Hey what gives...
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...ons/aim-54.htm
Quote:
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Originally Posted by GlobalSecurity
After 30 years of highly accomplished service, the U.S. Navy retired its first long-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-54 Phoenix, 30 September 2004. One of the world's most technologically advanced tactical missiles, the AIM-54 Phoenix was the first operational radar-guided air-to-air missile that could be launched in multiple numbers against different targets from an aircraft, making the Phoenix the Navy's main fleet air defense long-range weapon.
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Problem is... when the Phoenix missile was retired the USN lost its only long range Air-to-Air Missile. It was originally supposed to be succeed by a new long range missile here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...tions/aaam.htm
but that program was cancelled...
...So it seems like the USN has ended production of its only long range AA missile without a replacement...
... given this strange decision... makes you wonder if the USN was so readly to cancel the program then one might suspect that perhaps the missile was never that effective or reliable in the first place, and may have been grossly ineffective/inaccurate all along...