Fighter jets vs. missiles: The high-stakes aerial ballet
The war in Ukraine is the first conflict in decades where the parties involved are nations with comparable capabilities. Numerous recordings show situations that were previously familiar only to a select few. One such scenario involves a fighter jet evading an incoming missile. We elucidate the complexities of this encounter.
The video below shows a Ukrainian MiG-29 dodging hits from Russian air-to-air missiles or an anti-aircraft defence system. It is crucial to understand that every missile has a threshold beyond which it can be outmanoeuvred.
Duel: Aircraft vs. air-to-air/anti-aircraft missiles — an extremely difficult fight for survival
Each missile is equipped with a rocket engine or sometimes two, and they operate for a limited duration (usually 10 seconds or even less). After they burn out, the missile travels towards its target following a ballistic trajectory. In such instances, successful manoeuvring means it cannot regain the energy required to launch another attack.
Missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM or the Russian R-77 Vympel, despite their claimed range of over 100 kilometres, have the greatest chance of hitting a fighter jet at much shorter distances (exact figures are unknown, but it is likely to be half or less of the stated range).
However, the pilot must execute certain manoeuvres at the appropriate speed and timing. The greater the speed differential, the more the missile must pivot with forces that the aircraft can endure. If the differential is too large, the incoming missile will miss as shown in the video, or it may even disintegrate.
A key help for the pilot is systems that detect, for instance, radar illumination or incoming missiles using optoelectronic detectors functioning in the infrared or ultraviolet spectrum. These systems provide information on the missile's location and even distance.
The only exceptions are short-range missiles like the R-73 Vympel, IRIS-T, or AIM-9 Sidewinder with a range typically of 20-30 kilometres, whose rocket engines operate throughout most of the flight. They can then make multiple attacks due to their ability to regain energy, which almost guarantees the destruction of the target. Additionally, some missiles like the IRIS-T are claimed by manufacturers to mimic attack profiles, conserving energy for the right moment while the aircraft expends its own during evasive manoeuvres.
Another development is missiles with jet engines like the European Meteor, which in the same form as regular medium-range missiles, contain more rocket fuel because they do not require an oxidiser in their structure (oxygen needed for combustion is drawn from the atmosphere). This allows for prolonged engine operation with thrust regulation, significantly extending the so-called "No Escape Zone" (NEZ) when the missile has maximum manoeuvrability and the option, for example, to attempt another attack should the first fail.
