AIM-47 Falcon (GAR-9)
AIM-47 Falcon Overview
The AIM-47 Falcon, originally GAR-9, was designed as a high-performance, long-range air-to-air missile intended to equip fast interceptors during the Cold War era. While it never entered service, its development and testing provided valuable insights for future missile systems. It shares the basic design of the AIM-4 Falcon and was used as a base for the AIM-54 Phoenix (originally the AAM-N-11).
In 1962, the U.S. Department of Defense adopted a tri-service missile designation system, and the GAR-9 series was redesignated as the AIM-47 Falcon family.
Developed by Hughes Aircraft starting in 1957, the AIM-47 was initially tied to the XF-108 Rapier interceptor project.
The missile featured semi-active radar homing with terminal infrared guidance, powered by a Lockheed XSR13-LP-1 solid-fueled rocket, achieving speeds up to Mach 4 and a range over 160 km. Variants included the initial GAR-9, XAIM-47A for testing, and a planned AIM-47B with folding fins (never produced), plus an anti-radar AGM-76A that didn't enter service. It features an Aerojet-General XM59 motor, later replaced by the Lockheed XSR13-LP-1 solid rocket, reducing speed from an initial Mach 6 to Mach 4 due to design constraints.
Variants of the AIM-47 Falcon
- AIM-47: General designation for the Falcon air-to-air missile developed by Hughes Aircraft for the U.S. Navy, primarily for the F-14 Tomcat. It encompasses all subvariants:
- GAR-9: Initial designation, with the GAR-9A and GAR-9B variants
- XAIM-47A: Prototype
- AIM-47A: Based on XAIM-47A, the production version
- AIM-47B: Planned compressed-carriage variant with folding fins for the modified F-12B, never produced
- AGM-76A: Anti-radar variant
The AIM-47 Falcon was never used operationally, serving only for testing by the United States Air Force, with notable tests from a modified B-58 Hustler and YF-12A, achieving 6 successful interceptions out of 7 guided launches.
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