SRAAM

Taildog/SRAAM
SRAAM mockup at Royal Air Force Museum Cosford
Type	Short-range air-to-air missile
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
Used by	Experimental programme only
Production history
Manufacturer	Hawker Siddeley
Specifications
Mass	ca. 70 kg (150 lb)
Length	2.75 m (9 ft 0 in)
Diameter	165 mm (6.5 in)
Wingspan	ca. 320 mm (13 in)
Operational range	250 m – 2 km
Guidance system	Infra-red
Steering system	thrust vectoring
Launch platform	aircraft

The Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (Short-Range Anti-Air Missile in NATO AAP-15), or SRAAM for short, initially known as Taildog, was an experimental British infrared homing ("heat seeking") air-to-air missile, developed between 1968 and 1980 by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics. It was designed to be very manoeuvrable for use at short range in a dogfight situation. SRAAM was unusual in that it was launched from a launch tube instead of being attached to a launch rail, allowing two to be carried on a single mounting point.

Although initially intended to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder, it was downgraded to a technology demonstrator program in 1974. Between 1974 and 1977, several SRAAM missiles were launched in tests. In 1980, the knowledge gained from the SRAAM project was used in the ASRAAM missile project.