New criterion for aircraft susceptibility to infrared guided missiles

This paper assesses aircraft susceptibility from the first principles, with respect to the threat posed by passively guided infrared homing missiles; with an objective of gaining insight into the comprehensiveness of the relationship between aircraft susceptibility and aircraft infrared signature level. The conventional criterion of aircraft susceptibility assessment based on its lock-on envelop is found to be inadequate, and a new criterion termed here as the Lethal Envelop is presented. The proposed susceptibility assessment criterion is more relevant for coming generation of infrared-guided missiles, because of advancements in the infrared detection technology. A threshold infrared signature level is also proposed as benchmark to be satisfied by all infrared signature suppression systems; if aircraft susceptibility to infrared guided missiles is to be reduced. This analysis is vital for gauging the effectiveness of infrared signature suppression systems. A typical air-to-air combat situation is simulated, and the results that lead to aircraft susceptibility assessment are obtained from this model, which illustrates the comprehensiveness of the redefined aircraft susceptibility assessment approach. (C) 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.