1.

A Bit of Theory
Before going into details about the avionics itself and the tactics to be employed Ill give you first
some theory about the AMRAAM and active missiles in general.

The AMRAAM is an active missile which is considered to be fire and forget.

Thats not exactly true. The AIM-120 has its own radar but this one is much smaller
than the one of the launching aircraft. So the range at which the missile will be able
to detect and lock a target will be smaller than the radar detection range of the
aircraft. However, the missile can be launched from further away than its detection
range. In this case, the launching aircraft will have to send information to the
AMRAAM via datalink (or support the missile) about the target position, aspect
angle and speed until its own radar is able to detect it by itself (missile becoming
finally active). Once the missile is active, you will be able to break track of the target
(which is called a 'snip') however thats not mandatory! Why continue to support the
missile if its active? Accuracy when having 2 radars is always better than one!

The AIM-120 has 2 active states: HPRF (High Pulse Repetition Frequency)
and MPRF (Medium Pulse Repetition Frequency). I wont go into details about these
right here (it is described below) but only know that HPRF will be used from further
away than MPRF and is less accurate concerning the information about the target
location. Anyway, you can snip the target as soon as the missile is HPRF active or
choose to continue until MPRF active. This choice will depend on the tactical
situation and will be discussed later on.

When launching an AIM-120, this missile can end up with 2 different termination
criteria. Whats a termination criteria? It describes the kinetic energy and the
maneuverability potential the missile has to successfully intercept the target and
destroy/damage it. It can have High Termination Criteria or Nominal
Termination Criteria. The latter means the missile will have less energy and
maneuverability thus less probability to hit the target.

Sometimes, you will have to loft the missile to increase its effectiveness. Lofting
will be done via a small pitch up maneuver of generally 30 to 40 just like when you
want to throw a stone the furthest away.

2. Hud Symbology: The Dynamic Launch Zone (DLZ)

What does it look like and whats the use of all these numbers and symbols?

RAERO (Range Aerodynamic): Represents the max kinematic range of the missile thus the longest
range shot having a chance to hit the target. This is assuming the target won't maneuver, the pilot
performs optimal loft/steering and will result in Nominal Termination Criteria.
ROPT (Range Optimal): Basically the same as RAERO but with High Termination Criteria this time.
RPI (Range Probability of Intercept): Same as ROPT but without having to loft or make azimuth
change. We still assume the target is non-maneuvering.
RTR (Range Turn and Run): Represents the max range shot assuming the target turns away from
you aircraft to tail aspect at launch.
RMIN (Range Minimum): Self-explanatory!
A-POLE: Range from your aircraft to the target when the missile will go active (HPRF).
M-POLE: Same as A-POLE but MPRF active.
F-POLE: Range from your aircraft to the target when the missile will impact the target.
DMC (Digital Maneuvering Cue): Represents the heading change the target has to make to
degrade the AMRAAM from high termination criteria to nominal. This value will never exceed the
AA (Aspect Angle) and the RTRcue will grow up to this value.
For example:

Lets see all the possibilities we can encounter in flight.

When the target is beyond 125% of RAERO (unexpanded DLZ)

When the target is within 125% of RAERO (expanded DLZ : Raero grows up to the
former tick mark)

When the target is within ROPT

When the target is within high termination criteria of the AMRAAM (RPI)

When the target is within the no-escape zone of the AMRAAM (RTR)

Once youve launched a missile, the M-pole or F-pole of the missile in-flight (depending if the
missile is already MPRF active or not) as well as the Time to HPRF active or Time to MPRF active
or Time to Impact will appear below the DLZ. This is a dynamic countdown that will be updated if
the target or your aircraft maneuvers. Consider a shot taken at Ropt then you fly straight ahead to
the (maneuvering) target.

3. HUD Symbology: ASEC/ASC

Allowable Steering Error Circle (ASEC) The ASEC is a variable diameter circle displayed on the
HUD and MFD when an AIM-120 is the selected weapon, sighting option is Slave, and a bugged
target exists. The weapon status must be RDY or SIM (Master ARM in ARM or SIM) in order for the
ASEC/ASC and DLZ to appear. If there is no bugged target, the AIM-120 Boresight reticle will be
displayed. The ASEC is an aid for positioning the attack steering cue in order to take the best shot
possible based on the steering. At target ranges from outside Raero to Ropt, the ASEC is its
smallest size, 11mr radius. At Ropt, the ASEC begins to grow in size until target range reaches Rpi
where it reaches its maximum size (the ASEC represents 45 degrees of allowable steering error at
Rpi). From Rpi to midpoint Rtr, the ASEC remains its largest size, at which point it begins to shrink
again until it reaches minimum size at Rmin. The ASEC flashes when the target range is within the
maneuver zone. The ASECs variable radius varies from 11mr to 56mr with a slaved target. For a
bore shot, the radius is static at 131mr (262mr diameter). The ASEC on the MFD is identical in
function.
Attack Steering Cue (ASC) The ASC (8 mr diameter circle in the HUD, 10 pixel radius circle on
the MFD) provides several types of steering: horizontal aircraft steering, a blend of aircraft and
missile steering, optimal missile steering (with horizontal and vertical missile steering), or Rmin
steering (shortest LOS to the target). The type of steering provided is a function of range to the
target. Horizontal aircraft steering is provided against targets beyond 1.2 X Raero (where Raero is
the maximum kinematic range of the missile) and is based on the limits of the ASEC and a 45
degress LOS to target limit. Blended aircraft and missile steering is provided for target ranges
between 1.2 Raero and Raero. Inside Raero, the steering provides optimal horizontal and vertical
missile steering. Once inside mid-point Rtr (half-way in the maneuver zone), the ASC provides
Rmin steering. The pilot follows the ASC cue by rolling until the cue is on the HUD centerline
above the center position of the ASEC and then pulls the aircraft (if commanded) to put the ASC in
the center of the ASEC. When the target range is greater than Raero, a limit cross (X) is displayed
inside the ASC to indicate that an AIM-120 shot does not exist even if the pilot performed a loft
maneuver. The limit cross will also be displayed when the required lead angle exceeds 60 degrees,
even if the target is nominally in range. Neither the ASEC nor ASC are displayed on the HUD in
DGFT mode.

