Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 19:53-20:21

What an earlier Soviet Sidewinder copy changes

An earlier Soviet copy of the AIM-9 is assessed against the limited capability of the missile's first generation.

AIM-9 SidewinderAir-to-Air MissilesMilitary AviationSoviet UnionVietnam War
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Question

If the Soviet Union obtained and copied the AIM-9 during the early Taiwan Strait crises, how much would that help in Vietnam?

Short answer

It would be an improvement, but the first Sidewinder was too limited for the copy by itself to transform the later air war.

Notes

The original Sidewinder would improve on contemporary Soviet weapons. However, the early missile was far less capable than the versions fielded by 1980 or today. The effect on the later Vietnam War would therefore be real but limited rather than transformative.