View source for Engineering:AIM-9 Sidewinder

{{Infobox weapon
| is_missile         = yes
| name               = AIM-9 Sidewinder
| image              = File:AIM 9L Sidewinder (modified) copy.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = AIM-9L
| origin             = United States
| type               = Short-range air-to-air missile
| used_by            = See ''[[Engineering:AIM-9 Sidewinder#Operators|Operators]]''
| manufacturer       = [[Company:Raytheon Company|Raytheon Company]]<ref name=SP /><br>Ford Aerospace<br>Loral Corp.
| unit_cost          = {{US$|381,069.74}} (Block II)<br>{{US$|399,500.00}} (Block II Plus)<br>{{US$|209,492.75}} (training missile)<br>(All as of 2019<ref name="secnav">{{cite web | url=https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/Documents/21pres/WPN_Book.pdf#page=105 | title=Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Budget Estimates | publisher=US Navy | date=February 2020 | access-date=11 January 2023 | pages=105 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219025102/https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/Documents/21pres/WPN_Book.pdf|archive-date=2020-12-19}}</ref>)
| propellant         = 
| production_date    = 1953–present
| service            = 1956–present
| engine             = Hercules/Bermite Mk. 36 solid-fuel rocket
| weight             = {{convert|188|lb|1}}<ref name=SP>{{cite journal|author1=Sea Power|editor1-last=Wittman|editor1-first=Amy|editor2-last=Atkinson|editor2-first=Peter|editor3-last=Burgess|editor3-first=Rick|title=Air-to-Air Missiles|journal=Sea Power |date=January 2006|volume=49|issue=1|pages=95–96|publisher=Navy League of the United States|location=Arlington, Virginia|issn=0199-1337}}</ref>
| length             = {{convert|9|ft|11|in}}<ref name=SP />
| height             = 
| diameter           = {{convert|5|in|abbr=on|1}}<ref name=SP />
| wingspan           = {{convert|11|in|abbr=on|1}}
| speed              = [[Physics:Mach number|Mach]] 2.5+<ref name=SP />
| vehicle_range      = {{convert|0.6|to|22|mi|lk=on|1}}{{Not verified in body|date=November 2022}}
| ceiling            = 
| altitude           = 
| filling            = WDU-17/B [[Engineering:Continuous-rod warhead|annular blast-fragmentation]]<ref name=SP />
| filling_weight     = {{convert|20.8|lb|abbr=on|1}}<ref name=SP />
| guidance           = [[Physics:Infrared homing|Infrared homing]] (most models)<br>[[Engineering:Semi-active radar homing|Semi-active radar homing]] (AIM-9C)
| detonation         = IR [[Engineering:Proximity fuze|proximity fuze]]
| launch_platform    = Aircraft, naval vessels, fixed launchers, and ground vehicles
}}

The '''AIM-9 Sidewinder''' ("AIM" for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range [[Engineering:Air-to-air missile|air-to-air missile]]. Entering service with the United States Navy in 1956 and the Air Force in 1964, the AIM-9 is one of the oldest, cheapest, and most successful air-to-air missiles.<ref name=":1" /> Its latest variants remain standard equipment in most Western-aligned air forces.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Babcock|first1=Elizabeth|title=Sidewinder Invention and Early Years|publisher=The China Lake Museum Foundation|date=September 1999|quote=The Air Force subsequently procured Sidewinder AIM-9B missiles for its hottest tactical and strategic aircraft, p. 21}}</ref> The [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet]] K-13 (AA-2 "Atoll"), a [[Reverse engineering#Reverse engineering for military applications|reverse-engineered]] copy of the AIM-9B, was also widely adopted.

Low-level development started in the late 1940s, emerging in the early 1950s as a guidance system for the modular Zuni rocket.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Military Technology|title=News Flash|journal=World Defence Almanac: The Balance of Military Power|date=August 2008|volume=32|issue=8|pages=93–96|publisher=Mönch Publishing Group|location=Heilsbachstraße, Bonn-Germany|issn=0722-3226|quote="Alliant Techsystems and RUAG Aerospace have signed a teaming agreement to provide full-service and upgrade support of the AIM-9P-3/4/5 Sidewinder family of IR-guided short-range air-to-air missiles.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20080223.aspx|title=Air Weapons: Beyond Sidewinder|publisher=www.strategypage.com|access-date=2 February 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100203205929/http://strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20080223.aspx|archive-date=3 February 2010| url-status= live}}</ref> This modularity allowed for the introduction of newer seekers and rocket motors, including the AIM-9C variant, which used [[Engineering:Semi-active radar homing|semi-active radar homing]] and served as the basis of the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radar missile. Due to the Sidewinder's infrared guidance system, the brevity code "Fox two" is used when firing the AIM-9. Originally a tail-chasing system, early models saw extensive use during the Vietnam War, but had a low success rate. This led to all-aspect capability in the L version, which proved an effective weapon during the Falklands War and Operation Mole Cricket 19 ("Bekaa Valley Turkey Shoot") in Lebanon. Its adaptability has kept it in service over newer designs like the AIM-95 Agile and SRAAM that were intended to replace it.

The Sidewinder is the most widely used air-to-air missile in the West, with more than 110,000 missiles produced for the U.S. and 27 other nations, of which perhaps one percent have been used in combat. It has been built under license by Sweden and other nations. The AIM-9 has an estimated 270 aircraft kills.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-9.html|title=Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder|publisher=www.designation-systems.net|access-date=2 February 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100209021021/http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-9.html| archive-date= 9 February 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In 2010, [[Company:Boeing|Boeing]] won a contract to support Sidewinder operations through the year 2055. Air Force spokeswoman Stephanie Powell said that its relatively low cost, versatility, and reliability mean it is "very possible that the Sidewinder will remain in Air Force inventories through the late 21st century".<ref>{{cite web |title=April 9, 2004: 416th Flight Test Squadron Test Fires AIM-9X for the First Time From an F-16 |url=https://www.aftc.af.mil/News/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2530201/april-9-2004-416th-flight-test-squadron-test-fires-aim-9x-for-the-first-time-fr/ |website=Air Force Test Center |date=9 April 2021 |publisher=United States Air Force |access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref>

== Design ==
The AIM-9 was a product of the US Naval Weapons Center at China Lake in the Mojave Desert. It features a lightweight, compact design with cruciform [[Engineering:Canard (aeronautics)|canards]] and tail fins. It utilizes a [[Chemistry:Solid-propellant rocket|solid rocket motor]] for propulsion, similar to most conventional missiles, a [[Engineering:Continuous-rod warhead|continuous-rod fragmentation warhead]], and an [[Physics:Infrared homing|infrared seeker]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=AIM-9 Sidewinder Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile {{!}} MilitaryToday.com |url=https://www.militarytoday.com/missiles/aim_9_sidewinder.htm |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=www.militarytoday.com}}</ref>

The seeker tracks a difference in temperatures detected and utilizes [[Earth:Proportional navigation|proportional guidance]] to achieve impact. Older variants such as the AIM-9B with uncooled seeker heads could only track the high temperatures of [[Physics:Exhaust gas|engine exhaust]], making them strictly rear aspect. Later variants, however, featured [[Chemistry:Liquid nitrogen|liquid nitrogen]] coolant bottles in the launchers, allowing the missile to track any part of the aircraft heated by air resistance due to high speed flight, giving modern Sidewinders all-aspect capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FOX TWO: The Story of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, by Don Hollway |url=https://www.donhollway.com/foxtwo/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=www.donhollway.com}}</ref>

The nose canards provide maneuverability for the AIM-9, with the AIM-9X using [[Engineering:Thrust vectoring|thrust vectoring]] to augment this. The hot gases generated were used to actuate the nose canards in older models, while newer variants utilize [[Engineering:Molten-salt battery|thermal batteries]].

To minimize the amount of energy devoted to actuating control surfaces, the AIM-9 does not utilize active roll stabilization. Instead, it uses [[Physics:Rolleron|rolleron]]s, small metal discs protruding out of the aft end of the tips of the tail fins which spin as the missile flies through the air, providing gyroscopic stabilization.

