. Others temporarily suspend tracking when decoys are detected and then attempt to reacquire the aircraft. Has IRCCM does not mean ignores flares.

The AIM-9M uses tracking suspension. Flaring while continuing on the same predictable path can leave you where its seeker expects to find you. Countermeasures need to accompany a change in flight path that makes reacquisition harder.

Defend with heat reduction, flares and maneuver

When practical, cancel afterburner, deploy flares and maneuver to separate your aircraft from the decoys in the seeker's view. Canceling afterburner reduces your infrared signature; it does not instantly make the aircraft cold. Dispenser placement and the missile's approach angle affect the result.

Waiting until the missile is almost upon you leaves less time for countermeasures to work. Keep watching the threat. A flare burst alone is not confirmation that it has stopped tracking.

Give the missile room to reach

A close crossing target may require more immediate maneuvering than the weapon can deliver. A retreating target may remain clearly visible to the seeker while outrunning the missile's remaining energy.

Choose range and alignment together. Do not keep chasing solely because the seeker retains a strong tone; the intercept may already be beyond what the weapon can complete.

Diagnose the miss before firing again

If the missile followed a flare, reconsider target aspect, countermeasure timing and the seeker's limitations. If it pursued but fell behind, reconsider range, closure and launch energy. If it failed to make the initial turn, reconsider alignment, crossing angle and minimum practical range.

If it followed the wrong aircraft, reassess identification and contact separation before release. Change the condition that caused the miss rather than firing a second weapon into the same failed geometry.