AIM-9 Sidewinder

The AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missile was first successfully tested in 1953, and remains one of the most popular and dependable air-to-air missiles in our military's arsenal. Technological advances in the guidance system have improved the missiles performance over the years, but the general concept has remained the same: they don't just fly through the air, but they actually find their own way to the target. This Enterprise ordnanceman poses next to a Sidewinder loaded onto an F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft in 1966. Today, Sidewinders are commonly seen on F/A-18 Hornets.