Credit
Don S. Montgomery, USN · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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At a glance
AIM-54 Phoenixlarger figure on 1 of 1
Novator KS-172larger figure on 0 of 1
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Length
Single source12 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (3.9 m)[source]
+
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | AIM-54 Phoenix | Novator KS-172 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Long range BVR air-to-air missile[source] | Long range air-to-air missile[source] |
| Place of origin | United States[source] | Russia/India[source] |
| In service | 1974–present[source] | N/A(;)[source] |
| Used by | United States Navy (former) Iranian Air Force[source] | Russian Air Force |
KS–172
Single source6.01 m (19.7 ft) + 1.4 m (4.6 ft) (KS–172)[source]
Maximum; AIM-54A/B - Mach 4.3 (
Single sourceMaximum; ) AIM-54C – Mach 5 (
Single sourceMaximum; Maximum speed · source measurement 3
Single sourceMaximum; Maximum speed · source measurement 4
Single sourceAIM-54A/B - Mach 4.3 (1,460 m/s; 4,800 ft/s) AIM-54C – Mach 5 (1,700 m/s; 5,600 ft/s)[source]
Maximum; 1.1 km/s; Mach 3.3) (KS–172
Single sourceMaximum; Maximum speed
Single sourceOperational; AIM-54A/B
Single sourceOperational; AIM-54C
Single sourceAIM-54A/B - 72.9 nmi (135.0 km; 83.9 mi) AIM-54C – 99.4 nmi (184.1 km; 114.4 mi)[source]
Operational; At least possibly
Single sourceOperational; Operational range
Single sourceBars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Designer | Hughes Aircraft Company[source] | NPO Novator[source] |
|---|
| Designed | 1960–1966[source] | 1991[source] |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Hughes Aircraft Company Raytheon Corporation[source] | NPO Novator Defence Research and Development Organisation[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | US$ 477,131 (1974 FY)[source] | — |
|---|
| Produced | 1966-1993[source] | — |
|---|
| Warhead | AIM-54A/B - HE continuous rod AIM-54C – HE Mk 82; WDU‐29/B continuous rod[source] | HE fragmentation (KS–172)[source] |
|---|
| Detonation mechanism | Proximity fuze[source] | — |
|---|
| Engine | Solid propellant rocket motor[source] | Tandem rocket booster (KS–172)[source] |
|---|
| Flight ceiling | 103,500 ft (31.5 km)[source] | — |
|---|
| Guidance system | Semi-active radar homing and terminal phase active radar homing[source] | Mid-course: Inertial navigation with mid-course guidance Terminal: Active radar homing (KS–172)[source] |
|---|
| Launch platform | Grumman F-14 Tomcat[source] | Su-27 , Su-30 , Su-35 , Su-30MKI , (proposed), MiG-31 BM[source] |
|---|
| References | Janes[source] | — |
|---|
| Propellant | — | Solid fuel[source] |
|---|
| Flight altitude | — | 3 m (9.8 ft)–30,000 m (98,000 ft) (KS–172)[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators |
| — |
|---|
4,000 km/h (2,500 mph; 1.1 km/s; Mach 3.3) (KS–172)[source]
At least 200 km, possibly 300–400 km (160–210 nmi)[source]