Aircraft Point Defence?

A question bourne of curiosity.

With all the apparent increase in Missile Intercept technology, I am wondering if there is any development in an area I have always found strangely lacking.

Is there; to anyones knowledge, any development on a Point Defence missile to protect aircraft from A2A or SAM attack?

It does seem strange that the primary defence remains sprinting and gymnastics!

It's incredibly difficult to intercept small missiles. The current defences an aircraft has is through ECM, and countermeasures such as chaff and flares. For IR guided missiles, lasers are also becoming a option to distract or blind missiles, such as LAIRCM.

To use a fighter's gun to intercept an incoming missile, the pilot (or auto-pilot) will have to aim his gun exactly towards the missile, and since you're in an aircraft, this means you'll be flying towards the missile then, further reducing the time to impact. It would be incredibly difficult and risky.

You can't do this on bigger transport/gunship type aircraft, because by the time you turn around to bring your guns to bear, you'll be hit.

And since the incoming missile is small, it would be hard for an aircraft's own small radar to lock onto it and fire its own missile to intercept.

EW jamming and releasing chaff and flairs seems to be the only option for now.

But you have a point. I wouldn't be surprised if fifth generation IR missiles like the AIM-9X were being built with the ability to detect and intercept small incoming missiles for an aircraft's self-defense.

Also, these missiles are travelling extremely fast. This isn't like a cruise missile or a AT missile, which fly slower.

SampanViking said:

Is there; to anyones knowledge, any development on a Point Defence missile to protect aircraft from A2A or SAM attack?

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The new, as yet un-announced and ultra top secret US particle beam (energy weapon) technology powered by a miconized gen X fusion reactor (also top secret and not announced) will cover this contingency.

[/sarcasm]

In truth, with the advent of the new nuclear reactors on the CVN-78 (CVN-21, or Ford class carriers), directed energy weapons are thought to be a distinct possibility for CIWS for the carrier itself. It will be a long, long time before they are made small enough for aircraft.

You don't need to physically destroy the missile. Just jam, blind it or fry the seeker head's electronics. Think something of a hybrid between a CIWS and ECM, using a small steerable microwave beam.

crobato said:

You don't need to physically destroy the missile. Just jam, blind it or fry the seeker head's electronics. Think something of a hybrid between a CIWS and ECM, using a small steerable microwave beam.

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Think .

Three American Airlines Boeing 767-200s that fly daily round-trip routes between New York and California will receive the anti-missile laser jammers this spring, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which is spending $29 million on the tests.

Jets will fly with the jammer device mounted on the belly of the plane, between the wheels. The device works with sensors, also mounted on the plane, that detect a heat-seeking missile and shoot a laser at it to send the missile veering harmlessly off course.

For aircraft the idea of a satchel being released simular to flares/chaffes but instead of releasing heat signature releases an EMP pulse right into the path of the missle. This doesnt physically destroy or eliminate the missle but disables its electronics, making it fly blind.

wait but does flying blind means that it won't hit you or you have a smaller chances because i know even thought sam fly blind but they already have the path lock so does that mean when blind they fly another path? i am sorry i am kind of new in this