[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIDEWINDER MISSILE PROGRAM

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                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 11, 2002

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of 
the development of the Sidewinder Missile--the world's most accurate, 
reliable and successful dogfighter missile in use today.
  Fifty years ago, the research and development phase for a new fighter 
missile began at the Naval Ordinance Test Station (now the Naval Air 
Warfare Center Weapons Division) at China Lake, California. A team of 
technicians, scientists, and fleet-experienced operators worked endless 
hours to produce a new type of weapon--one that sought out the heat 
exhaust from an enemy aircraft's engine.
  China Lake's vast test ranges in the Mojave Desert afforded 
researchers the ability to test new theories almost immediately. They 
eventually developed the design we have today: a heatseeking, short-
range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. The missile was 
named after a desert rattlesnake, the Sidewinder, which detects its 
prey by sensing an animal's heat emissions.
  Early versions of the Sidewinder proved its lethal accuracy and 
effectiveness in Southeast Asia. During Operation Black Magic in the 
Formosa Straights, Chinese Nationalist Air Force F-86s shot down eleven 
of the Chinese communist air force's MiG fighters. In Vietnam, the U.S. 
Navy and Air Force successfully used the Sidewinder in countless 
missions. My colleague and a highly-decorated naval aviator, 
Representative Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham, used the Sidewinder missile 
to become Vietnam's first fighter ace.
  The Sidewinder's early successes proved the weapon's capabilities, 
affording many opportunities to increase the effectiveness of the 
Sidewinder. Newer generations of the missile were developed and have 
seen action in many theatres, including over the Gulf of Sidra to shoot 
down a Libyan fighter aircraft during a dogfight in the early 1990s and 
during the Persian Gulf War, where twelve Iraqi aircraft were shot down 
using the Sidewinder. The current version of the Sidewinder, the AIM--
9M, arms a wide range of American fighters, including the U.S. Navy's 
F-14 and F/A-18, the U.S. Air Force's F-15 and F-16, and the AH-1 W 
helicopter.
  The Sidewinder's newest version, the AIM-9X, is currently in 
development phase. To date, over 110,000 missiles have been produced 
for 28 nations and it is, by far, the most widely used air-to-air 
missile in the West.
  In celebrating its golden anniversary this November, the Sidewinder 
program is testament to American ingenuity and innovation. I am 
confident that the Sidewinder program will continue to be a leader in 
the field of missile technology for the warfighter of today and 
tomorrow.

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