Editing ASRAAM (section)

== Characteristics ==
ASRAAM is a high speed, extremely manoeuvrable, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile. Built by MBDA UK, it is designed as a "fire-and-forget" missile.<ref name="Think Defence"/> ASRAAM is intended to detect and launch against targets at much longer ranges, as far as early versions of the AMRAAM, in order to shoot down the enemy long before it closes enough to be able to fire its own weapons. In this respect the ASRAAM shares more in common with the AMRAAM than other IR missiles, although it retains high manoeuvrability.  To provide the needed power, the ASRAAM is built on a 16.51&nbsp;cm (6½ inch) diameter rocket motor compared with Sidewinder's (AIM-9M and X) and IRIS-T's 12.7&nbsp;cm (5-inch) motors (which trace their history to the 1950s unguided [[Zuni (rocket)|Zuni rocket]]). This gives the ASRAAM significantly more thrust and therefore increased speed and range up to {{Convert|50|km|mi}}.<ref name = "Youtube Documentary" />

The main improvement is a new 128×128 resolution [[imaging infrared]] [[focal plane array]] (FPA) seeker manufactured by [[Hughes Aircraft Company|Hughes]] before they were acquired by [[Raytheon]]. This seeker has a long acquisition range, high countermeasures resistance, approximately 90-degree off-boresight lock-on capability, and the possibility to designate specific parts of the targeted aircraft (like cockpit, engines, etc.).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://defense-update.com/newscast/0309/asraam_loal_test_130309.html |title=Australian ASRAAM Demonstrate Full Sphere Capability |website=Defense Update |access-date=8 April 2018 |archive-date=20 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020040615/http://defense-update.com/newscast/0309/asraam_loal_test_130309.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ASRAAM also has a LOAL ([[Lock-on after launch]]) ability which is a distinct advantage when the missile is carried in an internal bay such as in the [[F-35 Lightning II]]. However in 2012 the requirement for ASRAAM internal carriage on the F-35 was dropped, and the aircraft now uses external carriage only.<ref name=":0" /> The ASRAAM warhead is triggered either by laser proximity fuse or impact.  A laser proximity fuse was selected because RF fuses are vulnerable to EW intervention from enemy jammers.<ref>{{cite web |title='Talisman' ADS – БКО 'Талисман' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGX6HQZzvjA |website=YouTube |access-date=19 May 2015 |archive-date=30 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130234703/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGX6HQZzvjA |url-status=live }}.</ref> The increased diameter of ASRAAM also provides space for increased computing power, and so improved counter counter-measure capabilities compared with other dogfighting missiles such as AIM-9X.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}