"AIM-9C combat use?" Topic

Reading up on the air battle over Kep on May 1st 1967, I found an account of a F-8 armed with one. It was not used. Can anyone point to an actual firing in anger of one?

I found a number of site explaining what it was and it's eventual fate, but no operational history.

If you curious, it was a SARH guidance head mounted on a AIM-9B missile body and warhead. Designed for the F-8 for frontal missile attacks as. With the Sparrow.

There has been a discussion about this on a couple of other forums. The general consensus is no, none were ever fired in anger. In fact it seems that it was far from popular with pilots as it took up a rail which could carry a useful IR model. remember the F-8 could only carry four, or more often two, AIM-9's. It is noticeable that the Soviets and their client states didn't seem to make much use of the Radar version of the Atoll.

Fatman

Didn't the ROE in Vietnam make it nearly impossible to use them? In a general war they would have gotten used.

It was not an ROE issue. Tue technology was unsuitable and the missile was far too hard to use, especially because of it's very limited range. This is mid 60s tech, and you need to be doing far too much with the scope and throwing switches.

In a general war, target ID would have been even more difficult with all of the aircraft whizzing around in all directions.

Not so much for the AIM-C which was a short range "Dogfight" missile. The reason it was introduced was the Heat Seeking versions had a very limited seeker arc, and could only be fired from the targets rear aspect. The '9C was supposed to give the Corsair an all aspect capability. Now the Long range AIM-7 Sparrow that was well and truly shafted by the ROE's but that's a different story.

Fatman

Kev could you point me to the discussions on the missile. I'm also trying the Crusader network to see what they have to say.

I think at the end of the day the AIM-9C was an anathema to their fighter training as they would have to be head down in the cockpit trying to get and maintain lock during a merge. All their training would scream at them to be heads up. In a F-4 the RIO handles this, so the pilot can keep situational awareness.

IIRC, so few were used (if any), that they were all rebuilt as AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radar missiles. Short-ranged, but light enough to be carried by helicopters.

A helo with a couple Sidearms could ravage tactical air defenses. Imagine a helo taking a potshot at an SA6 radar unit from 15-16km away, then closing to chew up the rest of the vehicles.