The AIM-9 utilizes a passive infrared [[Engineering:Proximity fuze|proximity fuse]] to detonate its warhead near an enemy aircraft, scattering shrapnel that aims to cause as much damage to the aircraft, rendering it inoperable. The continuous rod warhead features rods welded together to form a cylindrical outer shell, with explosive filler inside. Upon detonation, the rods are scattered in a [[Torus|toroidal]] shape, ensuring that at least some portion of the shrapnel hits enemy aircraft.

Newer models of the AIM-9 sought to increase the range that the seeker head's [[Engineering:Gimbal|gimbal]] can turn, allowing the missile to track aircraft at higher distances from its direct line of sight, or boresight. Models such as the AIM-9L, AIM-9M, and AIM-9X feature high off-boresight capabilities, meaning they are able to track targets at high seeker gimbal angles, or highly distant from its boresight.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kopp |first=Carlo |date=1994-04-01 |title=The Sidewinder Story; The Evolution of the AIM-9 Missile |url=https://www.ausairpower.net/TE-Sidewinder-94.html |journal=Australian Aviation |volume=1994 |issue=April}}</ref>

== Guidance ==
[[File:proportional_navigation_example.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|A missile (blue) intercepts a target (red) by maintaining constant bearing to it (green)]] {{Original research|date=January 2023}}
The Sidewinder is not guided by the actual position recorded by the detector, but by the ''change'' in position since the last sighting. So if the target remained at 5 degrees left between two rotations of the mirror, the electronics would not output any signal to the control system. Consider a missile fired at right angles to its target; if the missile is flying at the same speed as the target, it should "lead" it by 45 degrees, flying to an impact point far in front of where the target was when it was fired. If the missile is traveling four times the speed of the target, it should follow an angle about 11 degrees in front. In either case, the missile should keep that angle all the way to interception, which means that the angle that the target makes against the detector is constant. It was this constant angle that the Sidewinder attempted to maintain. This "[[Earth:Proportional navigation|proportional pursuit]]" system is straightforward to implement and offers high-performance lead calculation almost for free and can respond to changes in the target's flight path,<ref>Echo-locating bats, as they pursue flying insects, also adopt such a strategy, see this PLoS Biology report: {{cite journal |date=18 April 2006 |title=Echo-locating Bats Use a Nearly Time-Optimal Strategy to Intercept Prey |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040108 |volume=4 |issue=5 |journal=PLOS Biology |pages=e108 |pmid=16605303 |pmc=1436025|last1=Ghose |first1=K. |last2=Horiuchi |first2=T. K. |last3=Krishnaprasad |first3=P. S. |last4=Moss |first4=C. F. |doi-access=free }}</ref> which is much more efficient and makes the missile "lead" the target.

== History ==
=== Origins ===
[[File:Heat-Homing Rocket on AD Skyraider c1952.JPG|thumb|left|Prototype Sidewinder-1 missile on an AD-4 Skyraider during flight testing]]
During [[Social:World War II|World War II]], various researchers in Germany designed infrared guidance systems of various complexity. The most mature development of these, codenamed ''Hamburg'', was intended for use by the Blohm & Voss BV 143 [[Engineering:Glide bomb|glide bomb]] in an anti-ship role. ''Hamburg'' used a single IR photocell as its detector along with a spinning disk with lines painted on it, alternately known as a "reticle" or "chopper". The reticle spun at a fixed speed, causing the output of the photocell to be interrupted in a pattern, and the precise timing of the resulting signal indicated the bearing of the target. Although ''Hamburg'' and similar devices like ''Madrid'' were essentially complete, the work of mating them to a missile had not been carried out by the time the war ended.<ref name=homing>{{cite encyclopedia |first= Edgar |last= Kutzscher |title= The Physical and Technical Development of Infrared Homing Devices |editor1-first= T |editor1-last= Benecke |editor2-first= A |editor2-last= Quick |encyclopedia= History of German Guided Missiles Development |publisher= NATO |date= 1957 |url= https://www.cso.nato.int/Pubs/rdp.asp?RDP=AGARD-AG-20 |access-date= 2015-10-20 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150930134307/https://www.cso.nato.int/Pubs/rdp.asp?RDP=AGARD-AG-20 |archive-date= 2015-09-30 |url-status= live }}</ref>

In the immediate post-war era, Allied military intelligence teams collected this information, along with many of the engineers working on these projects. Several lengthy reports on the various systems were produced and disseminated among the western aircraft firms, while a number of the engineers joined these companies to work on various missile projects. By the late 1940s a wide variety of missile projects were underway, from huge systems like the [[Engineering:Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar|Bell Bomi]] rocket-powered bomber to small systems like air-to-air missiles. By the early 1950s, both the US Air Force and {{wipe|Royal Air Force}} had started major IR seeker missile projects.<ref name=homing />

[[File:F104-AIM9.gif|thumb|alt=Video vignette of an F-104 destroying a QF-80 target drone with an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile|A F-104 Starfighter test-firing an AIM-9 Sidewinder against a QF-80 target drone at China Lake]]

The development of the Sidewinder missile began in 1946 at the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS), Inyokern, California, now the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, as an in-house research project conceived by [[Biography:William B. McLean|William B. McLean]]. McLean initially called his effort "Local Fuze Project 602" using laboratory funding, volunteer help and fuze funding to develop what they called a heat-homing rocket. The name ''Sidewinder'' was selected in 1950 and is the common name of ''[[Biology:Crotalus cerastes|Crotalus cerastes]]'', a rattlesnake, which uses infrared sensory organs to hunt warm-blooded prey.<ref name="ab" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinalakemuseum.org/exhibits/sidewinder.shtml|title=U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology|access-date=26 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923202816/http://www.chinalakemuseum.org/exhibits/sidewinder.shtml|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref>

It did not receive official funding until 1951 when the effort was mature enough to show to Admiral William "Deak" Parsons, the Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd). It subsequently received designation as a program in 1952. Originally called the '''Sidewinder 1''', the first live firing was on 3 September 1952. The missile intercepted a drone for the first time on 11 September 1953. The missile carried out 51 guided flights in 1954, and in 1955 production was authorized.<ref name="ab">{{cite journal|journal=Air-Britain Digest|author=Tom Hildreth|title=The Sidewinder Missile|date=March–April 1988|pages=39–40|volume=40|issue=2|issn=0950-7434}}</ref>

In 1954, the US Air Force carried out trials with the original '''AIM-9A''' and the improved '''AIM-9B''' at the Holloman Air Development Center. The first operational use of the missile was by Grumman F9F-8 Cougars and FJ-3 Furies of the United States Navy in the middle of 1956.<ref name="ab"/>

=== First-generation rear-aspect variants ===
Nearly 100,000 of the first generation (AIM-9B/C/D/E) of the Sidewinder were produced with Raytheon and General Electric as major sub-contractors. Philco-Ford produced the guidance and control sections of the early missiles. The NATO version of the first-generation missile was built under license in Germany by Bodenseewerk Gerätetechnik; 9,200 examples were built.<ref name="ab" />

==== Combat debut: Taiwan Strait, 1958 ====
The first combat use of the Sidewinder came on 24 September 1958 by the {{wipe|Republic of China Air Force}} during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. At the time, {{wipe|Republic of China Air Force}} [[Engineering:North American F-86 Sabre|North American F-86 Sabre]]s were routinely engaged in air battles with the People's Republic of China over the Taiwan Strait. In similar fashion to Korean War encounters between the F-86 and earlier MiG-15, high-flying PRC [[Engineering:Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17|MiG-17z]] cruised above the ROC Sabres, immune to their .50-cal guns and only fighting when conditions favored them.<ref name="Sidewinder Missile Information"/>

