But now that the Raptor finally has widespread AIM-9X capability, it seems that the USAF is still putting off giving Raptor pilots the "point and shoot" ability that goes along with this new missile, not to mention the enhanced situational awareness that a Helmet Mounted Display provides. In essence, the missile's most important feature, its ability to engage targets even over a pilot's shoulder, still cannot be unlocked by the Raptor, even after both the AIM-9X and F-22 have been operational (although separately) for well over a decade and other far less technologically complex fighters, like the F-15C/D and F-16C/D have had such a capability for just as long a time.

"This has been in the inventory for the Air Force and Navy for some years; it's nothing new to the military. But to put it on the Ferrari of aircraft—the F-22, the most advanced aircraft we have—it gives the pilots more maneuverability, larger range, and it's a much faster missile."

“With the AIM-9M ‘Mike’ we kind of went out there going, ‘We have six missiles'... With AIM-9X, we step out the door going, ‘We got eight missiles on the jet.’ It’s literally that big of a difference… Night and day different... It brings us on par with most of the other infrared missiles around the world.” He also added that the AIM-9X gives Raptor pilots the ability “shoot a lot further with better tracking capability out of the seeker.”

The AIM-9X Block I has bit longer range, it's faster, has a wider field of view, much higher maneuverability and a far better imaging infrared seeker that is very tough to fool with existing countermeasures than its Cold War era AIM-9M predecessor. The missile can even be used against ground targets in a pinch if the jet has the right software. Defensetech.org recently spoke to an experienced Raptor pilot with the 95th Fighter Squadron about this new arrow in the F-22's quiver:

There is no doubt that adding basic AIM-9X capability to the F-22 is a significant upgrade over what the AIM-9M had to offer. Some F-22s have had the ability to carry the missiles for about a year or so, but the software to deeply integrate with the jet and give the pilot the proper symbology to easily employ it was only installed with the Increment 3.2B software that is now being made available to the Raptor fleet.

The USAF is quick to tout that the F-22 Raptor fleet has been finally upgraded to use the AIM-9X Sidewinder—a long awaited move that will allow the most advanced air superiority fighter in the world to ditch the relatively ancient AIM-9M version of the iconic short-range air-to-air missile. But even with this new capability, F-22 pilots still lack a helmet mounted display (HMD) to take advantage of the missile's high-off boresight (HOBS) abilities, and there doesn't seem to be much talk about fixing this long standing deficiency in the near term.

Instead, the Raptor will wait for its next round of upgrades around 2019, which will allow it to field the AIM-9X block II. This second iteration of the AIM-9X is already operational and features lock-on-after-launch capability. This will allow Raptor pilots to engage a target without locking the AIM-9X's gimbaled seeker onto that target before firing. The missile is equipped with a data-link and upgraded autopilot that receives information from the launch aircraft as to where the target is located in space and time so that it can fly-out toward it once it has left the jet's launch rail. In some cases, the missile can make a nearly 180 degree turns to engage targets behind the aircraft, and then lock onto them once headed in that opposite direction.

USAF F-22 launching an AIM-9X during testing.

In the F-22's case, this means the AIM-9X Block II will not have to be shoved out into the airstream so that the pilot can obtain a hard lock before letting the missile fly. Instead the Raptor's side weapons bay doors can remain closed until the command to launch is given—and in doing so the F-22 can remain stealthy longer during the weapons engagement portion of a dogfight.

Lockheed Martin

But once again, for close-in dogfighting, instead of relying on a pilot to point his eyes at the target through a HMD in order to engage said target, the AIM-9X Block II will rely on the F-22's sensors—primarily its APG-77 AESA radar—that has roughly a 120 degree frontal field of view—to provide cueing and telemetry to the missile's data-link. This is called "helmetless high off bore-sight" (HHOBS) capability. It may be possible to leverage information from the jet's ALR-94 electronic support measures suite, and from third party sensor sources, such as other F-22s and even AWACs aircraft when employing the AIM-9X Block II in lock-on after launch mode, although at close range this is doubtful. But once again, the Raptor will not take advantage of the missile's full engagement envelope without giving its pilot a HMD. Not just that, but the F-22 lacks a spherical infrared sensor system like the F-35 Distributed Aperture System that could potentially provide directional cueing for the AIM-9X Block II even without the F-35 pilot's highly advanced Helmet Mounted Display being pointed at the target. For the HMD lacking F-22, where the AIM-9X Block II will really shine is in its ability to reach out and kill targets at intermediate ranges—much farther than its predecessor due to a new rocket motor design and lock on after launch capability. In essence, a pilot can lock up a target on their radar farther than the AIM-9X's seeker can see, and let the missile fly. It will be guided via data-link towards the enemy until AIM-9X's seeker head acquires the target itself and makes its terminal attack run. This gives F-22 pilots, who are highly limited by the missiles they carry internally, the ability to engage at near or beyond visual range distances with all of their eight missiles, instead of just their six AIM-120 AMRAAMs.

Hughes Missile Systems