1. MILITARY AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Part 1
INTRODUCTION

2. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
During the First World War, aircraft-mounted machine guns and purpose-built bomb racks created specialised fighter and bomber aircraft. The inter-war period saw the development of larger, heavier bombers and faster, more powerful fighters. However, weapon technology remained largely unchanged.

3. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
The Second World War saw the development of early guided weapons and cruise missiles, including: German Fritz-X radio-controlled glide bomb US Bat Radar-guided glide bomb German V-1 jet-powered flying bomb

4. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
The Second World War also saw the development of atomic weapons, with the US “Fat Man” and “Little Boy” weapons dropped on Japan in 1945.

5. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
After the war nations developed guided weapons,
including Infrared- and Radar-guided
air-to-air missiles, such as:
The US AIM-7 Sparrow,
AIM-9 Sidewinder
and AIM-4 Falcon
As well as the UK Firestreak and Red Top
Firestreak
Sparrow
Sidewinder
Falcon
Red Top

6. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
Air-to-surface weapons were also developed, seeing regular operational service with the US military during the Vietnam War, including: AGM-62 Walleye TV-guided missile AGM-65 Maverick TV-guided missile Paveway I Laser-Guided bombs
Maverick
Paveway
Walleye

7. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
The first combat use of guided weapons by the UK was in the Falklands War in 1982, with more widespread use in the Gulf Wars. New weapons include: AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided air-to-air missile ALARM anti-radar missile JDAM GPS-guided bomb
ALARM
JDAM
AMRAAM

8. Military Aircraft Systems
Air-Launched Weapon Development
Existing weapons, such as the AGM-65 Maverick, continued to be developed to ensure they remain at the cutting edge.
AGM-65 Maverick

9. Capabilities of Air-Launched Weapons
Precision guided bombs and missiles allow individual targets to be attacked and destroyed with pinpoint accuracy.

10. Capabilities of Air-Launched Weapons
Highly agile short-range air-to-air missiles allow for “over-the-shoulder” engagement of enemy aircraft. Medium-range air-to-air missiles allow for multiple targets to be engaged beyond visual range, at a safe distance from the launching aircraft.

11. Capabilities of Air-Launched Weapons
To attack individual targets with great precision is very important in modern warfare, as civilian casualties or “collateral damage” are not acceptable. With unguided weapons, accuracy decreases as the range increases, because the weapon’s trajectory is affected by environmental factors such as the wind. Guided missiles are therefore more efficient, more accurate and more effective.

12. Capabilities of Air-Launched Weapons
Guided missiles have stability in flight
and are steered like a conventional jet aircraft,
by the use of fins and wings.
The jet propulsion systems
used in guided missiles are:
Turbojet, Pulsejet and Ramjet
The types of thermal jet propulsion used are:
Solid propellant, Liquid propellant
and Combined propellant.

13. Capabilities of Air-Launched Weapons
There are three basic types of missile homing:
Passive Homing
Relies on intelligence received from the target,
such as enemy radar emissions.
Semi Active Homing
Gets its target illumination from an external source,
such as a transmitter carried in the launch aircraft.
Active Homing
Relies on a component carried in the missile,
such as a radar transmitter.

14. Capabilities of Air-Launched Weapons
The effective range of air-to-air missiles is affected by the speed of both the launching and target aircraft, as well as by the heading of the target aircraft in relation to the attacking aircraft. If the two aircraft are closing head-on, the range of the weapon will differ from a target aircraft flying away.

15. Guided Weapon Advantages
Are more accurate for precision attacks on targets where there is a high risk of collateral damage. Allows targets to be attacked from greater ranges than unguided weapons. Increases the number of targets that can be attacked by a single aircraft. Can more easily defeat a target aircraft’s anti-weapon defence.
Paveway IV

16. Guided Weapon Disadvantages
Guided weapons are more complicated to integrate onto aircraft. Laser-guided weapons require an external laser designator to guide them to the target. Guided weapons are significantly more expensive than unguided weapons.
Paveway IV

17. Unguided Weapon Advantages
Unguided weapons are easier to integrate onto an aircraft. Unguided weapons are cheaper and simpler to design and mass-produce. There is no data connection between the weapon and the aircraft.

18. Unguided Weapon Disdvantages
Unguided weapons are imprecise and can’t be used if there is risk of collateral damage. Because they are imprecise, more need to be dropped to guarantee the destruction of the target. Aircraft need to be closer to the target to use unguided weapons.

19. Check of Understanding
An advantage of
unguided missiles over guided missiles is: 
Unguided missiles are more accurate
Unguided missiles have a greater range
Unguided missiles are cheaper
to manufacture
Aircraft are able to carry more
unguided missiles

20. Check of Understanding
In an active missile homing system:
The missile launches automatically
The missile gets its target illumination
from an external source,
such as a transmitter
carried in the launching aircraft
A second aircraft supplies target illumination
Target illumination is supplied by
a component carried in the missile,
such as a radar transmitter

21. Check of Understanding
What types of atmospheric jet propulsion
are used in guided missiles?
Turbofan and Pulsejet
Turbofan, Pulsejet and Ramjet
Turbojet and Ramjet
Turbojet, Pulsejet and Ramjet

22. Check of Understanding
An advantage of guided missiles
over unguided missiles is:
Guided missiles are more accurate
Guided missiles carry a larger warhead
Guided missiles never miss the target
Guided missiles rarely miss the target

23. Check of Understanding
What are the types of thermal jet propulsion
used in guided missiles?
Solid propellant, liquid propellant
and combined propellant.
Solid propellant, liquid propellant and gas propellant
Solid propellant
and liquid propellant
Liquid propellant
and gas propellant

24. Check of Understanding
A disadvantage of guided missiles
over unguided missiles is: 
Inexpensive, but susceptible to jamming and decoys.
Incredibly expensive
research and development costs,
and susceptible to decoys.
Expensive per missile,
but with high accuracy.
Inexpensive, but possible to give away
the position of the releasing aircraft.

25. Check of Understanding
In a passive missile homing system:
The pilot has to prime the missile
Target illumination is supplied
by a component carried in the missile,
such as a radar transmitter
The directing intelligence
is received from the target
The missile gets its target illumination
from an external source,
such as a transmitter
carried in the launching aircraft

26. Check of Understanding
An advantage of guided missiles
over unguided missiles is:
Guided missiles will always defeat a target aircraft’s anti-weapon defence
Guided missiles
will always destroy a target
Guided missiles can more easily defeat
a target aircraft’s anti-weapon defence
Guided missiles will nearly always
destroy a target

27. Check of Understanding
How is a guided missile steered and
provided with aerodynamic stability in flight?
By use of fins and wings
By use of ailerons and wings
By use of fins and rudders
By use of elevators and wings

28. Check of Understanding
What are the disadvantages of
unguided weapons?
High accuracy, cost,
aircraft & weapon integration is difficult.
Low accuracy, more aircraft sorties required to achieve the desired weapons effect.
Low accuracy, cost, aircraft and weapon integration is difficult.
There are no disadvantages with unguided weapons.

29. Check of Understanding
In a semi active missile homing system:
Target illumination is supplied by a component carried in the missile, such as a radar transmitter
The directing intelligence is received from the target
The missile gets its target illumination
from an external source,
such as a transmitter
carried in the launching aircraft
The missile launches semi automatically

30. Check of Understanding
An advantage of unguided missiles
over guided missiles is:
Unguided missiles are smaller and lighter
Unguided missiles are safer to operate
Unguided missiles are safer to store
Unguided missiles are simpler
to design and build

31. MILITARY AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
End of Presentation