Description
Fireflash was a beam-riding missile, relying on radar command guidance from the launch aircraft. It had a very unusual configuration: the missile was propelled by a pair of solid rocket boosters on the forward fuselage, which were jettisoned 1.5 seconds after launch, leaving the missile to coast into its target. This configuration was developed for fear that ionised particles from a rocket motor would interfere with the guidance radar signals. However, this configuration drastically limited both range and flight duration; further, continued domestic and international development showed that command guidance could function through a rocket exhaust plume (e.g. Rapier).
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