Aircraft Armament Systems

AE-201
 Introduction
• Aircraft armament system consists of:
– Aircraft’s own defense mechanism
– Combat aircraft’s attack capability
– Pilot’s ejection system in emergency
• Armament sub-systems are interconnected
and also dependant upon aircraft’s other
systems such as the RADAR, Pneumatic
system, Electrical system etc
 Introduction
• A hardpoint / station is a location on an
airframe designed to carry an external or
internal load
 Explosives
• An explosive material, is a reactive substance
that contains a great amount of potential
energy (chemical energy) that can produce an
explosion if released suddenly, usually
accompanied by the production of light, heat,
sound, and pressure
• An explosive weapon generally uses high
explosive to project blast and / or
fragmentation from a point of detonation
 Missiles
• A missile is a self-propelled, precision-guided
munitions system, as opposed to an unguided
self-propelled munitions, referred to as
a rocket
• Types of missiles:
– Air-to-Air missiles (American: AMRAAM, AIM-9L)
– Air-to-Surface missiles (Ra’ad cruise missile)
– Surface-to-Air missiles (French: Mistral, Crotale)
– Surface-to-Surface missiles (Pak: Shaheen, Ghauri)
Missiles
 Major Sub-sections of a Missile
• Aerodynamic structure
• Guidance section (for targeting)
• Warhead
• Propulsion section
• Control section
 Aerodynamic Structure of a Missile
• Aerodynamic structure is the complete body
of the missile, which provides the following:
– Smooth airflow during flight
– Wings and control surfaces
– Missile holding points for launcher
– Electrical connections for firing and onboard
computer data input
 Guidance & Control of a Missile
• This system ensures the guided flight of the missile
• Every missile guidance system consists of an attitude
control system and a flight path control system
• Guidance section computes the missile position with
respect to the target and outlines the flight path
• Control section makes corrective adjustments to
missile direction through control surfaces
• The operation of a guidance and control system is
based on the principle of feedback
 Guidance & Control of a Missile
• Types of Guidance Mechanisms:
– Active (missile has a radar
transceiver onboard)
• Example: Phoenix Air-to-Air Missile
– Passive (IR sensing missile, contrast
seeker)
• Example: AIM-9 series A-A missile
– Preset (follows pre-programmed
trajectory )
• Example: German V-2 rocket
Guidance & Control of a Missile

Proportional Navigation
 Propulsion System of a Missile
• Propulsion system provides the power for the
flight of the missile
• Types of propulsion systems:
– Solid propellant rocket motor
– Liquid propellant rocket motor
– Turbojet engine (Tomahawk cruise missiles)
– Ramjet engine
 Propulsion System of a Missile
• Rocket engines carry both fuel and
oxidizer on board
• In a solid-propellant rocket, the
combustion chamber carries the
fuel and oxidizer mixed together in
a solid state
• In a liquid-propellant rocket, the
pump forces fuel and oxidizer from
their tanks into the combustion
chamber
Parts of a Tomahawk Missile

Tomahawk Cruise missile

 Warhead of a Missile
• Warhead is the actual supplement of missile,
which detonates and causes the destruction
• Types of Warheads:
– High Explosive (HE) For fragmentation and
Blast effect
– High Explosive Anti tank Shaped charged for
penetration
– Chemical & Biological For killing or disabling
human beings
– Nuclear For nuclear conflicts
 Warhead of a Missile

AGM 114 used for

Air-to-Ground
Anti-Armor role
 Aerial Bombs
• An aerial bomb is an explosive weapon that uses
the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to
provide an extremely sudden and violent release
of energy and usually designed to be dropped from
an aircraft
• A bomb is a purely ballistic weapon, meaning
that the only force that acts upon it after it is
released from an aircraft is gravity
• Bombs may or may not incorporate guidance
systems (smart bombs, dumb bombs)
 Aerial Bombs
• A bomb has no propulsion system, so the
weapon can only travel due to its initial
momentum and the acceleration of gravity
• Major Parts of a GP bomb:
– Bomb body/casing
– Explosive charge
– Fuze
– Tail Fins
• GP bombs in PAF: GBU-10, GBU-12 (500 lb)
Major Parts of a GP Aerial Bomb
Suspension and Accessory Equipment
• Pylons:
• Pylons provide the necessary
mechanical and electrical
interface between the aircraft
hardpoint and the store to be
carried on it
• Launchers:
• Launchers are used to carry or
suspend self-propelled weapons
 Aircraft Egress System
• An ejection seat is a system
designed to rescue the pilot or
other crew of an aircraft in an
emergency
• The seat is propelled out of the
aircraft by an explosive charge
or rocket motor, carrying the pilot
with it
• Once clear of the aircraft, the
ejection seat deploys a parachute
 Ejection System Operation
• The standard ejection system
operates in two stages:
1. First, the entire canopy or hatch
above the aviator is opened,
shattered, or jettisoned, and then,
2. the seat and occupant are
launched through the opening
Ejection Sequence

Seat-Occupant
Rocket
Seat
Drogues
Main
Firing
Pack
handle
separation
parachute
deployed
fired
pulled
Gradual
deployed descent
towards ground

25
Aircraft Egress System
Questions?