In a highly secret effort, the United States provided a few dozen Sidewinders to ROC forces and an Aviation Ordnance Team from the U.S. Marine Corps to modify their aircraft to carry the Sidewinder. In the first encounter on 24 September 1958, ROCAF pilots used the Sidewinders to ambush the MiG-17s as they flew past. This action marked the first successful use of air-to-air missiles in combat, the downed MiGs being the first casualties.<ref name="Sidewinder Missile Information">{{cite AV media|url=http://www.ewarbirds.org/sidewinder.html|title=Sidewinder AIM-9|publisher=US Naval Academy 2012|access-date=21 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702033852/http://www.ewarbirds.org/sidewinder.html|archive-date=2 July 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the Taiwan Strait battles of 1958, a {{wipe|Republic of China Air Force}} AIM-9B hit a PLAAF MiG-17 without exploding; the missile lodged in the airframe of the MiG and allowed the pilot to bring both plane and missile back to base. Soviet engineers later said that the captured Sidewinder served as a "university course" in missile design and substantially improved Soviet air-to-air capabilities.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Secret City: A history of the Navy at China Lake|oclc = 851089182}}</ref> They reverse-engineered a copy of the Sidewinder, which was manufactured as the '''Vympel K-13/R-3S''' missile, NATO reporting name '''AA-2 Atoll'''.
The Vympel K-13 entered service with Soviet air forces in 1960.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hollings |first1=Alex |title=The Almost-Unbelievable True Story of the Sidewinder Missile |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a35701747/sidewinder-missile-story/ |website=Popular Mechanics |date=21 March 2021 |publisher=Hearst Magazines |access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref>

==== Vietnam War service 1965–1973 ====
Performance of the 454 Sidewinders launched<ref>Michel III p. 287</ref> during the war was not as satisfactory as hoped. Both the USN and USAF studied the performance of their aircrews, aircraft, weapons, training, and supporting infrastructure. The USAF conducted the classified [https://archive.org/details/DTICWSEGReport116Volume1RedBaronAirtoAirEncountersSoutheastAsia28October1987/page/n3 Red Baron Report] while the Navy conducted a study concentrating primarily on performance of air-to-air weapons that was informally known as the "Ault Report". Both services subsequently modified their AIM-9s to improve performance and reliability.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=James |title=Freedom's Flying Snake: The AIM-9 Sidewinder in The Cold War |url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine-Corps-University-Press/Expeditions-with-MCUP-digital-journal/Freedoms-Flying-Snake/ |website=Marine Corps University |publisher=United States Marine Corps |access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref>

[[File:F-4B VF-111 CVA-43.jpg|thumb|AIM-9D-armed F-4B of VF-111 on {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|6}}]]

==== Vietnam War AIM-9 claimed aerial combat kills ====
{|class="wikitable"
|+ U.S. Navy AIM-9 Sidewinder aerial combat kills<ref name="McCarthy Jr. p. 148-157">McCarthy Jr. p. 148-157</ref>
|-
 ! Missile firing aircraft
 ! AIM-9 Sidewinder model (Type)
 ! Aircraft downed
 ! Comments
 |-
 | F-8E [[Engineering:Vought F-8 Crusader|Crusader]]
 | AIM-9D
 | (1) MiG-21/(9) MiG-17s
 | US fighters launched from US [[Engineering:Aircraft carrier|aircraft carrier]]s; {{USS|Hancock|CV-19|6}}, {{USS|Oriskany|CV-34|6}}, {{USS|Bon Homme Richard|CV-31|6}}, {{USS|Ticonderoga|CV-14|6}}
 |-
 | F-8C
 | AIM-9D
 | (3) MiG-17s/(1) MiG-21
 | US fighters launched from USS ''Bon Homme Richard'' and {{USS|Intrepid|CV-11|6}}
 |-
 | F-8H
 | AIM-9D
 | (2) MiG-21s
 | US fighters launched from USS ''Bon Homme Richard''
 |-
 | F-4B [[Engineering:McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|Phantom II]]
 | AIM-9D
 | (2) MiG-17s/(2) MiG-21s
 | US fighters launched from {{USS|Constellation|CV-64|6}} and {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6}}
 |-
 | F-4J
 | AIM-9D
 | (2) MiG-21s
 | US fighters launched from {{USS|America|CV-66|6}} and USS ''Constellation''
 |-
 | F-4B
 | AIM-9B
 | (1) MiG-17
 | US fighters launched from USS ''Kitty Hawk''
 |-
 | F-4B
 | AIM-9D
 | (7) MiG-17s/(2) MiG-19s
 | Fighters launched from {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|6}} and {{USS|Midway|CV-41|6}}
 |-
 | F-4J
 | AIM-9G
 | (7) MiG-17s/(7) MiG-21s
 | Fighters launched from {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}}, USS ''America'', {{USS|Saratoga|CV-60|6}}, USS ''Constellation'', USS ''Kitty Hawk''
 |-
 | Total MiG-17s
 | 29
 |-
 | Total MiG-21s
 | 15
 |-
 | Total MiG-19s
 | 2
 |-
 | USN Total:
 | 46
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+ U.S. Air Force AIM-9 Sidewinder aerial combat kills<ref name="McCarthy Jr. p. 148-157" />
|-
 ! Missile firing aircraft
 ! AIM-9 Sidewinder model (type)
 ! Aircraft downed
 ! Comments
 |-
 | F-4C
 | AIM-9B
 | (13) MiG-17s/(9) MiG-21s
 | USAF 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), 389th TFS, 390th TFS, 433rd TFS, 480th TFS, 555th TFS
 |-
 | [[Engineering:Republic F-105 Thunderchief|F-105D Thunderchief]]
 | AIM-9B
 | (3) MiG-17s
 | 333rd TFS, 469th TFS
 |-
 |F-4D
 | AIM-9E
 | (2) MiG-21s
 | 13th, 469th TFS
 |-
 | F-4E
 | AIM-9E
 | (4) MiG-21s
 | 13th TFS, 34th TFS, 35th TFS, 469th TFS
 |-
 | F-4D
 | AIM-9J
 | (2) MiG-19s/(1) MiG-21
 | 523rd TFS, 555th TFS
 |-
 | Total MiG-17s
 | 16
 |-
 | Total MiG-21s
 | 16
 |-
 | Total MiG-19s
 | 2
 |-
 |USAF Total:
 | 34
 |}

In total 452 Sidewinders were fired during the Vietnam War, resulting in a kill probability of 0.18.<ref>{{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=1989 |isbn=978-1-55750-262-9 |pages=439}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Pre all-aspect variants<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Carlo|first=Kopp|date=1994-04-01|title=The Sidewinder Story; The Evolution of the AIM-9 Missile|url=http://www.ausairpower.net/TE-Sidewinder-94.html|journal=Australian Aviation|volume=1994|issue=April|access-date=2007-01-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061217024515/http://www.ausairpower.net/TE-Sidewinder-94.html|archive-date=2006-12-17|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
|-
!Subtype
!AIM-9B
!AIM-9D
!AIM-9E
!AIM-9G
!AIM-9H
!AIM-9J
|-
!Service
|Joint
|USN
|USAF
|USN
|USN
|USAF
|-
! colspan="7" rowspan="1" |Seeker design features
|-
!Origin
|Naval Weapons Center
|AIM-9B
|AIM-9B
|AIM-9D
|AIM-9G
|AIM-9E
|-
!Detector
|[[Chemistry:Lead(II) sulfide|PbS]]
|PbS
|PbS
|PbS
|PbS
|PbS
|-
!Cooling
|Uncooled
|Nitrogen
|[[Physics:Thermoelectric cooling|Peltier]]
|Nitrogen
|Nitrogen
|Peltier
|-
!Dome window
|Glass
|[[Chemistry:Magnesium fluoride|MgF<sub>2</sub>]]
|MgF<sub>2</sub>
|MgF<sub>2</sub>
|MgF<sub>2</sub>
|MgF2|MgF<sub>2</sub>
|-
!Reticle speed ([[Hertz|Hz]])
|70
|125
|100
|125
|125
|100
|-
!Modulation
|[[Physics:Amplitude modulation|AM]]
|AM
|AM
|AM
|AM
|AM
|-
!Track rate (°/s)
|8.0 - 11.0<ref name="ReferenceA">NAVAIR 01-245FDB-1T - Tactical Manual - F-4B J N - September 1972</ref>
|12.0
|16.5
|12.0
|20.0<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
|16.5
|-
!Electronics
|[[Physics:Vacuum tube|thermionic]]
|thermionic
|hybrid
|thermionic
|[[Physics:Solid-state electronics|solid state]]
|hybrid
|-
!Warhead
|{{convert|4.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} <br />blast-fragmentation
|{{convert|11|kg|lb|abbr=on}} Mk. 48<br /> [[Engineering:Continuous-rod warhead|continuous rod]]
|{{convert|4.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} <br />blast-fragmentation
|{{convert|11|kg|lb|abbr=on}} Mk. 48<br /> continuous rod
|{{convert|11|kg|lb|abbr=on}} Mk. 48<br /> continuous rod
|{{convert|4.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} <br />blast-fragmentation
|-
!Fuze
|[[Physics:Passive infrared sensor|Passive-IR]]
|Passive-IR/[[Engineering:Proximity fuze#Radio|HF]]
|Passive-IR
|Passive-IR/HF
|Passive-IR/HF
|Passive-IR
|-
! colspan="7" rowspan="1" |Powerplant
|-
!Manufacturer
|[[Company:Thiokol|Thiokol]]
|Hercules
|Thiokol
|Hercules
|Hercules/Bermite
|Hercules/[[Company:Aerojet|Aerojet]]
|-
!Type
|Mk.17
|Mk.36
|Mk.17
|Mk.36
|Mk.36 Mod 5, 6, 7
|Mk.17
|-
!Launcher
|Aero-III
|LAU-7A
|Aero-III
|LAU-7A
|LAU-7A
|Aero-III
|-
! colspan="7" rowspan="1" |Missile dimensions
|-
!Length
|{{Convert|2.82|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{Convert|2.86|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|2.86|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|2.86|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
!Span
|{{convert|0.55|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.62|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.55|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.62|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.62|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.58|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
!Weight
|{{convert|70.39|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|88.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|74.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|87|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|84.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|77|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|}
Note: the speed of the B model was around 1.7 Mach and the other models above 2.5.

