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At a glance
AAM-3larger figure on 2 of 2
AIM-9X Sidewinderlarger figure on 0 of 2
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Warhead weight
Single source20.8 lb (9.4 kg)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
Configuration
| Specification | AAM-3 | AIM-9X Sidewinder |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Mach 3.5[source] | Mach 2.5+[source] |
| Type | Short-range air-to-air missile[source] | short-range air-to-air missile[source] |
| Place of origin | Japan[source] | United States[source] |
| Used by | Japanese Air Self-Defence Force[source] | See Operators[source] |
| Manufacturer | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries[source] | Raytheon[source] |
| Unit cost | US$90,000−150,000[source] | US$381,069.74 (Block II) US$399,500.00 (Block II Plus) US$209,492.75 (training missile) (All as of 2019 )[source] |
| Detonation mechanism | laser proximity[source] | IR proximity fuze[source] |
| Engine | solid fuel rocket motor[source] | Hercules/Bermite Mk. 36 solid-fuel rocket[source] |
| Guidance system | dual wavelength light wave homing + infrared homing/ultraviolet homing, with infrared counter-counter-measures (IRCCM)[source] | imaging infrared 128×128 element focal-plane array (FPA) seeker[source] |
| Launch platform | Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ Mitsubishi F-2 F-4EJ Kai[source] | Aircraft, naval vessels, fixed launchers, and ground vehicles[source] |
| Guidance | Infrared Homing / Ultraviolet Homing (EO-UV/IR)[source] | — |
| Role | short-range all-aspect air-to-air missile[source] | — |
| Source measurement | Length: 3.1 m[source]AAM-3 · Specifications; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Diameter: 127 mm[source]AAM-3 · Specifications; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Weight: 91 kg[source]AAM-3 · Specifications; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Range: 7-13 km[source]AAM-3 · Specifications; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage | — |
| Status | — | Its latest variants (AIM-9X) remain standard equipment in most Western-aligned air forces.[source] |
| Operators | — | USAF (the lead platform was the F-15C ) and the USN (the lead platform was the F/A-18C )[source] |
| Introduction | — | November 2003[source] |
| Flight control | — | two-axis thrust-vectoring control (TVC) system[source] |
| Propulsion and warhead configuration | — | It retains the same rocket motor, fuze and warhead of the AIM-9M[source] |
| Cooling | — | internal cooling system[source] |
| In service | — | 1956–present[source] |
| Wars | — | Second Taiwan Strait Crisis Vietnam War Yom Kippur War Iran–Iraq War Gulf of Sidra incident (1981) Falklands War 1982 Lebanon War 1989 air battle near Tobruk Gulf War Bosnian War Operation Allied Force 2023 Chinese balloon incident Gaza war Red Sea crisis Russian invasion of Ukraine 2026 Iran War[source] |
| Produced | — | 1953–present[source] |
| Warhead | — | WDU-17/B annular blast-fragmentation[source] |
| Reported operators | — |
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