SivaVijay wrote:One naive question to the gurus.... If the WVRC missiles are housed in a internal bay, won't that affect the time taken for weapon release coz the bay has to open and then fire instead of a release from a under wing pylon?
The bay will already need to be open in order for the missile seeker to lock on to the target. So at that phase, it will be just like any standard aircraft launching a missile.
For an idea, check out this video of the F-22 launching a sidewinder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM5pCgy2jiY
Also from the following link for the F 22
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... eapons.htm:
As the AIM-9 uses infrared guidance, the missile first has to acquire the target. To launch a Sidewinder from the F-22, the side weapons bay doors open; the Trapeze Launcher, with missile attached, extends to put the missile's seeker into the slipstream; the seeker acquires the target; the missile ignites and flies off the rail. The Trapeze Launcher then retracts, and the weapons bay doors close. Once launched, the F-22 pilot can leave the fight, as Sidewinder is autonomous, following its seeker to the target, after it leaves the launch rail. The entire Sidewinder launch sequence, from door opening to door closing, takes just seconds.