AAM-4B / AAM-5B

AAM-4B / AAM-5B

Type: Ballistic Missile (ICBM)

Domain: air

Country of Origin: Japan

Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

First Deployed: 2008

Overview

Japan's indigenous air-to-air missile family providing the JASDF with beyond-visual-range and short-range combat capability independent of foreign supply. The AAM-4B is a medium/long-range BVR missile with an active AESA radar seeker (the first AAM globally to use AESA) providing superior target discrimination and ECCM capability, range comparable to AIM-120 AMRAAM at approximately 100 km, and mid-course inertial/datalink guidance. The AAM-5B is an advanced short-range infrared-guided missile with a focal plane array seeker providing high off-boresight engagement capability comparable to the AIM-9X, thrust vector control for extreme manoeuvrability, and lock-on-after-launch capability via helmet-mounted display cueing. Both missiles are integrated with the F-2 and F-15J/DJ fighters. The AAM-4B is unique in that its AESA seeker provides resistance to electronic jamming that conventional mechanically-scanned AAM seekers cannot match.

Technical Specifications

typeBVR (AAM-4B) and WVR (AAM-5B) Air-to-Air Missiles
aam_4b_seekerActive radar seeker; ~100 km range; AESA-guided
aam_5b_seekerImaging IR seeker; ~35 km range; thrust-vectoring

Operators

Related air Weapon Systems