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Line 1: − The AIM-54 Phoenix missile is a long range, high speed missile. It was designed by Hughes as − a missile to be carried by the General Dynamics [[F-111]], − but the F-111 program was cancelled − in 1969. Instead, it was adapted by the 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 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. − 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. − Besides the US Navy, Iran is the only other operator of the Phoenix. In 1986, the − [[Grumman Corporation]] sold Iran 80 Tomcats and 633 Phoenixes. The missile performed with − great renown in the Iranian Air Force. It shot down many Iraqi aircraft in the [[Iran-Iraq War]]. − The Iranian Air Force still operates the AIM-54. − − Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix − Range: 128 miles − − Warhead: High explosive, 132 − − Weight: 975 pounds − − Engine: Rocketdyne Mk 47 solid-propellant rocket − − Speed: (cruising) Mach 3.5 − − Present operators: Iran − − Previous operators: US Navy
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