Demystifying the Fox - A Pilot‘s Guide to Missile Callsigns - 33rd Square (2024)

The terse radio calls of "Fox 1!" "Fox 2!" and "Fox 3!" are a familiar part of movies featuring aerial combat. But what do these dramatic call signs actually mean? As a military aviation nerd, I‘m here to provide an in-depth look at the origins and use of these missile terms that distill complex air warfare into four simple calls. Time to demystify the Fox!

Fox 1 – Radar Wave Rider

"Fox 1" indicates the launch of a semi-active radar guided air-to-air missile like the AIM-7 Sparrow. How does it work? The pilot or weapons system officer acquires a radar lock on the target. Energy from the aircraft‘s radar reflects off the target, providing a continuous beam for the missile to ride like a surfer chasing a wave. When launched, the Fox 1 missile Detects the radar signals bouncing off the target and guides itself towards the interception point.

According to top F-4 Phantom pilot Col. Robin Olds, the Sparrow provided a big advantage:

"We outranged the MiGs with it. Good missile, reliable, doggone good missile. Of course, it depends on the radar, but the radar in the Phantom was pretty doggone slick."

From Tailchaser missiles in the 1950s to modern AMRAAMs, semi-active radar guidance has proven effective for long range missile shots before the merge. But what exactly is happening in the radar and guidance systems to make these missiles track?

Semi-Active Radar Homine – How It Works

Pros of Semi-Active Radar:

• Enables long range attacks beyond visual range
• All-weather capable against low visibility targets
• Resilient against infrared countermeasures

Cons:

• Radar lock must be maintained through entire missile flight
• Targets can break lock with evasive maneuvers

While early versions like the Sparrow I and II proved unreliable in Vietnam, upgraded Series III and IV models boosted radar homing success. The latest AIM-120 AMRAAM combines radar and inertial guidance for superior accuracy and resistance to electronic countermeasures.

Fox 2 – The Flying Unguided Dog

"Fox 2" call signs the launch of an infrared homing missile like the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Instead of radar waves, these missiles use an infrared sensor to detect heat signatures from aircraft engines and skin friction. The Fox 2 growls as it sniffs out targets!

IR missiles are ideal for short range dogfights where radar locks are impractical. As Vietnam double ace Col. Steve Ritchie remarked:

"Outcomes were often determined in a matter of seconds, with the Sidewinder missile proving to be the best dogfighting weapon."

Once launched, a Fox 2 missile detects infrared energy and guides toward the hottest heat source. This allows it to home in from any angle, without the need for constant aircraft guidance. Let‘s break down the infrared homing process:

Infrared Guidance – The Heat is On

Benefits of Infrared Homing:

• All-aspect and snap shooting capabilities
• Locks regardless of radar detection
• Harder to jam than radar signals

Limitations:

• Limited range compared to radar missiles
• Degraded by low IR signatures and flares
• Environmental factors can distort guidance

The latest fifth-gen Sidewinders use improved focal plane array sensors and image processing to achieve high resistance to infrared countermeasures. But at heart, they remain an evolved version of the original unguided heat-seeker from the 1950s!

Fox 3 – Fire and Forget

Before the 1980s, "Fox 3" indicated a pilot switching to cannons after firing all his radar-guided missiles. The introduction of active radar missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM changed this terminology. Now Fox 3 marks the launch of an advanced self-guiding missile.

These missiles use onboard radar transmitters to detect the target, allowing them to guide autonomously after launch rather than relying on the launch aircraft‘s radar. The pilot is free to turn and evade as soon as he calls "Fox 3!"

As F-15 pilot Lt. Col. Shane Gahagan described:

"One of the advantages to shooting the AMRAAM is that after it goes active you can turn away and defend yourself since it has its own radar transmitter guiding it in."

This self-guidance gives Fox 3 missiles advantages in intercepting maneuvering targets or salvos against multiple bogies. Let‘s examine how active radar homing operates:

Active Radar Homing – Fire and Forget

Benefits of Active Radar:

• Fire and forget – no need for continuous radar lock
• Self-guiding against evasive targets
• Resilient against electronic countermeasures
• Enables simultaneous or rapid fire salvos

Limitations:

• Large missiles require more space and power
• Complex electronics increase costs
• Radar emissions give away position

The latest AIM-120D AMRAAM introduces two-way datalink capability, allowing upgraded aircraft to provide midcourse guidance updates while the missileremains self-guiding in the terminal phase. This combines the best of both radar guidance worlds!

Fox 4 – The Ultimate Dogfighter

Before active homing missiles, Fox 3 indicated a pilot switching from missiles to guns. This role is now designated by "Fox 4" – the call sign for discharging aircraft cannon in air combat.

From the legendary Gatling guns of WWI aces to the 30mm cannons on the A-10, fighter pilots have relied on their aircraft‘s gun as the ultimate dogfighting weapon. Guns enable precision attacks that missiles can‘t match. And nothing provokes sheer terror in an enemy pilot like seeing cannon tracers streaming toward his jet.

Modern air superiority fighters are equipped with high velocity rotary cannons able to precisely engage enemy aircraft at over a mile away. The distinctive "BRRRRT" of the F-15‘s M61 Vulcan or the pounding "BOOM BOOM BOOM" of the A-10‘s GAU-8 Avenger announce that Fox 4 has come out to play!

During close turning dogfights, the unrivaled responsiveness of gun attacks gives pilots the advantage over missiles that require lock-on time and fly slower. Master ace Erich Hartmann described it as:

"You feel the hits with the cannons. It‘s like driving a sports car at high speed over cobblestones. You hear it. You feel it."

For the ultimate in air combat, Fox 4 reigns supreme as the ideal dogfighting weapon – precise, responsive, and lethal.

So next time you hear a pilot‘s calm voice call out "Fox 2" or "Fox 3" in a movie, you‘ll know exactly what it means and the technology that makes these cryptic calls possible. The evolution of aerial warfare distilled into four deadly syllables – the Fox call signs continue to pack dramatic punch into air combat lingo.

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