The following diagram sums ASC/ASEC relationship to the DLZ and the type of steering provided.

4. HPRF vs MPRF, A/F-pole cues & Missile Datalink

This version of BMS features a major revision of the AMRAAM DLZ A/F-pole cues and associated
range and timing readouts. HUD, HMS and FCR displays now all include updated A/F pole cues. In
addition, the AMRAAM loft cue was moved (look above Raero caret) to make room for the new
Digital Manuevering Cue (DMC) (shown above the target closure value by the range indicator >).
The radar model for AMRAAMs now includes HPRF (Husky) mode for favorable target geometries.
The missile will activate the seeker well before the normal MPRF (Pitbull) range and attempt to
track. HPRF is better at tracking high aspect targets with high closing range rate. Datalink
guidance will continue up to MPRF unless the pilot commands a snip (drops the radar track)
before that time. During HPRF with host (aircraft) DL guidance, the missile will use the best
tracking solution available (either seeker or host DL guidance). HPRF and MPRF activation are now
entirely based on range to target (it used to be time-to-run based). Ranges coded are rough
guesses for the AIM-120B. Other (active radar) missiles will need specific dat file edits (the AA-12
has been done already).

The pilot can now select the RCS size on the AMRAAM's SMS page. Options are small, medium,
large or unknown.Note: you can select SMALL in the SMS page but doing so doesn't make a lot of
sense in Falcon 4 since this is apparently intended for targeting small RCS targets although it
might be useful against helicopters. If you do choose small, MPRF ranges are reduced by around a
third compared to MED.
HUD A/F pole cues are provided for pre-launch and post-launch. Post-launch cues are relative to
winning Missile-Of-Interest (MOI) for the current bugged target. Changing the bug in TTS or TWS
will provide A/F pole cues for the MOI for each if missiles are in flight to both. Time remaining
cues are provided for the MOI for the current bugged target. This can show "A" (time to HPRF),
"M" (time to MPRF), "T" (time to intercept) or "L" (time to termination; basically missile time of
flight remaining). Note that this timer is more persistent than before. Its dynamic for bugged
target and a winning MOI. For a winning missile where you lost track or snipped, the count
becomes a simple stop watch. One note of caution: its not a bug that the timer doesn't count
down in linear fashion for a bugged target with an active DL missile. The time to intercept is
calculated dynamically and takes target maneuver into account so its perfectly reasonable for that
count to increase even in some cases.
Missile datalink has been fixed to allow you to support up to six missiles in flight. AMRAAMs may
be fired on up to two targets (TTS) or up to six targets (TWS). You can get A/F pole and time
remaining data for all six missiles if you have six in flight and provided that their intended targets
are still present on the FCR as track files.
There is also a bug fix for bogus clearing of target when you flip between override modes or SMS
changes from one missile type to another while you have a bugged target now the lock is
maintained. There is also a fix for datalink previously last slammer was never provided with any
datalink guidance making it significantly worse in performance compared to a missile fired with
more of the same (slammer) type left on the rail.

5. Tactics - Some Basics

This section is not intended to go into a full BVR employment discussion, but at least provide you
with some very basics on how to tactically apply the tools you learned above. Lets see what you

can do to maximize the probability of kill while staying alive! Lets play it safe by learning first

how to survive the threat. For this purpose well take as example a Mig-29A playing the
threat equipped with AA-10A missiles. Let's assume the maximum kinematic range of this
missile while launched around 25,000 ft and subsonic is around 18 NM against a head-on
fighter. Less aspect angle will subsequently decrease the first launch opportunity (FLO). To
survive this missile launch, the simplest solution is simply to avoid this max kinematic range
by turning away from the MiG.
Does it mean that you have to turn @ 18 nm from the MiG? No! The kinematic range takes
into account that the fighter will continue straight ahead until missile impact. So the distance
the missile will have to fly will be less than 18 nm. Actually, if you turn away from the MiG at
or beyond 13 NM, the missile will never catch you and will fall behind you. This distance at
which you have to turn cold (13 NM in this example) is called MAR - Minimum Abort Range.

The way you have to abort is simple: you obviously want to avoid being hit by the missile so
put your nose down and try to keep the maximum speed you can while turning away from
the threat as fast as you can. A split-S maneuver can also work, but there could be
consequences for trading too much altitude for airspeed (for example you may not want to
do this if there is a MANPAD threat at lower altitudes). Anyway, watch your Gs and dont
over-g your aircraft! Gs should be around 5 to 6. This will give you a good turn rate while
preserving some speed.
Still alive? OK then we continue! From the theory we learned, we know that the maximum
probability of kill of the AMRAAM happens when its launched as close as possible from RTR
(or even within RTR) and when the missile is MPRF active. The goal will then be to have an
AMRAAM in flight MPRF active before 13 NM as we will abort at that range if we are spiked or
shot at. How do we do that? We will look to the Pre-launch M-pole displayed on the left of
the DLZ when inside Ropt and shoot not later than 13M! When approaching 13 NM from the
MiG, the Time to MPRF Active should read M00 meaning the missile is MPRF active. So you
can snip the target (break radar lock) and perform the abort.