=== Later Generation All-aspect variants ===
=== AIM-9L ===
[[File:AIM-9L DF-ST-82-10199.jpg|thumb|AIM-9L Captive air training missile with part/section in blue color, denoting inert warhead and rocket motor, for training purposes.]]
The next major advance in IR Sidewinder development was the '''AIM-9L''' ('''"Lima"''') model which was in full production in 1977.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Bondsp229">Bonds 1989, p. 229.</ref> This was the first "[[Engineering:All-aspect|all-aspect]]" Sidewinder with the ability to attack from all directions, including head-on, which had a dramatic effect on close-in combat tactics. Its first combat use was by a pair of US Navy F-14s in the Gulf of Sidra in 1981 versus two Libyan [[Engineering:Sukhoi Su-17|Sukhoi Su-22s]], both of the latter being destroyed by AIM-9Ls. Its first use in a large-scale conflict was by the United Kingdom during the 1982 Falklands War. In this campaign the "Lima" reportedly achieved kills from 80% of launches, a dramatic improvement over the 10–15% levels of earlier versions, scoring 17 kills and 2 shared kills against Argentine aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f-16.net/f-16_armament_article1.html|title=F-16 Armament – AIM-9 Sidewinder|access-date=26 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325065425/http://www.f-16.net/f-16_armament_article1.html|archive-date=25 March 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== AIM-9M ===
The '''AIM-9M''' is an improved AIM-9L having better background rejection and infrared countermeasures discrimination, and a low-smoke motor to reduce the visual signature of the weapon. Deployed in large numbers during the 1991 Gulf War, the AIM-9M was responsible for all 10 Sidewinder kills recorded during that conflict.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

=== BOA/Box Office ===
China Lake developed an improved compressed carriage control configuration titled BOA. "Compressed carriage" missiles have smaller control surfaces to allow more missiles to fit in a given space.<ref>http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADP010957{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The surfaces may be permanently "clipped", or may fold out when the missile is launched.

=== {{Anchor|AIM-9X|X}}AIM-9X ===
[[File:US Navy 041102-N-5345W-096 Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Christopher Walker prepares to pull the arming pin on an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile.jpg|thumb|A sailor removing the arming pin from an AIM-9X mounted on the wingtip of a US Navy F/A-18C Hornet in 2004]]
[[Company:Hughes Aircraft Company|Hughes Electronics]] was awarded a contract for development of the '''AIM-9X''' Sidewinder in 1996 after a competition against Raytheon for the next short-range aerial combat missile,<ref>{{Cite news|author=Bloomberg News|date=1996-12-16|title=Hughes Electronics Wins Missile Contract|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/16/business/hughes-electronics-wins-missile-contract.html|access-date=2021-07-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> though Raytheon purchased the defense portions of Hughes Electronics the following year.<ref>{{Cite news|last=PELTZ|first=JAMES F.|date=1997-01-17|title=Raytheon Acquires Hughes Wing in $9.5-Billion Deal|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-17-mn-19463-story.html|access-date=2021-07-12}}</ref> The AIM-9X entered service in November 2003 with the USAF (the lead platform was the [[Engineering:McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15C]]) and the USN (the lead platform was the F/A-18C) and is a substantial upgrade to the Sidewinder family featuring an [[Physics:Infrared homing#Imaging systems|imaging infrared]] focal-plane array (FPA) seeker with claimed 90° off-boresight capability, compatibility with [[Engineering:Helmet-mounted display|helmet-mounted display]]s such as the new U.S. Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), and a totally new two-axis thrust-vectoring control (TVC) system providing increased turn capability over traditional control surfaces (60 ''g''). Utilizing the JHMCS, a pilot can point the AIM-9X missile's seeker and "lock on" by simply looking at a target, thereby increasing air combat effectiveness.<ref>{{cite web |author=Doty, Steven R. |title=Kunsan pilots improve capability with AIM-9X missile |date=2008-02-29 |url=http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123088345 |publisher=Air Force Link |access-date=2008-02-29 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080302193212/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123088345| archive-date= 2 March 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> It retains the same rocket motor, fuze and warhead of the AIM-9M, but its lower drag gives it improved range and speed.<ref>Sweetman, Bill, Warming trend, Aviation Week and Space Technology, July 8, 2013, p.26</ref> The AIM-9X also includes an internal cooling system, eliminating the need for use of launch-rail nitrogen bottles (U.S. Navy and Marines) or internal argon bottles (USAF). It also features an electronic safe and arm device similar to the AMRAAM, allowing for a reduction in minimum range, and reprogrammable infrared Counter Counter Measures (IRCCM) capability that coupled with the FPA provides improved look down into clutter and performance against the latest IRCM. Though not part of the original requirement, the AIM-9X demonstrated potential for lock-on after launch capability, allowing for possible internal use for the F-35, F-22 Raptor and even in a submarine-launched configuration for use against ASW platforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=149999&TICK=RTN&STORY=/www/story/02-06-2006/0004275416&EDATE=Feb+6,+2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929134539/http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=149999&TICK=RTN&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F02-06-2006%2F0004275416&EDATE=Feb+6%2C+2006|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2007|title=Successful Test of an AIM-9X Missile by a Raytheon-Led Team Demonstrates Potential for Low Cost Solution in Littoral Joint Battlespace|date=29 September 2007|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> The AIM-9X has been tested for a surface attack capability, with mixed results.<ref>[http://defense-update.com/20110920_raytheon-aim-9x-block-ii-airair-missile.html "Raytheon AIM-9X Block II Air/Air Missile."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926050512/http://defense-update.com/20110920_raytheon-aim-9x-block-ii-airair-missile.html |date=2011-09-26 }} ''Defense Update'', 20 September 2011.</ref>

