MISSING MISSILES...
Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder On June 18th, 2017, a United States Navy Super Hornet was forced to engage a Syrian Su-22 that had attacked ground troops. This was to be the first manned aerial combat victory in nine years . The F/A-18E (the most advanced fighter currently in use by the USN) fired an AIM-9X (the most advanced missile currently in use by the US military)... And missed . The Su-22 was eventually brought down using a radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM (a missile which has its own issues ). The outcome of this aerial combat was never really in doubt, but how did the AIM-9X possibly miss in the first place? Su-22 "Fitter" In this case, the AIM-9X's intended target was an export version of the Sukhoi Su-17 "Fitter" designated the Su-22. First flying over 50 years ago, this aircraft is comparable to western attack aircraft like the SEPECAT Jaguar and A-7 Corsair II (both mostly retired). It is not particularly fast or maneuver...