AIM-82

In 1969 the USAF was developing the F-15 Eagle fighter. Planned as the ultimate air superiority aircraft, the F-15 was intended to be as perfect as possible in every respect. Rather than rely on the existing AIM-9 Sidewinder, it was decided to develop an entirely new short-range air-to-air missile to equip the aircraft. The AIM-82 was to be an infrared-guided, all-aspect missile, capable of locking onto the target from any angle; Sidewinders of this period could only achieve a target lock if fired from almost directly behind the target where the heat of the engines provided a large infrared signature to the missile's seeker head.

In 1970 a development contract was awarded to General Dynamics, Hughes Aircraft and Philco-Ford. Proposals were submitted later that year, but in that September the AIM-82 was canceled. The main reason was the existence of the United States Navy AIM-95 Agile program, which was developing a new short-range air-to-air missile for the F-14 Tomcat. Inter-service rivalry aside, there seemed little point in developing two missiles to perform essentially identical roles, so development on the AIM-95 was authorized. Eventually, the AIM-95 was also canceled and the AIM-9 was updated to remain in service—and indeed remains in service to this day.{{cite web|url=https://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-82.html|title=AIM-82|last=Parsch|first=Andreas|date=3 October 2002|work=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles|publisher=Designation-Systems|access-date=2017-11-30}}

The AIM-82 was canceled at a stage where the basic design had not been selected; as a result, no specifications exist for the proposed missile.

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AIM-082

Category:Abandoned military rocket and missile projects of the United States