==== Block II ====
Testing work on the AIM-9X Block II version began in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=84193&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1198532|title=Raytheon AIM-9X Block II Missile Completes First Captive Carry Flight|date=September 18, 2008|publisher=Raytheon|access-date=November 2, 2018}}</ref> The Block II adds lock-on after launch capability with a datalink, so the missile can be launched first and then directed to its target afterwards by an aircraft with the proper equipment for 360-degree engagements, such as the F-35 or the F-22.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Raytheon_AIM_9X_Block_II_Missile_Completes_First_Captive_Carry_Flight_999.html|title=Raytheon AIM-9X Block II Missile Completes First Captive Carry Flight|access-date=26 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008104626/http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Raytheon_AIM_9X_Block_II_Missile_Completes_First_Captive_Carry_Flight_999.html|archive-date=8 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> By January 2013, the AIM-9X Block II was about halfway through its operational testing and performing better than expected. NAVAIR reported that the missile was exceeding performance requirements in all areas, including lock-on after launch (LOAL). One area where the Block II needs improvement is helmetless high off-boresight (HHOBS) performance. It is functioning well on the missile, but performance is below that of the Block I AIM-9X. The HHOBS deficiency does not impact any other Block II capabilities, and is planned to be improved upon by a software clean-up build. Objectives of the operational test were due to be completed by the third quarter of 2013.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aim-9x-block-ii-performing-better-than-expected-381569/ AIM-9X Block II performing better than expected] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203231337/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aim-9x-block-ii-performing-better-than-expected-381569/ |date=2013-02-03 }} – Flightglobal.com, January 28, 2013</ref> However, as of May 2014 there have been plans to resume operational testing and evaluation (including surface-to-air missile system compatibility).<ref>{{cite journal|author1=David C. Isby|title=AIM-9X Block II resumes IOT&E|journal=Jane's International Defence Review|date=May 2014|volume=47|page=16|issn=2048-3449}}</ref> {{As of|June 2013}}, Raytheon had delivered 5,000 AIM-9X missiles to the armed services.<ref>[http://www.deagel.com/news/US-Navy-Delivers-5000th-AIM-9X-Sidewinder-Air-to-Air-Missile_n000011563.aspx Raytheon Delivers 5,000th AIM-9X Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307004811/http://www.deagel.com/news/US-Navy-Delivers-5000th-AIM-9X-Sidewinder-Air-to-Air-Missile_n000011563.aspx |date=2014-03-07 }} – Deagel.com, 15 June 2013</ref> On 18 June 2017, after an AIM-9X did not successfully track a targeted {{wipe|Syrian Air Force}} Su-22 Fitter, US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael "Mob" Tremel flying a F/A-18E Super Hornet used an AMRAAM AAM to successfully destroy the enemy aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ziezulewicz |first1=Geoff |title=The inside story of how a US Navy pilot shot down a Syrian jet |url=https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/09/10/the-inside-story-of-how-a-us-navy-pilot-shot-down-a-syrian-jet/ |website=Navy Times |access-date=11 February 2023 |date=September 10, 2018}}</ref> There is a theory that the Sidewinder is tested against American and not Soviet/Russian flares. The Sidewinder is used to rejecting American but not Soviet/Russian flares. Similar issues arose from the testing of the AIM-9P model. The missile would ignore American flares but go for Soviet ones due to these flares have "different burn time, intensity and separation."<ref>{{cite web |author1= KYLE MIZOKAMI|title=How Did a 30-Year-Old Jet Dodge the Pentagon's Latest Missile?
|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a27094/su-22-dodge-aim-9x-sidewinder/ |website=Popular Mechanics |access-date=10 March 2023 |date=27 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1= DAVE MAJUMDAR|title=Why America's Mighty Military Doesn't Always Dominate The Battlefield
|url=https://taskandpurpose.com/news/americas-mighty-military-doesnt-always-dominate-battlefield/ |website=Task and Purpose |access-date=10 March 2023 |date=26 June 2017}}</ref>

In February 2015, the U.S. Army successfully launched an AIM-9X Block II from the new [[Engineering:Multi-Mission Launcher|Multi-Mission Launcher]] (MML), a truck-mounted missile launch container that can hold 15 of the missiles. The MML is part of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-Intercept (IFPC Inc. 2-I) to protect ground forces against [[Engineering:Cruise missile|cruise missile]] and [[Engineering:Unmanned aerial vehicle|unmanned aerial vehicle]] threats. The AIM-9X Block II has been determined by the Army to be the best solution to cruise missile and UAV threats because of its passive imaging infrared seeker. The MML will complement the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger air defense system and is expected to begin fielding in 2019.<ref>[http://defense-update.com/20150328_mml.html#.VZ7OLMIw8dU New Launcher to Deploy C-RAM, C-UAV and Counter Cruise-Missile Defenses by 2019] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709192258/http://defense-update.com/20150328_mml.html#.VZ7OLMIw8dU |date=2015-07-09 }} – Defense-Update.com, 28 March 2015</ref>{{Update inline|date=February 2023}}

==== Block III ====
In September 2012, Raytheon was ordered to continue developing the Sidewinder into a Block III variant, even though the Block II had not yet entered service. The USN projected that the new missile would have a 60 percent longer range, modern components to replace old ones, and an insensitive munitions warhead, which is more stable and less likely to detonate by accident, making it safer for ground crews. The need for the AIM-9 to have an increased range was caused by digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) [[Engineering:Radar jamming and deception|jammers]] that can blind the onboard radar of an AIM-120D AMRAAM, so the Sidewinder Block III's passive imaging [[Physics:Infrared homing|infrared homing]] guidance system was seen as a useful alternative. Although it could supplement the AMRAAM for beyond visual range (BVR) engagements, it would still be capable of performing within visual range (WVR). Modifying the AIM-9X was seen as a cost-effective alternative to developing a new missile in a time of declining budgets. To achieve the range increase, the rocket motor would have a combination of increased performance and missile power management. The Block III would "leverage" the Block II's guidance unit and electronics, including the AMRAAM-derived datalink. The Block III was scheduled to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) in 2022, following the increased number of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters to enter service.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-navy-hopes-to-increase-aim-9x-range-by-60-388468/ "US Navy hopes to increase AIM-9X range by 60%."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721073933/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-navy-hopes-to-increase-aim-9x-range-by-60-388468/ |date=2013-07-21 }} – Flightglobal.com, 18 July 2013</ref><ref>[http://strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20120905.aspx New Sidewinder Tweaks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907011236/http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20120905.aspx |date=2012-09-07 }} – Strategypage.com, September 5, 2012</ref> The Navy pressed for this upgrade in response to a projected threat which analysts have speculated will be due to the difficulty of targeting upcoming Chinese fifth-generation jet fighters ([[Engineering:Chengdu J-20|Chengdu J-20]], [[Engineering:Shenyang J-31|Shenyang J-31]]) with the radar-guided AMRAAM,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_06_19_2013_p0-589808.xml|title=Raytheon Looks At Options For Long-Range AIM-9|magazine=Aviation Week|date=June 19, 2013|access-date=2013-06-23|author=Sweetman, Bill|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221221517/http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=%2Farticle-xml%2Fawx_06_19_2013_p0-589808.xml|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> specifically that Chinese advances in electronics will mean Chinese fighters will use their [[Engineering:Active electronically scanned array|AESA]] radars as jammers to degrade the AIM-120's kill probability.<ref>Sweetman, Bill, Warming Trend, Aviation Week and Space Technology, July 8, 2013, p.26</ref> However, the Navy's FY 2016 budget canceled the AIM-9X Block III as they cut down buys of the F-35C, as it was primarily intended to permit the fighter to carry six BVR missiles; the insensitive munition warhead will be retained for the AIM-9X program.<ref>[http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35cs-cut-back-us-navy-invests-standoff-weapons F-35Cs Cut Back As U.S. Navy Invests In Standoff Weapons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205183403/http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35cs-cut-back-us-navy-invests-standoff-weapons |date=2015-02-05 }} – Aviationweek.com, 3 February 2015</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ All-aspect variants<ref name=":0"/>
|-
!Subtype
!AIM-9L
!AIM-9M
!AIM-9P-4/5
!AIM-9R
|-
!Service
|Joint
|Joint
|USAF, export
|USN
|-
! colspan="5" rowspan="1" |Seeker design features
|-
!Origin
|AIM-9H
|AIM-9L
|AIM-9J/N
|AIM-9M
|-
!Detector
|InSb
|InSb
|InSb
|[[Physics:Staring array|Focal-plane array]]
|-
!Cooling
|[[Chemistry:Argon|Argon]]
|Argon
|Argon
| –
|-
!Dome window
|[[Chemistry:Magnesium fluoride|MgF<sub>2</sub>]]
|MgF<sub>2</sub>
|MgF<sub>2</sub>
|Glass
|-
!<small>Reticle speed (Hz)</small>
|125
|125
|100
|Focal-plane array
|-
!Modulation
|FM
|FM
|FM
|Focal-plane array
|-
!<small>Track rate (°/s)</small>
|22<ref>CD101B-0901 & 2-15D Supplement to Phantom FG.1 & FGR.2 Aircrew Manual - Weapon System (1977 & 1980 Radar Modification Standards)</ref>
|Classified
|>16.5
|Classified
|-
!Electronics
|Solid state
|Solid state
|Solid state
|Solid state
|-
!Warhead
|{{convert|9.4|kg|lb|abbr=on}} WDU-17/B <br />annular blast-fragmentation
|{{convert|9.4|kg|lb|abbr=on}} WDU-17/B <br />annular blast-fragmentation
|Annular <br/>blast-fragmentation
|Annular <br/>blast-fragmentation
|-
!Fuze
|IR/[[Engineering:Proximity fuze#Optical|Laser]]
|IR/Laser
|IR/Laser
|IR/Laser
|-
! colspan="5" rowspan="1" |Powerplant
|-
!Manufacturer
|Hercules/Bermite
|[[Company:Thiokol|MTI]]/Hercules
|Hercules/Aerojet
|MTI/Hercules
|-
!Type
|Mk.36 Mod.7,8
|Mk.36 Mod.9
|SR.116
|Mk.36 Mod.9
|-
!Launcher
|Common
|Common
|Common
|Common
|-
! colspan="5" rowspan="1" |Missile dimensions
|-
!Length
|{{convert|2.89|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|2.89|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|2.89|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
!Span
|{{convert|0.64|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.64|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.58|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|0.64|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
!Weight
|{{convert|86|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|86|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|86|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|86|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|}

