The Mitsubishi AAM-1 was a Japanese
infrared homing
Infrared homing is a Missile guidance#Passive homing, passive weapon guidance system which uses the infrared (IR) light emission from a target to track and follow it seamlessly. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "he ...
air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft (including unmanned aircraft such as cruise missiles). AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid-fuel roc ...
developed from the
AIM-9B Sidewinder missile.
Operational history
Starting in 1969, the AAM-1 was produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, with around 400 produced in total. It served as the standard armament for
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...
F-104J while used on
North American F-86F and
Mitsubishi F-1. Being slightly shorter and lighter compared to the
AIM-9E Sidewinder, the AAM-1 had inferior performances compared to the American missile which was entering service in Japan. The unit cost of an AIM-9B purchased through
Foreign Military Sales
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) is a security assistance program of the United States government to facilitate the purchase of U.S. arms, defense equipment, design and construction services, and military training to foreign governments. FMS is a gove ...
was about 1 million yen, while that of AAM-1 was about 3.5 million yen in 1968 and about 4.19 million yen in 1969. Due to higher cost and inferior characteristics, the procurement of the AAM-1 was halted in 1972 with the last examples withdrawn for service in 1986.
The Market for Air-to-Air Missiles
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Operators
* - Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...
See also
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References
Air-to-air missiles of Japan
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s
Short range air-to-air missiles
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