Raytheon Unveils New Air-to-Air Missile [Peregrine]

[spazsinbad]

Raytheon Unveils New Air-to-Air Missile
16 Sep 2019 John A. Tirpak

"Raytheon is developing the "Peregrine," a new medium-range air-to-air missile that is half the size of current dogfight missiles but offers greater speed and longer range. The weapon would allow Air Force fighter jets to double or triple their munitions loads, sharply increasing the number of shots they could take in a single mission.

The Peregrine is being developed with Raytheon’s own funds, according to Mark Noyes, a senior business development official in the company’s air warfare systems sector. While Raytheon is not developing the missile to meet a specific Air Force or Navy requirement, the Peregrine is meant to meet the Pentagon's need for large numbers of affordable weapons that still “overwhelm an enemy," Noyes said.

The weapon is expected to measure just under 6 feet long and 150 pounds, less than half the weight and length of Raytheon's AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and AIM-9X Sidewinder that fly on fighters across the Defense Department.

“We’re able to take the best of both of those missiles and, based on what we see as the customer’s requirements and gaps, we are combining them into this new missile,” Noyes said.

Peregrine “combines the range and the autonomy of the AMRAAM with the maneuverability characteristics of the AIM-9X” with extreme maneuverability as it approaches its target. The weapon will cost “significantly less" to buy and maintain than the AIM-120 or AIM-9X, and is faster to develop, thanks to ready-made components and additive manufacturing.

The Peregrine will have a multi-mode, autonomous seeker that includes infrared imaging. It uses a “new, high-performance propulsion system" to boost speed, Noyes said. He would only characterize the missile's range as “from visual range to within medium range” but said Peregrine is a supersonic munition.

The all-weather, day or night weapon has a blast fragmentation warhead and a “new lightweight airframe and high-performance modular control system” that allows for highly accurate targeting, Noyes said.

He added that the Peregrine will fit into the current air-to-air weapon stations on all fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft pylons, and can sit in the weapons bay of the F-35. Noyes declined to comment on whether it will fit in the F-22’s weapon bays.

Peregrine is meant to complement, not replace, the AMRAAM and Sidewinder. The AIM-9X will still be the world’s best close-in dogfighting missile, Noyes said. It remains to be seen if the Peregrine will match the Sidewinder in close-range maneuverability.

Raytheon declined to say when the Peregrine could be ready for production or which components of the previous missiles would be reused.

However, the company wants to collaborate with the military services before committing to a final configuration to “make sure they resonate with the process and the direction we’re going in on the design of this missile,” Noyes said.

Lockheed Martin in recent years has been developing a similar concept, called the “Cuda,” which would offer comparable size and weight. In June, the Air Force announced that Lockheed is also developing an AMRAAM replacement called the AIM-260. The latter missile would be the same overall size as AMRAAM, but with much greater range, maneuverability, and less vulnerability to jamming."

Graphic: "Raytheon is proposing its new Peregrine missile as a complement to the AIM-120 and AIM-9X in the air-to-air role. The missile would be half the size and weight of the previous missiles, but with more range, increasing the number of shots for each fighter that carries it. The company is funding development for now. Raytheon courtesy image." http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pub ... border.jpg

Source: http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pag ... ssile.aspx

[wolfpak]

I don't see Raytheon designing a missile that wouldn't fit into the F-22 weapons bays. If they do fit it would double the loadouts of both the F-22 and F-35 to 12 and 8 respectively. Like Cuda a real game changer. The only thing that would need work would be movable/smart ejectors to make switching between missiles types easy to do between missions. If I were the AF I'd give both L-M and Raytheon a few hundred million to bring these to flight test.

[wrightwing]

I don't see Raytheon designing a missile that wouldn't fit into the F-22 weapons bays. If they do fit it would double the loadouts of both the F-22 and F-35 to 12 and 8 respectively. Like Cuda a real game changer. The only thing that would need work would be movable/smart ejectors to make switching between missiles types easy to do between missions. If I were the AF I'd give both L-M and Raytheon a few hundred million to bring these to flight test.