===2023 North American balloon & unidentified object shootdowns===
On 4 February 2023, an F-22 Raptor operated by the {{wipe|United States Air Force}} used a single AIM-9X missile to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of Surfside Beach, South Carolina at an altitude between {{convert|60000|to|65000|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/04/chinese-spy-balloon-shot-down-us |website= theguardian.com |title= US shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon over east coast |first= Julian |last= Borger |date= 2023-02-04 |access-date= 2023-02-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Helene |last2=Wong |first2=Edward |date=2023-02-04 |title=U.S. Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off the Coast of the Carolinas |language=en-US |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/02/04/us/china-spy-balloon |access-date=2023-02-04 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Six days later, [[Unsolved:2023 Alaska high-altitude object|another object]] was shot down near Alaska.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Epstein |first=Jake |title=After nearly 2 decades in service, the F-22 has its first air-to-air kills — neither against the jets it was designed to fight |language=en-US |website=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/f-22-first-air-to-air-kills-neither-against-jets-2023-2 |access-date=2023-02-11}}</ref> On 11 and 12 February two more objects were shot down, over [[Unsolved:2023 Yukon high-altitude object|Yukon, Canada]] and [[Unsolved:2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object|Lake Huron in Michigan]] respectively.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Statement on Today's Actions by North American Aerospace Defense Command |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3296111/statement-on-todays-actions-by-north-american-aerospace-defense-command/ |agency=U.S. Department of Defense |date=12 February 2023 |access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Helene |date=February 12, 2023 |title=U.S. Shoots Down a Fourth Flying Object |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/12/us/politics/us-shoots-down-object-michigan.html |access-date=February 12, 2023 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=US jets shoot down third unmanned aircraft within a week, this time over Canada |publisher=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/11/us-jets-shoot-down-object-over-canada/11238813002/ |access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref>

=== 2023 Israel–Hamas war===

An {{wipe|Israeli Air Force}} F-35I claimed have shot down an unidentified cruise missile on 2 November 2023. Releasing footage of the cruise missile, launch of an AIM-9X Sidewinder and the impact on the missile.<ref>{{cite news |date= 2 November 2023|title=Israel Scores F-35's First Cruise Missile Kill |publisher=The War Zone|author= THOMAS NEWDICK |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/israeli-f-35-shoots-down-cruise-missile |access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref>

== Sidewinder descendants ==
=== Anti-tank variant ===
[[File:AIM-9L hits tank at China Lake 1971.jpg|thumb|Experimental use of an AIM-9L against tanks at China Lake, 1971]]
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake experimented with Sidewinders in the air-to-ground mode including use as an anti-tank weapon.
Starting from 2008, the AIM-9X demonstrated its ability as a successful light air-to-ground missile.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f-16.net/news_article3929.html|title=AIM-9X Sidewinder demonstrates Air-To-Surface capability|access-date=26 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928020636/http://www.f-16.net/news_article3929.html|archive-date=28 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016 Diehl closed a deal with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support to develop a laser guided Air-To-Ground variant of the Sidewinder missile based on the AIM-9L variant. In testing with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration a [[Engineering:Saab JAS 39 Gripen|Saab Gripen]] could hit one stationary and two moving targets.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Heiming |first1=Gerhard |title=Laser-gelenkte Lenkrakete Sidewinder für den Luft-Boden-Einsatz |url=https://esut.de/2021/05/meldungen/27205/laser-gelenkte-lenkrakete-sidewinder-fuer-den-luft-boden-einsatz/ |website=ESuT |access-date=13 May 2021}}</ref>

On 28 February 2018, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unveiled an anti-tank derivative of the Sidewinder missile named "Azarakhsh" intended for use by Bell AH-1J SeaCobra attack helicopters.<ref>{{cite web|title=Iran's New Anti-Tank Missile Looks Awfully Familiar|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a19041548/iran-missile-sidewinder-azarakhsh/|publisher=Popular Mechanics|access-date=2021-02-04|date=2018-03-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803152747/https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a19041548/iran-missile-sidewinder-azarakhsh/|archive-date=2020-08-03|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Later developments==
=== Larger rocket motor ===
Under the High Altitude Project, engineers at China Lake mated a Sidewinder warhead and seeker to a Sparrow rocket motor to experiment with usefulness of a larger motor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinalakealumni.org/1970/1970mo.htm#thumb|title=1970 China Lake Photo Gallery|website=www.chinalakealumni.org|access-date=2018-02-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180610093808/http://www.chinalakealumni.org/1970/1970mo.htm#thumb|archive-date=2018-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Other ground launch platforms ===
In 2016 the AIM-9X was test fired from a [[Engineering:Multi-Mission Launcher|Multi-Mission Launcher]] at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, USA.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Boyd |title=U.S. Army successfully fires AIM-9X missile from new interceptor launch platform |url=https://www.army.mil/article/165134/us_army_successfully_fires_aim_9x_missile_from_new_interceptor_launch_platform |website=www.army.mil |publisher=United States Army |access-date=20 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620200045/https://www.army.mil/article/165134/us_army_successfully_fires_aim_9x_missile_from_new_interceptor_launch_platform |archive-date=20 June 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> During testing with the MML, the AIM-9X experienced issues with overheating. These issues have since been resolved.<ref name="Defense News 2021" >{{cite web |last1=Judson |first1=Jen |title=Dynetics unveils Enduring Shield, its solution for the US Army to counter cruise missiles |url=https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/06/04/dynetics-unveils-enduring-shield-its-solution-for-the-us-armys-future-cruise-missile-defense-capability/ |website=www.defensenews.com |date=4 June 2021 |publisher=Defense News |access-date=5 June 2021}}</ref> In September 2021, the U.S. Army signed a contract with [[Company:Dynetics|Dynetics]] to build prototypes for its Indirect Fires Protection Capability (IFPC), utilizing an MML-based launcher firing the Sidewinder to counter UAVs and cruise missiles. It is planned to be put into service in 2023.<ref>[https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/09/24/us-army-mints-deal-with-dynetics-to-build-system-to-counter-drones-and-cruise-missiles/ US Army mints deal with Dynetics to build system to counter drones and cruise missiles]. ''Defense News''. 24 September 2021.</ref>

In May 2019 the AIM-9X Block II was test fired from the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) at the Andøya Space Center in Norway.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reichmann |first1=Kelsey |title=Norway's Air Force tests Sidewinder missile |url=https://www.defensenews.com/training-sim/2019/06/19/norways-air-force-tests-sidewinder-missile/ |website=defensenews.com |date=19 June 2019 |publisher=Defense News |access-date=20 June 2019}}</ref>

