Carlton Meyer
21st Century Weapons
e-mail Feb 1999

Jet engines are extremely loud, so it's surprising that anti-aircraft missiles which home-in on sound waves have not appeared.

Navies have developed sophisticated sound detection and analysis systems to track submarines. These systems can easily determine the exact type of submarine by their unique engine/propeller sounds. Therefore, acoustic missiles could be fine tuned to attack unique jet engines.

This would allow acoustic missiles to be fired at suspected enemy aircraft before visual identification is possible. The missile would ignore "friendly" jet engines, so the problem of friendly fire accidents would disappear. They would provide fighter aircraft with a new weapon and infantrymen with a deadly shoulder-fired SAM.

Acoustic sensors have already been tested for the BAT air-to-surface munitions.

The value of acoustic missiles to target the low rumble of tank or ship engines seems promising. Acoustic missiles can function at night or during poor weather, and jamming would prove very difficult. Most importantly, sound tracking is very simple and inexpensive technology which can be easily incorporated into a new form of weaponry.

Carlton Meyer)

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