It is really smart for the air force to make large missile for fourth gen and smaller missile for 5 the gen. It can take advantage of both systems strengths while covering their weaknesses when working together

The sidewinders are pretty cool, they went from accidentally locking on to the sun in Vietnam to being able to take down frontal aspect targets (meaning coming in from the front or the enemy craft)

The Aim9x and AMRAAM are already somewhat behind newer models like the the IRIS-T or Meteor. Not because US engineers are bad, but because the newer designs have newer technology, whereas the US had the technology first - but must now retrofit and upgrade.

The Cuda missile looks small enough to be used in the Army's Avenger anti-air unit, which would be a huge improvement over the Stinger they currently carry.

The smaller missiles with medium range capabilities are very interesting idea. The fact that you can double or triple the capacity of the jet is absolutely mindblowing. Maybe there would be some kind of a hybrid design when one bay would have 2 AIM-260s and the other would have 4 or more smaller missiles.

The little dots on the frontal section of the peregrine look like attitude control motors (ACM), reminiscent of the patriot PAC-3, which would make sense since it is also a hit-to-kill missile. So peregrine might be a mini air launched patriot pac-3

I think a lot of this is top-secret because we don’t want them to know how far we can reach out and touch them

Fascinating! I can see the F-35 or NGAD out front finding targets, legacy fighters firing off these long range missiles, the missiles getting targeting data en route from the F-35s or NGADs, and switching to in board guidance for the last leg.

Good video, but i have just one small correction: the F-35 actually cant carry the Aim-9 internally, only the 120's. The Aim-9 can only be carried on the outboard wing stations. What Lockheed is developing is the so called "Sidekick" system, allowing the F-35A and C to go from carrying 4 AMRAAMS internally, to 6.

Ukrainian MiG-29s have poor RWR, which also gives them some issues with the R-37. I would imagine Iraqi losses to the AIM-54 were similar.

You really deserve these nomination's for your out standing work in a aviation. Fingers crossed for you and good luck with everything you do in the future.

Awesome video. Love seeing the future weapon systems that are being fielded. Keep it up.

With smaller missiles like these, we might eventually reach the stage when the sci-fi concept of a mirv-like AA missile is doable, with a long-range booster carrying several smaller missiles to the fight from afar, which separate and engage single or multiple targets as a swarm, significantly reducing evasion options.

Great video, as always. But just one correction: currently the F-35 can carry 4 AIM-120 internally, which will be increased to 6 in the block 4 upgrade. Moreover, the AIM-9s can only be carried externally by the F-35 (at least for the moment, maybe in a future version of the missile it will be able to be carried internally)

The F-35's also has a sidekick rack that extends its internal missile count to six that wasn't mentioned in this video.

The peregrine and CUDA missiles seem very likely as the amraam successors, with the other long range missiles being likely more for initial engagements or area denial

Alex, it sounds like the DOD is getting smart and finally giving the F35 some weapons to actually do its job. Very intelligent and cheaper than building a bigger weapons bay.

I've watched a few of your videos and found all to be factual and informative. As a result, I just subscribed. Please continue doing what you're doing.

The AIM -260 is gonna be crucial for us

This was the best episode of Sandboxx in the last year.

Thank you Alex. Very interesting and well done. I have been away from military aviation (Navy) since 1990. So, to see up to date information like this is something I can watch all day long. Thank you again and be safe.

I’ll have to watch again… I thought you said 6 but listed 5. Multitasking. I knew of 3 of them great to know there are more. Great job as always.

Great episode, so much information I had to watch it twice. May again a third. Keep up the great work!!!

Hi Alex! Once again another super interesting and well-written video. I’ve been looking forward to something on the LRAAM! I’d love to see a full video on the upcoming F-35 upgrades and the upgrades they are preparing for if you can! And maybe some elaboration on the Lightning’s enhanced dogfighting capabilities that have been reported in more recent years?

