ACCM Taipan
| ACCM Taipan | |
|---|---|
| File:ACCM Python 2.png | |
| Type | short-range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Arthurista |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1980-present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Arthuristan Dynamics |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 85kg |
| Length | 290cm |
| Diameter | 16.6cm |
| Engine | solid-fuel rocket engine |
| Wingspan | 45cm |
Operational range | Mark 1: 30km Mark 2: 35km |
| Speed | Mach 2.5-3 |
Guidance system | All-aspect IR, imaging-IR in Mark 2 |
The ACCM ("Advanced Close Combat Missile") Taipan is a short-ranged, heatseeking air-to-air missile manufactured by Arthuristan Dynamics. The Mark 1 version entered service in the early-80s, followed by the improved Mark 2 in 2002.
Background
The Taipan was conceived in the late-70s as part of Arthurista's 'big-three' fighters upgrade program, alongside the Topshot helmet-mounted display and Marksman IRST. First fielded in 1980, the Taipan Mark 1 was rushed into service in Commonwealth Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm's air defence squadrons and quickly proved its effectiveness in subsequent air combat trials.
One of the Taipan's uncommon features is the absence of aluminium in its propellant, rendering the missile virtually 'smokeless'.
Mark 1
The original incarnation of the missile features 60-degrees off-boresight capability through an all-aspect gimballed seeker. Target acquisition was done primarily through the Topshot HMD. The missile's design team used a bare minimum of fins in order to reduce drag and maximise the missile's speed and range performance, while a thrust-vectoring nozzle is used to guarantee its competitiveness against the first generation of super-maneouverable fighters then entering into service. The missile also had considerable Infrared ECCM capability for its time, featuring a dual-band (IR and UV) seeker which is more resistant to common types of IR countermeasures than legacy designs.
Mark 2
The Mark 2 upgrade was designed to defeat low-observable technology and infrared countermeasures. Rather than home into engine heat, the Mark 2 imaging infrared technology. It also gained lock-on after launch and all-direction attack capability, including the ability to be shot 'over the shoulder' at a pursuing aircraft. Utilising an improved rocket propellant, speed is improved to Mach 3 while range is extended to 35km. Off-boresight target acquisition capability is enhanced to 100-degrees. It entered full service in 1998.