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New page: The '''AIM-9 Sidewinder''' is an air-to-air, short range, heat-seeking missile that was the first AAM to be used in aerial combat. It was developed in the 1950s by the Raytheon Corporatio...
The '''AIM-9 Sidewinder''' is an air-to-air, short range, heat-seeking missile that was the first AAM to be used in aerial combat. It was developed in the 1950s by the Raytheon Corporation. It flies at a speed of Mach 2.5 and has a 20 lb warhead. Early models had to be fired from behind the target to home in on an enemy plane's exhaust, but newer models are "all-aspect," meaning they can home in from any angle.
==Operational History==
The Sidewinder was first used in combat by F-86 Sabers of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in dogfights over the Taiwan Strait with Migs from Communist China in 1958, and has seen use in almost every aerial conflict since then. It played a significant role in air combat in the [[Vietnam War]], the [[Yom Kippur War]], the Falkland Islands War, and the Gulf War.<ref>Rolling Thunder, by Ivan Rendall, 1997</ref>
==References==
<small><references/></small>
==Operational History==
The Sidewinder was first used in combat by F-86 Sabers of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in dogfights over the Taiwan Strait with Migs from Communist China in 1958, and has seen use in almost every aerial conflict since then. It played a significant role in air combat in the [[Vietnam War]], the [[Yom Kippur War]], the Falkland Islands War, and the Gulf War.<ref>Rolling Thunder, by Ivan Rendall, 1997</ref>
==References==
<small><references/></small>