AIM-4 Falcon

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	Weapon: AIM-4 Falcon Type: Air-to-Air Missile Country of Origin: United States Year Adopted: 1956 Overall Length (mm): 1980.0 Overall Length (in): 77.95 Weight (kg): 61.00 Weight (pounds): 134.48

The AIM-4 Falcon was the United States Air Force's first operational guided air-to-air missile, developed by Hughes Aircraft from 1946 and entering service in the mid-1950s. It was produced in both semi-active radar homing (SARH) and infrared (IR) variants, with early models carrying a small 3.4 kg warhead and-critically-no proximity fuze, requiring direct hits to detonate; the later "Super Falcon" (AIM-4F/G) enlarged the missile and warhead and improved guidance. In September 1962 the GAR-series Falcons were redesignated AIM-4, and total production is commonly cited at over 50,000 missiles before the line ended in 1963.

Falcons equipped a wide range of USAF interceptors-including the F-89, F-101, F-102, and F-106-and later armed F-4D Phantoms in Vietnam. In fighter-versus-fighter combat the AIM-4D IR model performed poorly: slow seeker cooling, single cooling cycle, a small warhead, and the lack of a proximity fuze contributed to just five credited kills in dozens of launches, after which the F-4D fleet was modified to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder instead. The family also saw limited foreign service and license production (e.g., Sweden's Rb 28 for Draken/Viggen and Swiss missiles for Mirage IIIS), while Super Falcons remained with USAF/ANG interceptors until the F-106's retirement in 1988.

The AIM-4's legacy is a study in contrasts: historically significant as the USAF's first operational AAM and a mainstay of Cold-War interceptor doctrine, yet notorious for its Vietnam combat record that accelerated the shift toward more forgiving dogfight missiles like the Sidewinder. The broader Falcon line also spawned specialized derivatives-the larger AIM-26 (including a nuclear variant) and the long-range AIM-47-marking important steps in U.S. missile evolution even as the original AIM-4 faded from front-line service.