You cracked me up with your pronunciation of the Peregrine missile the first few times you talked about it. I am glad to “hear” that you got it correct on the last try. But keep of the good work. I have always enjoyed your research into the new AirPower tech that is coming out in the near future.

Putin pulling out his binoculars to watch the missile has me cracking up xD

I’ve been waiting for you to make this video, thanks Alex! 🍻

I didn't think F-35 could carry Sidewinder internally.

I love the channel. Thanks for making these videos!

Not only was Desert Storm over 2 decades ago, it was over 3 decades ago. BTW, how long before they deploy long-range Air-to-Air Missiles on cargo aircraft in a program called "Rapid Fraggin'"?

the Peregrine is my favorite of these too!

Great video, but one small correction: missiles don't run low on fuel by the time they get close to their target. Any non-ramjet missile will burn through its fuel in seconds. It will speed up and climb to a high altitude using the trust from the engine and when it runs out of fuel it will 'coast' to its target using that speed and altitude to get where it needs to go. Because a regular rocket engine burns through all its fuel in one quick go a missile that uses this type of propulsion will have a finite amount of energy. This is why you can evade such a missile by making it turn as this will bleed energy quickly. Ramjets or dual pulse missiles are much harder to evade because they can use their engine to keep their energy high so they can still maneuver in the terminal phase

The Sidewinder began development in the late 40s - it went into service in 1956, but it's history goes back almost another decade. One of it's first victories was when an early F-100 accidentally launched one at a hard-to-miss B-52. Ouch.

Peregrine sounds like hit-to-kill akin to Cuda. It's all about the "rocket equation." With modern miniaturized electronics, no warhead means the missile is practically all rocket motor. It makes a much bigger difference than just cutting out the part of the missile that's filled with the HE and fragmentation or continuous rod casing because there's no longer that dead weight that needs to be accelerated so the missile just has to accelerate the fuel it's going to need for the rest of the flight plus the electronics of the guidance package.

Possibly the best channel on the subject

Alex! I love your videos. Please keep up the good work.

You can put Sidewinder on just about anything that flies. It doesn’t require a separate onboard FCS (Fire Control System) because it’s built into the missile itself.

Great information as always Alex !

Thank you for covering this topic, I specifically requested it, especially regarding the peregrine, the best air to air missile in my opinion

Great topic Alex, thanks mate.

Alex, your videos and commentary are the best on the web for sure, thank you for such exceptional work. Have our military planners ever considered that we may be spending way too much on these systems and that our enemies could be focusing on cheaper and more numerous drone and other systems that could nullify these costly planes and missiles? Is there something we should focus more on? It seems like we are just reacting to what our enemies create.

Long range missiles on F-15EX with NGAD painting targets up front is what they’re planning, from what I understand.

Dad and I are so impressed with your videos! Keep up the great work!

You get extra points for the abundance and variety of footage you present.

Everybody gangsta till Raytheon comes out with their OpenGL missile

The Peregrine Missile might be one of the most important developments for 5th Gen Fighters as being able increase combat endurance while in full stealth loadout. The Biggest Handicap of the 5th Gen fighters is that they carry much smaller loadouts of AA missiles, meaning that the 4th gen fighters now mainly have an endurance advantage over the 5th gens in terms of payload carried, so if the 5th gen runs out of missiles before they run out of targets they need to run, since it is no longer a fight in their advantage, even with stealth is not a wise fight to take if the enemy still outnumbers you. Payloads that match those 4th gens payload would help make the 5th gen fighters much deadlier as at the end of the day, the enemy might defeat your missile and you will need to fire again, which means you need to expend more of your valuable few missile, the biggest thing is that you might be engaging an enemy flight and then another flight comes in to hunt you down, you might see them but with little ammo they can just run you off, the biggest advantage is carrying more missile internally for the 5th gens, and for the 4th gens getting that range advantage is the best way to stay alive, obviously if you can have more and longer range for a 5th gen fighter it makes it the most deadly in the airspace, but if you have to settle for one of them, depending on the enemy you think you are going to fight you will have to pick one of those two. In a fight against China I feel like a higher total payload is more effective for the 5th Gen platforms, while in a fight against Russia I would bet on range as the Russian Air Force is not really capable of operating in the numbers required to be a threat, while the Chinese have a very large Air Force it is mostly made up of 4th gen fighters and a very small fleet of 5th gens like the J-20 with only handful of squadrons operating the Fighter, one of which is always stationed around Beijing to protect the Capital's Airspace

