Tactical air warfare: Generic model for aircraft susceptibility to infrared guided missiles

Infrared (IR) guided missiles have become major cause of aircraft destructions since their inception. Owing to their passive tracking, fire and forget capabilities and ease of operation, they emerged as an important anti-aircraft arsenal. MAN Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) have become major threats to military aircraft and helicopters. The study of aircraft susceptibility to IR guided missiles is important to counter this threat. Therefore, aircraft susceptibility to IR guided missiles is presented with an overview of reported susceptibility model. A model is proposed to study the aircraft susceptibility when aircraft speed is less, equal and more than the speed of the attacking missile. Lethal envelope plots are analyzed for m<1m<1, m=1m=1, m>1m>1 (m is ratio of velocity of aircraft to velocity of missile).