The Air Combat Evaluation (ACEVAL) and the Air Intercept Missile Evaluation (AIMVAL) were two back-to-back Joint Test & Evaluations chartered by the United States Department of Defense that ran from 1974-78 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada . Both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy participated, contributing a team of F-15 Eagle and F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft and using the local F-5E Aggressor aircraft as the Red Force . The fundamental question that needed to be answered was one of "quantity vs quality". Mock engagements showed that cheaper, lower-technology fighters armed with all-aspect missiles were able to destroy the more advanced, expensive F-15's and F-14's. These results of the AIMVAL/ACEVAL testing led to the Air Force decision to structure its fighter forces with a balance of cheaper F-16 's along with the more expensive F-15's, and the Navy took a similar strategy in procuring cheaper F/A-18 's along with the more expensive F-14's. The results had other impacts as well, such as decisions regarding missile development.
24-469: ACEVAL looked at the effectiveness of the tactics utilized by high-performance U. S. aircraft against simpler, threat-type aircraft equipped with all-aspect missiles. The conclusion was that a cheaper fighter such as an F-5 could engage the more expensive jets like F-14 or F-15 that carried big radar and SARH missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow . The high-tech jets could easily fire a Sparrow against
48-649: A "Python 6" version based on an air-launched Stunner missile was abandoned. To achieve greater range, a dual-pulse solid rocket motor is added, where the secondary pulse of energy as the missile nears the target extends flight time. It also combines the seeker and fuse into an integrated sensor and fusing system to make room for the new motor. In May 2019, it was reported that India was planning to arm its Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters with I-Derby ER missiles to replace its R-77 missiles. Previously, in 2018, it had already been selected for Indian Air Force's HAL Tejas fighter. The SPYDER ( S urface-to-air PY thon and DER by)
72-685: A Python-5 air-to-air missile. Also known as the Alto, the Derby missile is a BVR , medium-range (~50 km (31 mi)) active radar homing missile. Though technically not part of the "Python" family, the missile is an enlarged version of the Python-4 with an active-radar seeker. In June 2015, Rafael confirmed the existence of the I-Derby-ER, an extended range version of the Derby that increases range to 54 nmi (62 mi; 100 km), after
96-795: A missile and fielded the Vympel R-73 by 1985, taking the lead in short-range missile technology and performance for the first time since the Sidewinder entered service. This caused a number of countries to develop short-range missile programs to counter it, such as Python-4 in Israel , ASRAAM in Britain , MBDA MICA in France , AIM-9X in the United States , and IRIS-T in Germany . It
120-407: A target no matter which way the target faces relative to the missile. In other words, an all-aspect missile can be launched against a target not only in a tail-chase engagement , but also in a head-on engagement , in a side-on engagement, from above, from below, etc. This is opposed to older infrared homing rear aspect missiles which were only able to track the hot engine exhaust of an aircraft if
144-574: Is a family of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) built by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems , formerly RAFAEL Armament Development Authority. Originally starting with the Shafrir ( Hebrew : שפריר , loosely translated as a dome, or a protective cloak – but also similar sounding to Dragonfly , a male form of inflection for Damselfly (שפירית)) series, the Shafrir-1 missile
168-530: The boresight of the launching aircraft. The Shafrir-1 was developed in 1959–1964 to fulfill IAF's requirement for a domestic air-to-air missile. It was intended to build the domestic defense industry's abilities, and reduce reliance on foreign imports. The fear of foreign dependence was later proven when France banned arms export to Israel. The Shafrir-1 was intended for use on French-built Mirage III jets. The first testing took place in France in 1963. However
192-474: The 1982 Lebanon War, scoring 35 (other sources claim 50) kills. China's PLAAF was quite impressed with this missile, and paid for licensed production as the PL-8 AAM in the 1980s. The program code named "Number 8 Project" (八号工程) and formally started on September 15, 1983. From March 1988 to April 1989, technology transfer to China was complete while license assembly and license built parts continued, and by
216-616: The 1990s, and like its predecessor Python-3, it is integrated with the Elbit Systems DASH ( Display And Sight Helmet ) HMS system for Israeli F-15s and F-16s, Chilean F-16s (MLU and C/D block 50/52 plus), F-5E/F Tiger III, South American Kfirs and the SAAB JAS 39 Gripen. The missile's seeker is reported to use dual band technology array similar to that of US FIM-92 Stinger ( infrared homing and ultraviolet), with IRCCM (IR ECCM) ability to reduce background IR radiation to reduce
240-619: The F-5 but, because of the requirement to maintain the lock from launch till impact, the cheaper fighter could fire an all-aspect heat-seeker missile before it was shot down by the Sparrow. And because the heat seeker was fire-and-forget , in reality the expensive, high-tech jet was taken out by a much cheaper F-5. However, this situation occurred because the F-15's and F-14's larger and longer range radars could not be used to their full advantage due to
264-591: The IAF was unhappy with its performance and no air combat kills were achieved with it during the Six-Day War , kills being made with guns instead. The improved Shafrir-2 was soon introduced in 1971, and it proved to be one of the most successful air-to-air missiles ever made. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War , the IAF launched 176 Shafrir-2 missiles, destroying 89 enemy aircraft. The Shafrir-2 was exported along with Israeli-made aircraft to South American countries. After
