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Originally Posted by Admiral Halsey
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True it may not be as fast as modern jets but how well could a heat seeking missile track them? After all its got no jet exhaust
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Very easily actually a heat seeking missile sees a difference in infrared signatures anything that produces heat above the atmospheric temperatures can be seen.Modern IR can even lock onto the heat signature of the friction of airflow across the fuselage.
Heck the early AIM-9 and AIM-4 very often took down remote flown WWII stock a modern IR missile would have a much easier time.Some US drones have been killed by Taliban using MANPADS it just does not make the news and they have a lower IR signature than a P-51.
The appearance of the SA-7 in Vietnam in 1971 put a fairly rapid end to the career of the A-1.