Elmendorf first to field new AIM-9X
11/14/2003 - ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- The 12th
and 19th fighter squadrons here are the first operational units
within the Department of Defense to field and train with the new
AIM-9X Sidewinder.
A ceremony celebrating the achievement was held here Nov. 13.
Were thrilled the 3rd Wing has the opportunity to be on the
cutting edge of combat technology, said Col. Russ Handy, 3rd
Operations Group commander here. The AIM-9X adds even more
lethality to our already awesome air-to-air capability."
The AIM-9X is the newest and most technologically advanced version
of the infrared-guided Sidewinder missile family.
It has undergone an extensive and highly successful flight-test
program, complemented by a sophisticated and accredited modeling
and simulation capability. The missile is a DOD flagship program
for modeling simulation, saving more than $50 million in
development costs.
The F-15 (Eagle) is the most deadly air-to-air fighter the world
has ever known, said Capt. Randy Gordon, a weapons and tactics
officer with the 3rd Operations Support Squadron. And the AIM-9X
is one more deadly weapon we can add to our inventory that will
make an enemy pilot think twice before taking off.
The program scored 18 successes in 19 guided flights during
development testing and completed 22 operation evaluation firings.
The missile has also undergone more than 3,500 hours of rigorous
flight testing.
The AIM-9X is a revolutionary missile that completely revises the
way we think about within visual range combat, Gordon
said.
Imagine the difference in capability between a cable modem and a
dial-up model for Internet use, and you begin to understand why
(F-15) pilots here are so fortunate to fly with the AIM-9X versus
older variants of the AIM-9M, said Gordon, an F-15 Eagle
pilot.
Air Force officials plan to buy 5,080 AIM-9X missiles during a
planned 18-year production run.
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