ABVRM Comet
| ABVRM Comet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Beyond visual range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Arthurista |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2010-present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Arthuristan Dynamics |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 185kg |
| Length | 3.65m |
| Diameter | 0.178m |
| Engine | Ramjet |
Operational range | 100km+ purely level flight profile, 250-300km with ballistic cruise phase |
| Speed | Mach 4+ |
Guidance system | Inertial, mid-course datalink, active radar, passive radar or IIR terminal homing |
The ABVRM Comet is the latest beyond-visual range air-to-air missile of the Commonwealth Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm. Designed to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the Comet is an active-radar guided weapon, equipped with a ramjet motor to confer a very long burn-time, the missile enjoys a considerable kinematic advantage when engaging super-maneouverable targets. Its combination of mach 4 speed and agility enables it to have a very generous no-escape zone compared to legacy rocket-powered BVRAAMs, allowing the comet-armed fighter to retain the initiative and dictate the tempo of an engagement.
The Comet is a networked weapon. Launching aircraft equipped with a two-way datalink can transmit information to the missile, based on information acquired by the plane's on-board sensors, and update the weapon's course, while the pilot would also be able to garner information acquired by the missile's own sensors package. Alternatively, in 'fire-and-forget' mode, the fighter can launch and then turn away immediately, leaving the missile to autonomously engage its target.
There are three terminal-homing packages available to the comet missile. Aside from the active-radar seeker, an imaging infra-red seeker is also available as an alternative. Mixtures of both versions of the Comet will probably be launched in the same salvo to increase the likelihood of a kill in heavy ECM environments or where the target has radar-stealth features. A passive-radar seeker version is also available for silent engagements against AWACs.