Reducing the susceptibility of low speed low manoeuvrability aircraft to infrared missile kills

Abstract

Low speed / low maneuverability aircraft are currently quite susceptible to being killed in attacks by the ubiquitous infrared missiles. A theoretical analysis applied to an encounter simulation seems to indicate that it is possible to use the infrared jammer to defeat second generation infrared missiles. The theoretical analysis of a simplified case of a conical scan reticle with frequency modulation jamming leads to expressions for the target's position, as seen by the missile seeker, under no-jamming and under infinitely-powerful- jamming conditions. The intermediate-power case is dealt with by numerical analysis for a selected, non-optimal situation, as the closed form solution is not immediately apparent. The analysis indicates successful jamming in the situation studied. In the scenario where the infrared missile is an almost continuous threat during the aircraft's flight, infrared jammers and low visual signature paints, and perhaps low infrared signature paints, are short-term solutions that are potentially useful in increasing the survivability of these aircraft by reducing their susceptibility to infrared missile kills.