A single AIRS-T mounted to the wing of an EF-24G.
AIRS-T
(Redirected from ARIS-T)
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- "Short range heat seeking air-to-air missile with thrust vectoring. Improved maneuverability, range, and counter countermeasure systems."
- ― Weapon Description
The AIRS-T is an advanced short range, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile developed mainly as an alternative to the AIM-9.
It boasts a number of improvements over the AIM-9, including significantly stronger IRCCM resistance, acceleration speed, maneuverability, and overall effective range. It is generally superior in all regards to the AIM-9 and is a better option to utilize if cost and availability aren't immediate issues.
Usage
Just like with the AIM-9, the AIRS-T has a small variety of different targeting modes that can be configured through a fighter's weapon management MFCD page:
- Seek Mode:
- Caged - The targeting reticle points forward at all times, much like the AIM-120Cs seeker.
- Uncaged - The targeting reticle circles around the HUD and snaps to the first prominent heat signature it detects. Additionally, the targeting reticle will automatically slew to any target locked by radar.
- Vertical Scan - Similar to Uncaged; instead of circling the center of the HUD, the reticle bobs up and down along the center vertically, snapping to the first heat signature it detects.
- Head Track - Requires the HMCS to be active. The missile's reticle points in the direction the player is looking in, allowing the missile to effectively target enemies beyond the launching aircraft's heading.
- Trig-Uncage:
- On/Off - Requires holding down the trigger to achieve a full lock on a target. The missile can then be fired by pressing the weapon switch button. This setting is off by default.
The AIRS-T is a short range infrared-guided missile, used in dog-fighting and pop-up attacks when radar-guided missiles are no longer practical. When the missile is selected, it will emit a low tone when not targeting a heat signature. Once it identifies a heat signature, its tone will increase; a stronger tone designates a more reliable lock. A predicted intercept point will also be displayed on the HUD, leading the target aircraft when you have obtained a strong lock. The missile has much higher maneuverability than other missiles like the AIM-120C, letting it maneuver more sharply to hit its target. The AIRS-T is more expensive than the AIM-9, but a better option in all regards. While the missile can fire and track at extreme angles, aligning your aircraft closer to the predicted impact point and closing range will always improve results.
Though it's not the missile's main function, the AIRS-T is capable of targeting and intercepting incoming Surface-to-Air Missiles. This technique is most effective if the SAM is still in its booster stage, when its heat signature is most prominent.
Warning: Please take care when firing any IR missile in close proximity to friendly units. The IR missiles will reliably track whichever heat source is targeted, but if a friendly aircraft passes in front of the missile, especially if their heat signature is stronger, the missile's seeker could become confused and target them instead. Stick to your Cannons if you are dogfighting near allies.
Deployment
Variants
- 1x AIRS-T: Available to every listed aircraft.
- Cost: $3500
- Weight: 123 kg
- 2x AIRS-T: Available to the AV-42C, F/A-26B and T-55.
- Cost: $7000
- Weight: 236 kg
- 3x AIRS-T: Available to the AV-42C and F/A-26B.
- Cost: $10500
- Weight: 354 kg
Gallery
Trivia
- Despite being called differently, the missile texture refers to the AIRS-T as the IRIS-T.