Can u please do chapters. Makes videos much easier to watch your favourite bits a second time. Great video.

Don't shit on the Sidewinder! That family has come a long way.

The LRAAM with a modular design looks like it has potential to replace all misses in theory. A short range middle would be set up (front to back) as seeker/computer/guidance pod, then stack as many fuel pods as you need, then finish up with the fin/nozzle/datalink pod in the rear. You may need the front fin pod in there somewhere but you get the idea. If you want longer ranges, stack more fuel pods. At that point, the range would be dictated by the effective range of the seeker or datalink, but not fuel. Sort of a “select-a-size”… like my paper towels.

These missiles have been in development for sometime, for a decade on some cases. The Air Force has been waiting for adversaries to catch up to justify the expenditure; these systems just don't pop-up out of thin air...

Alex my brother i'am bingeing on your vids. Keep them coming & thank you so much

Lotsa good info, thanks !

the Sidewinder lineage goes back to at least 1946, which is roughly when the tech development/testing started. But the AIM-9X is still one of the best missiles available today.

How old is the Sidewinder? My Dad was an electrical engineer, he worked with a guy who was on the development team for the first generation version. He described it as using the tiniest little vacuum tubes you ever saw in its electronics.

Love your content, thanks for all your vids.

Wow, quite the impressive set of new options coming out, especially to arm both 4th and 5th gen fighters in the US fleet. Those smaller and long-range options would be a huge boost for the F-35.

The thing I am curious about is wouldn't these missiles and redfor's alternatives, not be as effective because against other stealth fighters you aren't seeing anything on radar until you are fairly close?

People paying attention to the block 4 f35, especially the A model, know how nuts the plane is beginning to turn. The A model is getting a new adaptive engine, brand new tech that has already been flying. The block 4s computerization package is also flying. The A as far as i know still hasnt selected wether the adaptive engine will be GE's model or P&W, and its based off the f135

Thanks Alex, for keeping us up to date. I hate war, but I like to believe that, if my country has to go get the bad guys, we can kick ass like our enemies never dreamed of. Happy Birthday.

Alex!!! " used in Desert Storm two decades ago" That was THREE decades ago my guy!

Stealth cross section shape missiles could have greater fuel volume and range, as speed is less important if stealth

Making smaller missiles for stealth fighters is huge. I was always left wondering how just four was enough for the F-35 even with stealth

Very good program I really learned a lot. Thanks!

With advances in IRST and Data Link, along with Lock On After Launch technology, I wonder how effective a BVR IR missile might be. A missile launched while in TWS, using Data Link to get the missile within pitbull, and that doesn't give off emissions for the enemy's RWR, could be seriously dangerous. The enemy wouldn't know it was launched, and wouldn't know they're being targeted, even in pitbull.

The music was a really nice touch in the opening, I approve

The half sized amraam might be a good candidate for the f35 as it would eliminate any need for the external sidewinder.

One of your best videos! Super cool information! Thank You!

What happened to the SARH AIM-7 Sparrow? Aren’t they still using these, albeit phasing out?

I strongly wonder what datalink will do with these newer missiles - all this talk of semi-active guidance means handoff from one jet to another would be very doable, perhaps with a stealth jet staying dark with no launch signature being able to guide in a missile from another fighter further out. Obviously, this is tech that the NGAD seeks to replicate with drones, but I still wonder what the implications could be when combining the greater capability of human pilots.