SECTION 10
#1732801584925288-592: The Navy AIM-95 Agile off-boresight/ thrust vectoring air-to-air missile program, which was under development at the time. Actual seeker hardware was utilized in AIMVAL. ACEVAL/AIMVAL resulted in development of AMRAAM, but did not recommend development of a high off-boresight short-range missile, opting instead for a European-led effort to develop ASRAAM . However, the Soviet Union did develop such
312-481: The Shafrir-2, the new missiles made by Rafael were given the western name of Python . This is why the next missile built by Rafael in early 1970s was named Python-3, but there is no Python-1 or Python-2 (they were Shafrir-1, Shafrir-2). The Python-3 has improved range and all-aspect attack ability, it proved itself before and during the 1982 Lebanon War , destroying 35 enemy aircraft. The People's Republic of China
336-706: The aircraft's engine exhaust was pointing towards the missile seeker, and thus were only successfully used in tail-chase engagements. Examples include the US AIM-9 Sidewinder (AIM-9L and later), the Russian Vympel R-73 and the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Python 5 air-air/ground-air missile. This article relating to missiles is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Python 5 The Rafael Python (פיתון)
360-589: The armed forces of over fifteen countries from around the world. In the 1950s, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) submitted requirements for a domestically made air-to-air missile, to promote domestic defense industry and reduce reliance on imports. Rafael Armament Development Authority was contracted to develop the Shafrir ( Hebrew : שפריר , loosely translated as Dragonfly , a male form of inflection for Damselfly , שפרירית) in 1959. The missile entered operational status with Israeli Mirage jets in 1963, but
384-474: The effectiveness of enemy flares. The Python-5 is currently the most capable visual range air-to-air missile in Israel's inventory. As a short range air-to-air missiles, it is capable of "lock-on after launch" (LOAL), and has full-sphere/all-direction (including rearward) attack ability. The missile features an advanced seeker which includes an electro-optical and imaging infrared homing seeker which scans
408-611: The engagement rule that a pilot must visually identify its target before firing a missile. ACEVAL as such set the requirement for an true active homing, fire-and-forget missile, which became the AIM-120 AMRAAM series. AIMVAL examined five missile concepts under consideration as replacements for the AIM-9L Sidewinder . AIMVAL findings were that the new missiles were no better than the AIM-9L, resulting in termination of
432-402: The missile's performance was so poor that work immediately started on the next improved version, the Shafrir-2. The Shafrir-2 was credited with 89 kills in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. During its whole service life, it is credited with a total of 106 kills. The Python-3 is a much-improved AAM with all-aspect attack ability, higher speed, range, and performance. It performed well before and during
456-492: The spring of 1989, the complete domestic Chinese built missile received state certification. The major supplier of the missile was Xi'an Eastern Machinery Factory (西安东方机械厂) located at Xi'an , and China is also reported to have developed a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) system for the PL-8. The Python-4 is a 4th generation AAM with all-aspect attack ability, and integration with a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) system. It entered service in
480-465: The target area for hostile aircraft, then locks-on for terminal chase, and a complex design utilizing a total of eighteen aerodynamic surfaces. The Python-5 was first used in combat during the 2006 Lebanon War , when it was used by F-16 Fighting Falcons to destroy two Iranian-made Ababil UAVs used by the Hezbollah . On 13 May 2021, an Israeli F-16 shot down a Hamas operated Shehab suicide drone with
504-1018: Was claimed that the Soviet Union benefited more from ACEVAL/AIMVAL than did its Western counterparts. Additionally, part of the evaluation was to determine if the technology of the day had progressed to such a point that situational awareness was no longer a factor in air-to-air combat. The natural expectation in the beyond-visual-range missile trials was that hardware advantages would drive engagement outcomes. Actual test results, however, proved otherwise. As in both historical combat experience and AIMVAL/ACEVAL, situational awareness proved to be "the single most important factor affecting engagement outcomes." For both sides, being aware of and avoiding adversaries' weapons envelopes while trying to maneuver adversaries into their own weapons envelopes proved as important and dominant as it had been in ACEVAL. All-aspect An all-aspect air-to-air missile can track
SECTION 20
#1732801584925528-642: Was developed in 1959, followed by the Shafrir-2 in early 1970s. Subsequently, the missiles were given the western name of " Python " by the parent company for export purposes, starting with the Python-3 in 1978. Since then, it has been further developed and evolved into the Python-4 , Python-5 , Derby and also, the SPYDER , an advanced ground-based air-defence system. Currently, the missiles are in service with
552-582: Was impressed with its performance and license-built the Python-3 as the PiLi-8 (PL-8) AAM . Further improvements to the Python-3 led to the development of Python-4 in mid-1980s, which added the option for helmet-sight guidance. In the 1990s Rafael started development on the Python-5 AAM, which was equipped with an advanced electro-optical imaging seeker with lock-on after-launch ability. The new missile
576-544: Was show-cased in 2003 Paris Air Show , and intended for service with IAF the F-15I Ra'am ("Thunder") and the F-16I Sufa ("Storm"). The Python-5 is said to have full sphere launch ability or is an all-aspect missile, meaning it can be launched at a target regardless of the target's location relative to the direction of the launching aircraft. It can lock onto targets after launch, even when they are up to 100 degrees off
#924075