Munitions

AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile

Also known as
  • AIM-9P-4
  • AIM-9P4
  • Sidewinder P4

The AIM-9P4 Sidewinder is a U.S. AIM-9P export-family short-range air-to-air missile variant. Designation-Systems identifies it as an AIM-9P upgrade with an ALASCA seeker using AIM-9L/M technology while retaining an AIM-9J/N-like external airframe, and Taiwanese sources document it as part of the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo weapons fit.

AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile, Short-range air-to-air missile, Munitions
Image source: An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft fires an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile at an MQM-107 target drone DF-SC-90-00302.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
Raytheon
Type
Short-range air-to-air missile
Service note
Cold War
Number built
21,000+ AIM-9P family missiles

Specifications

Primary function
Short-range air-to-air missile
Guidance
Infrared homing
Seeker
ALASCA seeker with AIM-9L/M technology
Airframe
Externally almost identical to the AIM-9J/N
Launch platform
Fighter and trainer aircraft with compatible Sidewinder rails
Length
9 ft 5 in AIM-9 family length
Diameter
5 in AIM-9 family diameter
Warhead
High-explosive warhead in the Sidewinder family
Production
21,000+ AIM-9P family missiles built
Variants

The P4 sits inside the AIM-9P export branch of the Sidewinder family rather than the later AIM-9X line.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, Short-range air-to-air missile family, MunitionsAIM-9 Sidewinder missileParent missile family

The AIM-9P4 is treated here as a focused AIM-9P-family variant record, while the linked entry covers the broader Sidewinder missile family.

Sources: AIM-9 Sidewinder | U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet, Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder - Designation-Systems.Net

AIM-9PExport family baseline

Designation-Systems describes the AIM-9P line as an export-oriented Sidewinder family with production beginning in the late 1970s.

Sources: Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder - Designation-Systems.Net

AIM-9P-5Later P-series upgrade

Designation-Systems lists the P5 as the following AIM-9P development with additional counter-countermeasures features.

Sources: Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder - Designation-Systems.Net

Carrier Aircraft

Sourced examples connect the AIM-9P4 to Taiwan's F-CK-1 fleet and to U.S. F-16 test or training firing imagery.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, Lightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuoMultirole fighter

The ROCAF weapons page lists AIM-9P4 missiles among the F-CK-1's armament options, and AP reporting identified a Ching-kuo firing an AIM-9P4 during Han Kuang live-fire drills.

Sources: IDF - Fighters - AIR FORCE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, MND, Pelosi Taiwan visit explainer | AP News

F-16 Fighting Falcon, Multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsF-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter

The primary public-domain image identifies an F-16 Fighting Falcon firing an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder at an MQM-107 target drone.

Sources: An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft fires an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile at an MQM-107 target drone DF-SC-90-00302.jpg

Designation And Service Context

The AIM-9P4 record is kept relationship-only because current sources document variant identity, carriage, training use, and support activity, but do not directly tie the exact P4 variant to a named armed conflict.

ContextWhat the source supportsReader takeaway
AIM-9P branchDesignation-Systems places the P4 within the AIM-9P export-family lineage and distinguishes its seeker from earlier P-series rounds.The page is about a specific P-series Sidewinder variant, not the entire Sidewinder family.
Taiwan F-CK-1 fitROCAF material lists AIM-9P4 missiles in the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo armament set.The strongest public carrier evidence is Taiwanese service documentation.
Training and sustainmentAP reporting documents an AIM-9P4 live-fire drill in 2022, and Taiwan budget material identifies rocket-motor procurement support.Public evidence supports ongoing training and support context, while combat-use evidence remains source-limited.
Timeline

AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile Key Events

  1. AIM-9P export-family production begins

    Designation-Systems places the start of AIM-9P family deliveries in the late 1970s, providing the export lineage for the later P4 variant.

    Sources: Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder - Designation-Systems.Net

  2. Taiwan budget line identifies AIM-9P4 rocket motor work

    Taiwan Ministry of National Defense public budget material includes an AIM-9P4 rocket-motor procurement line, documenting continuing support activity for the missile.

    Sources: Taiwan MND 2014 Public Budget Tables

  3. F-CK-1 fires an AIM-9P4 during Han Kuang drills

    AP reporting from Taiwan's Han Kuang exercises identified a Ching-kuo fighter firing an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder during a live-fire drill.

    Sources: Pelosi Taiwan visit explainer | AP News

Media

AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile Videos

AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile Images

AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile, Short-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: AIM-9P - Side View (RTAF Museum).JPG
Related Weapon Systems
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, Short-range air-to-air missile family, MunitionsMunitionsAIM-9 Sidewinder missileShort-range air-to-air missile familyThe AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missile family that began at Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake and entered service in the 1950s. The family spans early rear-aspect missiles, all-aspect AIM-9L/M models, German AIM-9L/I modernization, export P-series rounds, and the modern AIM-9X branch, with documented use from Vietnam and Middle East air wars to Falklands, Gulf War, Ukraine air-defense aid, and Red Sea operations.
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, Lightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuoLightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighterThe AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, or Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), is Taiwan's lightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighter for the Republic of China Air Force. ROCAF material places it in service from 1992 and identifies interception, long-range strike, and close-air-support tasks, while AIDC and defense reporting document the Hsiang Sheng upgrade path that added improved avionics, electronic warfare changes, and Wan Chien standoff-missile carriage.

Sources

AIM-9 Sidewinder | U.S. Air Force Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports AIM-9 Sidewinder origin, general short-range infrared-guided missile background, and family-level dimensions. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder - Designation-Systems.NetPublisher: Designation-Systems.Net | Note: Supports AIM-9P4 variant background, seeker details, AIM-9J/N similarity, AIM-9P-family production context, and the P5 follow-on note. | Accessed: 2026-06-29An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft fires an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile at an MQM-107 target drone DF-SC-90-00302.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance, public-domain licensing, and F-16 firing-platform context for the primary AIM-9P4 gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29AIM-9P - Side View (RTAF Museum).JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the gallery side-view image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29IDF - Fighters - AIR FORCE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, MNDPublisher: Republic of China Air Force | Note: Supports the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo armament list, including AIM-9P4 missiles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Pelosi Taiwan visit explainer | AP NewsPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the 2022 Taiwan Han Kuang live-fire context by identifying an AIDC Ching-kuo fighter firing an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder during the exercise. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Taiwan MND 2014 Public Budget TablesPublisher: Taiwan Ministry of National Defense | Note: Supports Taiwan public budget context for AIM-9P4 rocket-motor procurement support. | Accessed: 2026-06-29