At 10 minutes the engine and spinning propeller of the disintegrating target is wonderful. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 Who was the photographer ? 😊😊

its not just our missiles, most of our airforce altogether is from the desert storm era . the f15 and f16 c and e models are from the 90s thats the bulk of our fighters and the E2 c5 and others are as well. the f22 is only in small numbers and the f35 barely ever stays in the air constantly being grounded for various problems

Consider doing the new F-15 EX. A notional design at this point, as are these missiles. Much larger wing. Many hardpoints. Great lifting capacity. Either a smart bomber, or a netcentric missile barge to add weight behind the stealth jets. And, naturally, and pure blood F-15.

wasn't the aim 260 announced as 2 stage? and i think its coming out this year

Well done, Alex!

Calling modern AIM120 the same weapon than the AIM120 used in desert storm (technically, the no fly zone post desert storm) is like saying that the AIM9B is the same sidewinder than the AIM9X.

I wonder if the AIM-9 will get an upgrade with more thrust vectoring and maybe some features to make it a...*Growling* sidewinder =P The peregrine is really intriguing. How is Raytheon managing to make it that tiny? An F-22 armed with 12 of those things sounds like an absolutely terrifying thing.

AIM-260 has a larger diamiter than that of the AIM-130 alowing it to carry more propelant in its rocket motor. I beleve the Parigrine does away with a warhead and uses its kinetic energy to smash targets.

Hi Alex, have you done a piece dedicated to the new adaptive cycle engines and what exactly they are? I would be interested in learning more about them.

I think every missile needs to have some kind of ram jet ability where they could make a small missile that used air pressure to combust a small amount of fuel for fuel mileage.

Lmao do NOT say that what we use today is similar to what we used in desert storm. AIM-9Ls and and AIM-7Ms are NOT AIM-9Xs and AIM-120Ds

When you say, “Russia claims…”, I take it as propaganda.

This is the best video about air superiority that I have seen in 5yr ! The narrator is correct, it is not the plane that gets a kill, it's the missle ! But to be frank, I have been quite worried about the American air defence because of a lack of a good Long range missle I have in fact been talking to pilots about this problem ! But I must keep this info to myself ! DML

This was fantastic! Thank you!

is it fair to call the f35 a 5.5 gen? i mean no other gen of plane can do what it does? not even an f22

Alex, another superb piece of information and a comforting presentation! Thanks Go USA

I’m surprised we haven’t made smart chaff type countermeasures that can track and knock out missiles inbound to our aircraft and ground based equipment

Great video I had no idea about these missiles besides the AIM-260

The sidewinder shot we see several times, clearly aimed at something behind the jet,,,,, damn that thing do a 180 in no time flat. 😎

F-22 is such a pretty plane. Not as good as Spitfire. Obviously, but it's a close second in my book. I was thinking 200miles as well. Thanks for the vid sir. Great work.

Keep making these and firepower. This is good stuff.

As usual great job, you are the best,!!@

The F-35 cannot carry sidewinders internally, it carrys 4 amraams internally

Correction: the F-35 can currently carry 4 AMRAAM’s. With the Block 4 upgrade, it will be able to carry 6 AMRAAM’s or 12 Peregrine missiles just like the F-22 can

Alex,your work is top notch.

One point that keeps coming up, planning and effective use of the tools are the most effective tactics. But it doesn’t hurt to have the best tools

You do have to note that these hypersonic missile extreme ranges won't work exactly on stealth aircraft as stealth aircraft will use their stealth to get close enough to get in range of their own smaller missiles, so triple digit ranges will not be too common, infact due to stealth maybe the exact opposite with dogfights will happen due to stealth advancing.

Love your work. Huge fan!!!

Hi Alex. I really enjoy your channel mate 😉

Good job Alexco Holics!

It would be great to make their elements be able to search for enemy air crafts in air to air combat