Thread by @heatloss1986

Finally, more information on Diamondback!
There are a few frames in here which display the seeker design. This is fascinating. A short thread to describe what's going on:🧵

https://twitter.com/MassiasThanos/status/1798658212398338117

In short, this is another fantastic design out of China Lake. This is a dual mode seeker, likely using the lower error or stronger of the two returns at a given point in time, which allows for long range guidance over radar and short range, more accurate guidance over IR.

The mesh used for the radar reflector would have to be very thin wire, so as not to disrupt the IR signal. However, mesh makes for a very good radar reflector material. The radar reflector was likely angled to create a conical scan, like that of AIM-9C.

https://x.com/heatloss1986/status/1760181307684839517

You can see the angle depicted from this shot, the left side of the mesh is higher up off the IR reflector than the right side.

One sticking point here is that I don't understand the "helical antenna". That looks more like a spiral antenna, and I don't understand the purpose of using it. From a few other frames shown in the video, perhaps this had something to do with nuclear warhead arming? Just a guess.

Since IR conical scan was in its infancy at the time this was developed, the IR system likely used the same spin scan mechanism as the normal Sidewinder, meaning that THIS reflector had no offset from center.

https://x.com/heatloss1986/status/1756961863261151550

This also appears to have used most of the rest of the seeker components from Sidewinder, including the precession coils.
The drive coils, however, appear to have been underneath the IR reflector like with the 9C's gyro assembly.

https://x.com/heatloss1986/status/1759096105919300027

Without the source documents, I can't go much further into design, as much as I'd love to. I'm already speculating enough here.

Second post used the wrong image. This is the right one lol