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AIM-54 Phoenix: the missile that turned the F-14 Tomcat into an “air killer”

AIM-54 Phoenix: the missile that turned the F-14 Tomcat into an "air killer"

AIM-54 Phoenix — one of the famous weapons formerly used by the US Navy and now the Iranian Air Force.

The AIM-54 Phoenix was a long-range air-to-air missile used by the US Navy from 1974 to 2004, including on an F-14 Tomcat fighter. Originally developed for the ultimately canceled F-111B Aardvark project, the missile became an integral part of the F-14 arsenal. The National Interest writes about it.

A lot of attention is paid to the characteristics of modern fighters. But the fighter — it's just a weapon delivery system.

AIM-54 Phoenix — one of the well-known types of weapons that used to be used by the US Navy and now by the Iranian Air Force. Launched from the F-14 Tomcat, the AIM-54 is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile first launched in 1966. It implemented a semi-active radar homing system and an active radar system, which made the AIM-54 “smart”.

AIM-54 Phoenix missile

The AIM-54 was placed on the external pylon of the F-14 in clusters of six and could be launched against other aircraft. With a top speed of Mach five or 1,707 meters per second, the AIM-54 quickly approached its targets.

However, although the AIM-54 project was launched exclusively with the F-14, it was developed for the F -111B Aardvark, which was supposed to be the deck version of the F-111A of the US Air Force. In the end, the F-111B project was canceled. But the F-111 was supposed to serve as a long-range interceptor with a distinctive feature: the swept wings that the F-14 also had.

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The F-111B was eventually retired, but the platform's BVR missile system continued to exist. She was assigned to the Navy's fighter development program known as VFX. It later became the F-14 Tomcat.

The completed AIM-54 project was an effective weapon. It was possible to launch up to six missiles simultaneously in any weather conditions, which made the AIM-54 a universal and reliable missile system. The missile was launched using a “catapult launch,” in which a pyrotechnic charge ejects the missile from the F-14's external launch system before the AIM-54 solid-propellant rocket engine ignites. The AIM-54 was a heavy weapon.

A group of six AIM-54s weighed over four tons. Due to strict weight restrictions for landing on an aircraft carrier, the F-14 could not land with a full load of six AIM-54s. Therefore, in some cases, it was necessary to launch simply to reduce the weight of the F-14 before landing.

  • each AIM-54 cost about half a million dollars;
  • the actual range of the AIM- 54 was classified, but was more than 100 nautical miles (185 km);
  • the length of the missile — 4 meters;
  • diameter — 33 cm;
  • wingspan — 90 cm;
  • weight of the warhead — 61 kg, used a non-contact detonator that went off when the AIM-54 approached a target at a set distance.

The AIM-54 served the Navy faithfully from 1974 to 2004 before it was finally retired from service. weapons in favor of upgraded missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM.

Natasha Kumar

By Natasha Kumar

Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116

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