The 17.2 kg ( 37.8 pound ) missile is 690mm ( 27.1 inches ) long and has pop-out fins ( with a 250mm / 69 girth span ) that aid in guidance ( laser beam riding, controlled by the tank gunner ).
32.
In 1954, the F3D-2M was the first Navy jet aircraft to be fitted with an operational air-to-air missile : the Sparrow I, an all weather day / night BVR missile that used beam riding guidance for the aircrew to control the missile's track.
33.
Wire guidance has remained the main system for most smaller weapons although newer systems such as laser beam riding have come into use in anti-aircraft and some anti-tank use roles ( such as the US Hellfire missile and the Russian AT-14 Kornet ).
34.
A more advanced version appeared shortly after, with a laser range finding and targeting system for laser beam riding missiles such as HJ-9 . The latest version currently in service has a laser ranger / designator for semi-active laser guided missiles such as HJ-9A and HJ-10.
35.
The system uses a Laser beam riding missile that automatically determines its own position in the laser beam and manoeuvres onto its Automatic targeting modules can also be added to the missile system that can be added to ensure fully automatic post-lock on missile guidance by the operator.
36.
Although the developer has claimed a variety of guidance systems such as infra-red and millimeter wave radar guidance can be adopted, only semi-active laser ( SAL ), laser beam riding and satellite guidance versions have been mentioned by the developer at exhibitions to be ready for potential customers.
37.
Since the missile would be operating close to the ground in highly cluttered environments, it used a combination of beam riding along the illumination radar and an infrared seeker in the nose, which allowed tracking as long as either the path in front or in rear of the missile remained free of obstructions.
38.
Until the late 1990s the RNoAF ground based air defence solution, also known as the Norwegian Solution ( NORSOL ), consisted of three different weapon systems; the 40mm Bofors doppler tracking radar ), the laser beam riding RBS 70 MANPADS system and the NASAMS . All three systems were integrated through the ARCS via field wires and radio.
