OVERVIEW: The AIM-9E Sidewinder is a short-range, supersonic, infra-red guided (IR) air-to-air missile with a 4.5 kilogram warhead.   

DETAILS:  The AIM-9E was an AIM-9B with an improved seeker with a higher tracking rate.  It also featured cooling for the seeker, which expanded the weapon's acquisition envelope and increased its kill probability.  The AIM-9E Sidewinder is capable of only rear-aspect attacks. The AIM-9E2 was a version of the basic AIM-9E with a reduced-smoke motor.  

Specifications:
Weight:			76 kg 
Length: 		2.83 m 
Diameter: 		127 mm 
Wingspan: 		0.53 m
Warhead:		4.5 kg, blast fragmentation 

PERFORMANCE: 
Operational range: 	2.0 km (1.1 mn) sea level ; 4.6 km (2.5nm) at 30K feet.
Speed: 			2.5 mach
Maneuverability:	12 g

NOTES: The AIM-9E was the first version of the Sidewinder designed specifically for the US Air Force, although the USAF had already been using earlier versions of the Sidewinder.


SOURCES: Friedman, Norman, "The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapons Systems, 1997-1998, Annapolis, MD: Naval  
Institute Press, 1997, pg. 427 ; Jane's Weapons: Air Launched 2012-2013, pg. 35, https://planesandstuff.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/samplejwal.pdf ;  "AIM-9 Sidewinder - Military Power." Welcome to the Military Power Wiki - Military Power. Accessed September 1, 2015. http://militarypower.wikidot.com/aim-9-sidewinder ; "AIM-9 Sidewinder." Federation Of American Scientists -. Accessed September 1, 2015. http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/aim-9.htm ; "AIM-9 Sidewinder." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed September 1, 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM-9_Sidewinder ; "Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder." Designation-Systems.Net. Accessed September 1, 2015. http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-9.html ; "The Sidewinder Story / The Evolution of the AIM-9 Missile." Air Power Australia. Accessed September 1, 2015. http://www.ausairpower.net/TE-Sidewinder-94.html ; "U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology." U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. Accessed September 1, 2015. http://www.chinalakemuseum.org/exhibits/sidewinder.shtml ; "US Air-to-Air Missiles." Accessed September 2, 2015. http://www.pmulcahy.com/aams/us_aams.htm.