In late 2022 the {{wipe|United States}} and {{wipe|Ukraine}} began working on a program to adapt older AIM-9M Sidewinders into surface to air missiles, as part of a wider program known as "FrankenSAM",<ref>{{cite web |author=JOSEPH TREVITHICK |date=13 October 2023 |title=Ukraine Situation Report: 'FrankenSAM' To Speed Delivery Of Air Defenses |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-situation-report-frankensam-to-speed-delivery-of-air-defenses |access-date=14 October 2023 |website=defensenews.com |publisher=The War Zone}}</ref> in an attempt to better protect Ukraine against [[Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure (2022–present)|Russian airstrikes of 
critical power infrastructure]] during the Russo-Ukrainian War.<ref>{{cite web |author=Roman Petrenko|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/10/29/7426239/|title=Preparing for winter, Ukraine uses US assistance in creation of hybrid air defence systems – NYT|website=Ukrayinska Pravda|date=29 October 2023|access-date=31 October 2023|language=English}}</ref> On 24 October 2023, a Ukrainian official said: "Those [AIM-9] missiles were out of operation...We found a way of launching them [Sidewinders] from the ground. It's a kind of self-made air defence."<ref>{{cite web |author= Alec Russell|author2= Christopher Miller  |title= Ukraine's race to build its own arms industrys |url= https://www.ft.com/content/69cf1288-0156-4b8f-a770-cacb05988596 |website=www.ft.com |date=13 October 2023 |publisher=Financial Times|access-date=27 October 2023}}</ref>

== Operators ==
[[File:AIM-9 Sidewinder Users.png|thumb|384x384px|Map with current operators of the AIM-9 Sidewinder in blue, former operators in red, and future operators in green.]]

=== Current operators ===
* {{flag|Argentina}}: AIM-9L/M
* {{flag|Australia}}<ref>{{cite web|last=La Franchi|first=Peter|title=Australia confirms AIM-9X selection for Super Hornets|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/03/27/212852/australia-confirms-aim-9x-selection-for-super-hornets.html|publisher=Flight International|access-date=20 April 2011|date=27 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907211658/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/03/27/212852/australia-confirms-aim-9x-selection-for-super-hornets.html|archive-date=7 September 2008|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Janes">{{cite web|last1=Jennings|first1=Gareth|title=Norway and Taiwan join AIM-9X Block II user-community {{!}} IHS Jane's 360|url=http://www.janes.com/article/61977/norway-and-taiwan-join-aim-9x-block-ii-user-community|website=IHS Jane's 360|location=London|access-date=2016-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705135300/http://www.janes.com/article/61977/norway-and-taiwan-join-aim-9x-block-ii-user-community|archive-date=2016-07-05|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flag|Belgium}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Bahrain}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Bahraini F-16C Block 40 #101, armed with 4 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, on a desert airfield. This aircraft was the first F-16 delivered to the RBAF [RBAF photo] |url=https://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album07/album48/aac |website=F-16.net |access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref>
* {{flag|Brazil}}
* {{flag|Canada}}
* {{flag|Chile}}
* {{flag|Czech Republic}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/imr-ri.nsf/en/gr110085e.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071013131211/http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/imr-ri.nsf/en/gr110085e.html|url-status=dead|title=International Market Research – Defense Trade Guide Update 2003|date=13 October 2007|archive-date=13 October 2007}}</ref>
* {{flag|Denmark}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Egypt}}<ref name="HSOY 2 pV">{{harvnb|Cooper|2018|page=V}}</ref>
* {{flag|Ethiopia}}
* {{flag|Finland}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/11/finland-ordering-150-aim9x-sidewinders/index.php|title=Finland Ordering 150 AIM-9X Sidewinders|access-date=2006-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902111239/http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/11/finland-ordering-150-aim9x-sidewinders/index.php|archive-date=2006-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Hungary}}
* {{flag|Greece}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newdick |first1=Thomas |title=Face-Off Over The Aegean: How Greek And Turkish Air Forces Stack Up |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36088/face-off-in-the-aegean-how-greek-and-turkish-air-forces-stack-up |website=The Drive |access-date=18 February 2022 |date=3 September 2020}}</ref>
* {{flag|Indonesia}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Two Indonesian vipers, fully armed with 4x AIM-9 and 2x AGM-65 missiles, flying low (200 ft) over Gulf Of Popoh, South of East Java Province. [Photo by Capt.Agung "Sharky" Sasongkojati] |url=https://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album39/album31/aan |website=F-16.net |access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref>
* {{flag|Iran}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://defensetech.org/2006/05/17/taking-on-irans-air-force/|title=Taking On Iran's Air Force – Defense Tech|access-date=26 March 2015|date=2006-05-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612005838/http://defensetech.org/2006/05/17/taking-on-irans-air-force/|archive-date=12 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flag|Iraq}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogoway |first1=Tyler |title=Now Iraq Has Started Bombing Syria Too (Updated) |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20237/now-iraq-has-started-bombing-targets-in-syria-too |website=The Drive |access-date=18 February 2022 |date=19 April 2018}}</ref>
* {{flag|Israel}}<ref>{{cite web |title=An IDF/AF viper banking over the Golan heights, armed with 2 JDAMs, 2 Python 5 and 2 Sidewinder missiles. [IDF/AF photo] |url=https://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album07/album08/adc |website=F-16.net |access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref>
* {{flag|Italy}}
* {{flag|Japan}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Jordan}}<ref name="HSOY 2 pV" />
* {{flagicon|Kenya}} Kenya
* {{flag|Kuwait}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Malaysia}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Morocco}}<ref>{{harvnb|Cooper|2018|page=IV}}</ref>
[[File:Dutch Lockheed F-104G Starfighter from the 323rd Squadron with AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles, 1979.jpg|thumb|right|The rear-aspect only AIM-9J carried by a Dutch F-104G Starfighter in 1979.]]
* {{flag|Netherlands}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Norway}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Oman}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Pakistan}}<ref>{{harvnb|Chenel|Liébert|Moreau|2014|page=156}}</ref>
* {{flag|Philippines}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.update.ph/2017/07/ph-completes-inspection-of-raytheon-for-fa-50s-air-to-air-missiles/19137|title=PH completes inspection of Raytheon for FA-50's air-to-air missiles – Update Philippines|date=18 July 2017|access-date=1 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023250/https://www.update.ph/2017/07/ph-completes-inspection-of-raytheon-for-fa-50s-air-to-air-missiles/19137|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2021/06/26/u-s-state-department-approves-harpoon-and-aim-9x-sidewinder-for-philippines/|title=US State Department Approves Harpoon and AIM-9X for Philippines|work=global defense corp|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref>
* {{flag|Poland}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trevithick |first1=Joseph |title=These Photos Of Armed NATO F-16s Patrolling Over The Baltics Are Absolutely Incredible |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44151/these-photos-of-armed-nato-f-16s-high-over-the-baltics-are-absolutely-incredible |website=The Drive |access-date=18 February 2022 |date=4 February 2022}}</ref>
* {{flag|Portugal}}: AIM-9B/J/P/L/M/9X Block II<ref>{{cite web |title=PoAF F-16A #15117, armed with four AIM-9 Sidewinders, refueling from a USAF tanker [USAF photo] |url=https://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album37/album24/abl |access-date=22 February 2022 |website=F-16.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=11 November 2022 |title=Portuguese Air Force Joining AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder Air-to-air Missile Operators Group |url=https://militaryleak.com/2022/11/11/portuguese-air-force-joining-aim-9x-block-ii-sidewinder-air-to-air-missile-operators-group/ |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref>
* {{flag|Qatar}}
* {{flag|Romania}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/09/150-aim9-sidewinder-missiles-for-saudi-arabia/index.php|title=150 AIM-9 Sidewinder Missiles for Saudi Arabia|access-date=2006-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902020615/http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/09/150-aim9-sidewinder-missiles-for-saudi-arabia/index.php|archive-date=2006-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Singapore}}<ref name="SIPRI">{{cite web|url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|title=SIPRI arms transfer database|date=19 March 2012|publisher=Stockholm International Peace Research Institute|access-date=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229003804/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|archive-date=29 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|South Korea}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Republic of China (Taiwan)}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Sweden}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Jas 39 Gripen C/D |url=https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/information-och-fakta/materiel-och-teknik/luft/jas-39-gripen-cd/ |website=Försvarsmakten |publisher=Försvarsmakten |access-date=30 May 2023 |language=sv}}</ref>
* {{flag|Switzerland}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Thailand}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Thailand - KongTup Arkard Thai Royal Thai Air Force - RTAF |url=https://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article20.html |website=F-16.net}}</ref>
* {{flag|Turkey}}: 127 AIM-9X-BII Sidewinder in inventory and 401 AIM-9X-BII Sidewinder on order.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2006/02/turkey-buys-127-aim9x-sidewinder-missiles/index.php|title=Turkey Buys 127 AIM-9X Sidewinder Missiles|access-date=2006-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902015808/http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2006/02/turkey-buys-127-aim9x-sidewinder-missiles/index.php|archive-date=2006-09-02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-advances-fighter-jet-sale-turkey-greece-congress-likely-approve-2024-01-27/</ref><ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Tunisia}}
* {{flag|United States}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|UAE}}<ref name="Janes" />
* {{flag|Ukraine}}: 43 missiles donated by Canada from the stocks of the Canadian Armed Forces. The variant was not stated nor if they were to be used by Ukrainian Air Force's fighters or the ground defences like the NASAMS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2023/05/defence-minister-anita-anand-announces-military-aid-for-ukraine-at-the-twelfth-meeting-of-the-ukraine-defense-contact-group.html|title=Defence Minister Anita Anand announces military aid for Ukraine at the twelfth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group|date=25 May 2023|website=www.canada.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.janes.com/amp/ukraine-conflict-canada-to-donate-sidewinder-missiles-to-kyiv/ZnlJK3dHVU9mZ28xajRJVkc5dVI5VFp1cVMwPQ2 |title= Ukraine conflict: Canada to donate Sidewinder missiles to Kyiv |author= Gareth Jennings |date=26 May 2023|website=janes.com}}</ref> Unknown number of AIM-9Ms donated by the United States in August 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AIM-9M Missiles, $250 Million in Additional Security Assistance Headed for Ukraine |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3509657/aim-9m-missiles-250-million-in-additional-security-assistance-headed-for-ukraine/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.defense.gov%2FNews%2FNews-Stories%2FArticle%2FArticle%2F3509657%2Faim-9m-missiles-250-million-in-additional-security-assistance-headed-for-ukraine%2F |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=U.S. Department of Defense |language=en-US}}</ref>
* {{flag|Venezuela}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Venezuela - Fuerza Aérea Venezolana Venezuelan Air Force - FAV |url=https://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article25.html |website=F-16.net}}</ref>
* {{flag|Yemen}}

