Defense Technology International – Underwater AIM-9X

In the open ocean, a submarine can be stealthy – by using depth and maneuverability – to avoid air attack. But tactical options have become more limited in littoral operations that require operating in shallow water where evasion is difficult. The new AIM-9X is an air-to-air missile, but with a special underwater shroud (in a combination called the Littoral Warfare Weapon), it can be carried in an unmodified configuration and fired from a submarine’s vertical launch tube.