SAR-779 Homura
| SAR-779 Homura | |
|---|---|
 SAR-779 in air-launch and vertical-launch configurations. | |
| Type | Medium-range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin |  Carthage |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2013-present |
| Used by | Carthage Gensokyo Republic Japan |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Advanced Technology Research Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Designed | 2010-2013 |
| Manufacturer | Advanced Technology Research Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Unit cost | $1.4 million (FY2014) |
| Produced | 2013-present |
| No. built | 4,900+ |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 90 kg (200 lb) |
| Length | 1.6 m (5.2 ft) 3.0 m (9.8 ft) (w/booster) |
| Diameter | 185 mm (7.2 in) |
| Warhead | Advanced Kinetic Impactor |
| Wingspan | 320 mm (13 in) |
| Propellant | Multi-pulse solid rocket |
Operational range | 100 km (62 mi) (air-to-air) |
| Flight ceiling | 27,000 m (89,000 ft) |
| Speed | 4,400 km/h (2,700 mph) |
Guidance system | Active radar homing Inertial/GPS w/datalink |
Launch platform | Multi-platform |
The SAR-779 Homura is a modern all-weather multi-target air-to-air missile system developed and manufactured by the Advanced Technology Research Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Designed to be launched from aircraft equipped with hydraulic arm ejection systems, it is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on after launch capability and high maneuverability. Introduced in limited service in 2013, it is being considered as a replacement or supplement to the existing SAI-774 Sayaka and SAR-778 Sakura in service with the militaries of Carthage and the Gozen Shogunate.
Development
Homura was developed and initially fielded as a technology demonstrator, based on hit-to-kill designs developed as part of the anti-ballistic missile research of the 1980s. Improvements in accuracy and maneuverability made the development of a hit-to-kill air-to-air missile feasible by the early 2000s, which would have the immediate advantage of removing the warhead stage from the unit, significantly reducing mass and size. in addition concerns regarding the effectiveness and reliability of existing fuzes against smaller or more stealthy targets prompted the investigation of hit-to-kill as a solution to the "lethality question." The proposed reduction in warhead and fuze mass would lead to further reductions in necessary motor size. By 2007, studies had raised concerns about the kill probability of existing and in-development missiles, while plans to introduce stealth aircraft with internal weapons bays could limit payload further.
In January 2008, the Advanced Research Management Agency of the Carthage Defense Forces initiated the Advanced Kinetic Missile program, with the goal of developing a compact, long-range, hit-to-kill air-to-air missile. A request for proposals was issued in April, with submissions from Cordoba Aerospace, RMA Corporation, Raytheon, and the team of ATRC and Mitsubishi.
By 2009, the contract had been awarded to the team of ATRC and Mitsubishi, for a missile half the length of current short-range air-to-air missiles but with significantly increased range. The design drew heavily on advancements developed for the earlier -770 series missiles, including the use of a multi-pulse rocket motor and an active radar seeker. The primary objective was to develop a missile compact enough to fit at least two units in the space of a single conventional missile. First flight tests were held relatively quickly in 2012, and initial production approved in early 2013 for small-scale rollout to test squadrons.
Additional prototypes for land and sea use are being developed but are still in trial phases and are not expected to enter service immediately.
Operational features summary
The SAR-779's most notable features are its hit-to-kill operation and relatively short length, allowing two missiles to be stored in tandem in the space of a single conventional missile. Compared to conventional missiles, the SAR-779 is extremely light for its range, yet its kinetic impact flight profile allow it to still inflict fatal damage on targets.
Unlike other missiles in its size and weight class, Homura uses an active radar seeker derived from the design used in the SAR-778 for homing. This allows it to operate in a home-on-jam mode against AWACS targets, considered particularly vulnerable due to their relatively low maneuverability. Despite this intent, the missile is still a credible against fighters, possessing a high turn rate and compact missile body, resulting in excellent maneuverability.
Description
Seeker
The SAR-779 uses a multi-band active radar seeker, incorporating both C-band and X-band systems to improve detection range and target discrimination. The longer-wavelength C-band radar provides long-range detection and tracking capability while the X-band radar provides more accurate terminal guidance. In addition, the onboard radar receiver can detect and home in on radio and radar transmitters, including AWACS aircraft. This makes defeating the seeker more difficult as attempts to jam the seeker allow it to instead home in on the jammer or any air defense radar tracking the launching aircraft. As with other missiles, it includes a datalink to allow off-boresight and lock-on after launch capability.
Fuze
Due to the hit-to-kill function of the missile, conventional fuzes were omitted from the design. A self-destruct fuze is still included, however, programmed to ignite small self-destruct charges upon motor burn-out or if no target can be detected.
Warhead
As a hit-to-kill weapon, Homura does not carry an explosive warhead, instead relying on the energy from kinetic impact to destroy the target. The missile is programmed to impact as close as possible to the point judged most vulnerable, potentially delivering over 40 MJ of energy on impact.
Propulsion and control
The SAR-779 Homura is equipped with a single-stage multi-pulse solid rocket motor, providing increased range and flexibility of flight profile compared to single-stage rocket motors. The multi-pulse design provides increased range by allowing lower-thrust sections to be burnt while maintaining terminal performance with high-thrust sections. Maneuverability is provided through a combination of external fins, thrust-vectoring vanes, and solid pulse motors, allowing the missile to be capable of maneuvers up to 80 g and turn rates of 60°/sec.
Control surfaces on all models incorporate folding fins to improve clearance in these spaces. This allows the missile to be carried on the multi-purpose bomb racks in the internal payload bays of fifth-generation fighters, a key provision of the missile's design.
Datalink
The onboard datalink allows missiles to be cued against targets after launch, enabling full off-boresight and lock-on after launch capability. It can also provide mid-course updates during flight to ensure maximum accuracy against maneuvering targets. As the latest missile in the -770 series, it incorporates full datalink compatibility with earlier missiles.
Maintenance and support
All current units have been delivered as sealed rounds in containers with internal diagnostic equipment. For use they are removed from their containers and mounted on their launch racks but can be returned to their containers if not expended during a mission. Current official service life is relatively low pending a full analysis of shelf life longevity.
Launch platform
The SAR-779 is designed to be launched from nearly any aircraft, but is specifically designed for use with aircraft equipped with internal payload bays. Due to its short length, the missile can be mounted on a rack adapter with two SAR-779s in place of a conventional missile. In normal operation it is rapidly expelled via hydraulic arm to prevent damage to other missiles in the bay, but may also be dropped from a normal rail before firing. The forward missile on an external rack must be dropped before launch, but the second missile may be launched directly from the rail.
Variants and upgrades
The SAR-779 is the initial production model, with 4,900 units delivered to date. The missile reached initial operating capability in February 2013 with the 295th Tactical Fighter Wing, and has been slowly rolled out to additional wings for extended evaluation. Low-rate production continues on a provisional basis until a final decision on procurement is made based on feedback from current units. Testing on improvements and more robust electronics continues, but it is expected that the current configuration will be accepted into full service by the end of FY2013.
Operators
- Carthage
- Army of Carthage
- Carthage Air Forces
- Punic Navy
- Mark 18 vertical launch system
Japan
- Imperial Navy
Gensokyo Republic
- Republic Aerospace Corps
- Republic Navy