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At a glance
Measured figures
Length
Single source9 feet 11 inches (3.02 m)[source]
PL-9/C
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | AIM-9X Sidewinder | PL-9 |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Mach 2.5+[source] | Mach 2+[source] |
| Type | short-range air-to-air missile[source] | Short-range air-to-air missile[source] |
| Place of origin | United States[source] | People's Republic of China[source] |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon[source] | Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC) Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factory Xi’an Eastern Machinery Factory |
2.9m (PL-9/C)[source]
Operational; Operational range
Single source0.6 to 22 miles (1.0 to 35.4 km )[source]
Operational; DK-9, surface-to-air
Single sourceOperational; PL-9
Single sourceOperational; (PL-9C, air-to-air) >
Single source15km (PL-9) 22km (PL-9C, air-to-air) >8km (DK-9, surface-to-air)[source]
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.
| 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] | — |
|---|
| Guidance system | imaging infrared 128×128 element focal-plane array (FPA) seeker[source] | multi-element infrared[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] | c. 1989[source] |
|---|
| Used by | See Operators[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] | — |
|---|
| Unit cost | US$381,069.74 (Block II) US$399,500.00 (Block II Plus) US$209,492.75 (training missile) (All as of 2019 )[source] | — |
|---|
| Produced | 1953–present[source] | 1989—present[source] |
|---|
| Warhead | WDU-17/B annular blast-fragmentation[source] | 11.8kg blast-frag , or expanding rod (RF-fuse)[source] |
|---|
| Detonation mechanism | IR proximity fuze[source] | laser proximity fuse[source] |
|---|
| Engine | Hercules/Bermite Mk. 36 solid-fuel rocket[source] | Solid-fuel rocket[source] |
|---|
| Launch platform | Aircraft, naval vessels, fixed launchers, and ground vehicles[source] | Aircraft, helicopter gunships, ground-launched[source] |
|---|
| Flight altitude | — | 4.5km (surface-to-air)[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators |
| — |
|---|