=== Former operators ===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* {{flag|Austria}}
* {{flag|France}}<ref>{{harvnb|Chenel|Liébert|Moreau|2014|page=363}}</ref>
* {{flag|Germany}}
* {{flag|Mexico}}
* {{flag|New Zealand}}
* {{flag|North Yemen}}<ref>{{harvnb|Cooper|2017|p=40}}</ref>
* {{flag|South Africa}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/weapons/4/aim-9b-sidewinder |title=AIM-9B Sidewinder |access-date=2008-08-04 |publisher=South African Air Force Association | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080627124222/http://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/weapons/4/aim-9b-sidewinder| archive-date= 27 June 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* {{flag|South Vietnam}}
* {{flag|Spain}}<ref>{{harvnb|Chenel|Liébert|Moreau|2014|page=225}}</ref>
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}
* {{flag|Yugoslavia}}
* {{flag|Zimbabwe}}
{{div col end}}

=== Future operators ===

* {{Flag|Slovak Republic}}: Slovak Air Force bought 100 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for their [[Engineering:General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] Block 70/72.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=ESD Editorial |date=2019-12-13 |title=Slovak Air Force Modernisation - European Security & Defence |url=https://euro-sd.com/2019/12/articles/15540/slovak-air-force-modernisation/ |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=euro-sd.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

* {{flag|Bulgaria}}: {{wipe|Bulgarian Air Force}} F-16 Block 70 Aircraft are going to be armed with AIM-9X Block II missiles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bulgaria – F-16 C/D Block 70 Aircraft {{!}} Defense Security Cooperation Agency |url=https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/bulgaria-f-16-cd-block-70-aircraft |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=www.dsca.mil}}</ref>
''Please note that this list is not definitive.''

== See also ==
{{aircontent
|related=
* AGM-87 Focus, an infrared-homing, air-to-ground version of the Sidewinder
* AGM-122 Sidearm, an anti-radiation missile based off of the Sidewinder
* Diamondback, a proposed enlarged, nuclear-armed version of Sidewinder
* PL-2, a Chinese derivative of the K-13 (AA-2 Atoll)
* MIM-72 Chaparral
* Sidewinder Arcas
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
* [[Engineering:List of missiles|List of missiles]]
|see also=
* 1963 United States Tri-Service rocket and guided missile designation system
}}

===Comparable missiles===
{{Div col|}}
* ASRAAM
* A-Darter 
* IRIS-T
* MAA-1 Piranha
* MICA
* R.550 Magic
* Red Top
* Firestreak
* PL-9
* Python 5
*R-60
* R-73
* Shafrir
* Fatter
* AAM-1/3/5
{{div col end}}

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{Notelist-lr}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* Babcock, Elizabeth (1999). ''Sidewinder&nbsp;– Invention and Early Years.'' The China Lake Museum Foundation. 26 pp. A concise record of the development of the original Sidewinder version and the central people involved in its design.
* Bonds, Ray ed. ''The Modern US War Machine''. New York City: Crown Publishers, 1989. {{ISBN|0-517-68802-6}}.
* {{Cite book|last=Bonds|first=Ray and David Miller|title=Illustrated Directory of Modern American Weapons|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cfpBbuIlfV0C|chapter=AIM-9 Sidewinder|publisher=Zenith Imprint|isbn=978-0-7603-1346-6|date=2002}}
* {{cite book |last1=Chenel |first1=Bernard |last2=Liébert |first2=Michel |last3=Moreau |first3=Eric |title=Mirage III/5/50 en service à l'étranger |date=2014 |publisher=Editions LELA Presse |location=Le Vigen, France |isbn=978-2-914017-76-3}}
* {{Cite book|last=Clancy|first=Tom|title=Fighter Wing|chapter=Ordnance: How Bombs Got 'Smart'|location=London|publisher=HarperCollins, 1995|isbn=978-0-00-255527-2|year=1996}}
* {{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |title=Hot Skies Over Yemen, Volume 1: Aerial Warfare Over the Southern Arabian Peninsula, 1962-1994 |date=2017 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Solihull, UK |isbn=978-1-912174-23-2}}
* {{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |title=Hot Skies Over Yemen, Volume 2: Aerial Warfare Over the Southern Arabian Peninsula, 1994-2017 |date=2018 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-911628-18-7}}
* {{cite web |author=Doty, Steven R. |title=Kunsan pilots improve capability with AIM-9X missile |date=2008-02-29 |url=http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123088345 |publisher=Air Force Link |access-date=2008-02-29 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080302193212/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123088345| archive-date= 2 March 2008 | url-status= live}}
* McCarthy, Donald J. Jr. ''MiG Killers, A Chronology of U.S. Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973''. 2009, Specialty Press, North Branch, MN, U.S.A. {{ISBN|978-1-58007-136-9}}
* Michel III, Marshall L. ''Clashes, Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965–1972.'' 1997.  {{ISBN|978-1-59114-519-6}}.
* Westrum, Ron (1999). "''Sidewinder—Creative missile development at China Lake."'' Naval Institute Press. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-951-2}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140707004130/https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/aim-9x-block-ii-the-new-sidewinder-missile-011572/ Defense Industry Daily – AIM-9X Block II: The New Sidewinder Missile]
* [https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9059799/photoconductivity Encyclopædia Britannica]
* [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-9.html Raytheon AAM-N-7/GAR-8/AIM-9 Sidewinder – Designation Systems]
* [http://www.ausairpower.net/TE-Sidewinder-94.html The Sidewinder Story]
* [http://people.howstuffworks.com/sidewinder.htm Sidewinder] at Howstuffworks.com
* [http://www.nammo.com/ NAMMO Raufoss – Nordic Ammunition Company]
* [http://www.donhollway.com/foxtwo/index.html "Fox Two!"] from ''Aviation History'' magazine, March 2013. Includes photos & video 
* [https://www.key.aero/article/italy-signs-aim-9x-air-air-missile Italy signs up for Aim-9x]


[[Category:Infrared technology]]

{{Sourceattribution|AIM-9 Sidewinder}}