Last Updated  Rocket and missile system  Article Free Pass Last
Updated   Developed in 1947, the radar-guided, subsonic Firebird
was the first U.S. guided air-to-air missile. It was rendered
obsolete within a few years by supersonic missiles such as the
AIM-4 (for air-intercept missile) Falcon, the AIM-9 Sidewinder,
and the AIM-7 Sparrow. The widely imitated Sidewinder was
particularly influential. Early versions, which homed onto the
infrared emissions from jet engine tailpipes, could approach
only from the target’s rear quadrants. Later versions, beginning
with the AIM-9L, were fitted with more sophisticated seekers
sensitive to a broader spectrum of radiation. These gave the
missile the capability of sensing exhaust emissions from the
side or front of the target aircraft. Driven by the requirements
of supersonic combat during the 1960s, the ranges of such
missiles as the Sidewinder increased from about two miles to
10–15 miles. The AIM-54 Phoenix, a semiactive radar missile with
active radar terminal homin