The F-35 load out would be 12 missiles. The weapons bays have room for 6 AIM-120/260s. The F-22 could carry 12 Peregrines + 2 AIM-9X.

[Dragon029]

If / when the F-22 gets the Peregrine (which as a side note, is essentially SACM unless Lockheed snatches the final program of record) hopefully they'd be able to integrate it into the side bays as well - the fact that Peregrine has a dual mode (likely AESA + IIR) seeker means it could frankly outright replace the AIM-9X.

[garrya]

With strakes, this missile will be very good at high altitude as well. TBH, I prefer this design to CUDA

[taog]

http://m.aviationweek.com/defense/rayth ... le-project

" ... A “new, high-performance propulsion section” will accelerate the Peregrine to supersonic speed to achieve potentially slightly better range than the AIM-120, but Noyes declined to describe the specific type of propulsion technology selected for the new missile.
...
...Even at a range equivalent to that of the AIM-120, the Peregrine should provide similar endgame maneuverability as the super agile AIM-9X, Noyes says. “It will go supersonic and that’s attributable to that new lightweight airframe and high-performance modular control system,” he says. “That permits it [to] go and do incredible maneuvers, especially at the endgame where it’s needed most.” ..."

[doge]

Photo by Steve Trimble # ASC 19.
https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1 ... 0439789569

Image by raytheon. (I want to see the image of F -35. )
https://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/p ... ir-missile

I secretly have a reckless idea... (ambition)
If combine the SDB's rack and the Sidekick's outer rack, the F-35's total is 16!!! @@@@@(greed)

[citanon]

Is it just me or does this thing look like a baby standard missile?

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

Is it just me or does this thing look like a baby standard missile?

THANK YOU! It was bugging me that I couldn't place the missile that it looked like.

I look forward to making a quick model of it.

[blain]

More reasons not to buy the F-15EX, or whatever they are calling it.

[usnvo]

Is it just me or does this thing look like a baby standard missile?

Very similar configuration, the SM-6 has bigger strakes relative to the diameter and the strakes are shorter compared to the overall missile length, but their is obviously a family resemblance. For that matter, It also looks a lot like a miniature AARGM-ER.

[reaper]

This quote: "from visual range to within medium range" makes me think it's probably much shorter ranged than amraam. What is the definition of "medium" range? 20-80 miles? If it's something like that then this might only have a 25-30 mile range.

[usnvo]

If combine the SDB's rack and the Sidekick's outer rack, the F-35's total is 16!!! @@@@@(greed)

Why stop there? How about 2ea on Sta 5/7, 4ea on Sta 4/8, 4 ea on Sta 3/9, 4ea on Sta 2/10, and 2ea on Sta 1/11 for a grand total of 32! Or really go all in, you could develop a missile launcher for Sta 6 (I mean who needs a gun with 36 missiles!).

Update: A further reading of the AVWEEK article indicates that Raytheon claims a tripling of external carried weapons. So they are probably looking at some type of triple launcher to replace the standard twin armed launch rail. So stations 2/3/9/10 could carry 24 missiles total for a grand total of 40! 28 External and 12 Internal.

[Corsair1963]

I don't see Raytheon designing a missile that wouldn't fit into the F-22 weapons bays. If they do fit it would double the loadouts of both the F-22 and F-35 to 12 and 8 respectively. Like Cuda a real game changer. The only thing that would need work would be movable/smart ejectors to make switching between missiles types easy to do between missions. If I were the AF I'd give both L-M and Raytheon a few hundred million to bring these to flight test.

If, sidekick gives the F-35 the ability to carry 6 Amraams. Couldn't the F-35 carry 12 Peregrines in their place??? How did you could up with 8????

[Corsair1963]

In the future the F-22/F-35 would likely operate a mix of AIM-260's and the Peregrine.