AAM-4 vs Iris-T

Overview

The AAM-4 and the Iris-T are both Air-to-Air missiles.

The AAM-4 has a range of 100 km — 4.0x the Iris-T's 25 km. The AAM-4 reaches 5,557 km/h vs 3,704 km/h for the Iris-T. The AAM-4 carries a 31 kg warhead vs 11.5 kg for the Iris-T. Launch weight is 222 kg for the AAM-4 vs 87 kg for the Iris-T. The AAM-4 uses Active radar homing, Inertial guidance, Datalink guidance, while the Iris-T relies on Imaging infrared homing.

Unit cost is $0.45M for the AAM-4 vs $0.47M for the Iris-T. The AAM-4 entered service 6 years before the Iris-T (1999 vs 2005).

Japanese air-to-air missile, entered service in 1999, uses active radar homing for guidance.
Origin 🇯🇵 Japan
Category Air-to-Air
Type Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
Manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Service year 1999
Number produced -- units
Estimated unit price $0.5 million
German air-to-air missile, entered service in 2005, uses imaging infrared homing for guidance.
Origin 🇩🇪 Germany
Category Air-to-Air
Type Infrared-guided air-to-air missile
Manufacturer Diehl BGT
Service year 2005
Number produced 5,000 units
Estimated unit price $0.5 million
Range 100.0 km
Maximum speed Mach 4.5
Weight 222 kg
Warhead 31.0 kg
Length 3.67 m
Diameter 203 mm
Guidance Active radar homing, Inertial guidance, Datalink
Warhead type High explosive directional blast-fragmentation
Range 25.0 km
Maximum speed Mach 3.0
Weight 87 kg
Warhead 11.5 kg
Length 2.94 m
Diameter 127 mm
Guidance Imaging infrared homing
Warhead type High Explosive / Fragmentation

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has longer range, the AAM-4 or Iris-T?
The AAM-4 has a longer range at 100 km compared to the Iris-T's 25 km.
Which is faster, the AAM-4 or Iris-T?
The AAM-4 is faster with a maximum speed of Mach 4.5 compared to the Iris-T's Mach 3.0.
Which has a larger warhead, the AAM-4 or Iris-T?
The AAM-4 carries a larger warhead at 31 kg compared to the Iris-T's 11 kg.
Which is heavier, the AAM-4 or Iris-T?
The AAM-4 is heavier at 222 kg compared to the Iris-T's 87 kg.
Which is longer, the AAM-4 or Iris-T?
The AAM-4 is longer at 3.67 meters compared to the Iris-T's 2.94 meters.
What guidance systems do the AAM-4 and Iris-T use?
The AAM-4 uses Active radar homing, Inertial guidance, Datalink guidance while the Iris-T uses Imaging infrared homing guidance.
Which entered service first, the AAM-4 or Iris-T?
The AAM-4 entered service first in 1999, 6 years before the Iris-T which entered service in 2005.