air-to-air missile is indeed very short. Air-to-air missiles can be divided into three types according to their ranges, namely, short-range air-to-air missiles, medium-range air-to-air missiles, and long-range air-to-air missiles. Under normal circumstances, the longer the missile's engine works, the longer the range. The range of short-range air-to-air missiles is relatively short, and the working time of the engine is relatively short, usually about 6-8 seconds, while the range of medium-range and long-range air-to-air missiles is relatively long, and the working time of the engine is relatively longer, usually 10- About 30 seconds. So the working time of the air-to-air missile engine is not long, how does it guarantee the range and hit the target?
In fact, the engine of the air-to-air missile is mainly responsible for providing the initial power of the missile, so that the missile can be accelerated to the maximum flight speed in a short time. However, due to the limited volume of air-to-air missiles and the limited fuel it carries, it is impossible to guarantee the long-term high-speed flight of air-to-air missiles. Therefore, after the engine of the air-to-air missile stops working, it mainly relies on its own kinetic energy to fly. Based on this principle, the range of air-to-air missiles is not static. The range of air-to-air missiles can be divided into dynamic range, maximum range and effective range. The so-called dynamic range is the range of the missile during the working hours of the engine. The maximum range is the maximum distance that the guide projectile can fly after launching, and the effective range is the range that the guide projectile has strong maneuverability and lethality.
For air-to-air missiles, the maximum range is usually the maximum distance that the missile can fly by virtue of its own power and inertia in a high-altitude environment where the main force is small. If the missile is launched at a low altitude, its resistance and environmental impact will greatly reduce its maximum range. When air-to-air missiles are in a head-on attack and a rear-end attack, the environment is not the same, which is reflected in the big difference in range. Generally speaking, the missile's range in a head-on attack is greater than that of a rear-end attack. Air-to-air missiles are limited in size and cannot carry a lot of fuel. Therefore, after launch, they will accelerate to the maximum speed when the engine is working, and control the flight trajectory according to the seeker and wings. After the engine is turned off, it is maintained by aerodynamic design. Inertial flight. Therefore, the concept of an inescapable zone is formed within the effective range of air-to-air missiles.
In this no-escape zone, the air-to-air missile has sufficient power, strong maneuverability and fast flight speed. The maneuverability of missiles is much stronger than that of aircraft. This leads to a relatively high missile hit rate in this range, and it is difficult to avoid missile attacks no matter how the aircraft maneuvered. However, this range is usually much smaller than the maximum range of the missile, only about 1/3 of the maximum range. For example, the non-escape zone of the AIM-120C missile is about 25-30 kilometers. Beyond this range, the missile's power and maneuverability decline, and the probability of hitting the target also declines. When the missile reaches its maximum range, whether the missile can hit the target depends entirely on luck.
Because of this, if air-to-air missiles want to increase the range and the probability of hitting the target, there are mainly the following methods. First of all, engines with greater thrust and lower fuel consumption can be used to increase the power of the missile and reduce fuel consumption to obtain a longer range. Secondly, the fuel storage method can be improved to increase the fuel capacity. At the same time, through the improvement of the missile's guidance system and movement characteristics, the missile's tracking ability and maneuverability are improved, and the missile's inevitable zone is expanded.
In addition, when a fighter launches an air-to-air missile, it can also increase the initial speed of the missile by increasing the speed of the carrier, helping the missile to obtain a long range and stronger maneuverability. You can also use single-chamber double-thrust technology or double-chamber double-thrust technology to improve the range and maneuverability of the missile. That is, when the missile is launched, a kind of thrust is used to provide power. After reaching a certain speed, the engine thrust is reduced or turned off, and the inertial flight is adopted. When the target is near the target, the engine is turned on and the engine is fully charged toward the target. This technology can also greatly improve the missile's range and maneuverability. For example, the AIM-120D air-to-air missile adopts dual-chamber dual-thrust technology, which increases the range by nearly 50% to a maximum of 200 kilometers.
Therefore, although the engine of the air-to-air missile has a shorter operating time, it can still maintain a non-escape zone with a high hit rate within the effective range. Within this range, the missile’s maneuverability is much stronger than that of the aircraft, and it is almost impossible for the aircraft to escape the missile’s attack. The power and maneuverability of missiles beyond this area have declined, and the threat to their targets has gradually decreased. Therefore, when using air-to-air missiles in combat, they usually want to doThe law launches missiles within the no-escape zone in order to shoot down the opponent, instead of firing at the maximum range.
