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The '''AIM-54 Phoenix''' missile is a long range, high speed, air-to-air missile.  It was designed by [[Hughes Aircraft Company|Hughes]] as a missile to be carried by the General Dynamics [[F-111]], it was adapted by the [[United States Navy|US Navy]] to be carried on their new fleet defense fighter, the [[Grumman]] [[F-14 Tomcat]].  The Phoenix was originally designed to kill, at long range, [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] bombers, before they could fire short range cruise missiles at the aircraft carrier or its escorts.  With that in mind, the Hughes designers gave it a range of 128 miles.  The Tomcat's radar, which could reach 133 miles ahead of the fighter and 174 wide, can track up to 20 targets at one time and pick out four or six of them as targets for the Phoenix missiles.  The Tomcat fired the missile, and from then on the missile's own radar took over, accelerating it at Mach 3.5 toward it's target.  The main drawback to the Phoenix was that it was incredibly expensive--each missile costing about $500,000.<ref>[http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navyfacts/blphoenix.htm US Navy Fact File--AIM-54 Phoenix]</ref>

The '''AIM-54 Phoenix''' missile is a long range, high speed, air-to-air missile.  It was designed by [[Hughes Aircraft Company|Hughes]] as a missile to be carried by the General Dynamics [[F-111]], it was adapted by the [[United States Navy|US Navy]] to be carried on their new fleet defense fighter, the [[Grumman]] [[F-14 Tomcat]].  The Phoenix was originally designed to kill, at long range, [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] bombers, before they could fire short range cruise missiles at the aircraft carrier or its escorts.  With that in mind, the Hughes designers gave it a range of 128 miles.  The Tomcat's radar, which could reach 133 miles ahead of the fighter and 174 wide, can track up to 20 targets at one time and pick out four or six of them as targets for the Phoenix missiles.  The Tomcat fired the missile, and from then on the missile's own radar took over, accelerating it at Mach 3.5 toward it's target.  The main drawback to the Phoenix was that it was incredibly expensive—each missile costing about $500,000.<ref>[http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navyfacts/blphoenix.htm US Navy Fact File--AIM-54 Phoenix]</ref>

It was very difficult to avoid a Phoenix, because the guidance system was programmed to take the missile up high, out of range of the target's radar, and then send it down at nearly Mach 4.  The F-14 typically carried four Phoenixes and two [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] missiles.  

It was very difficult to avoid a Phoenix, because the guidance system was programmed to take the missile up high, out of range of the target's radar, and then send it down at nearly Mach 4.  The F-14 typically carried four Phoenixes and two [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] missiles.  

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[[category:Missiles]]

[[Category:Missiles]]

[[Category:United States Navy]]

[[Category:United States Navy]]