Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track and follow it. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared (IR) is just below the visible spectrum of light in frequency and is radiated strongly by hot bodies. Many objects such as people, vehicle engines and aircraft generate and retain heat, and as such, are especially visible in the infra-red wavelengths of light compared to objects in the background.
The infrared sensor package on the tip or head of a heat-seeking missile is known as the seeker head.
The NATO brevity code for an air-to-air infrared-guided missile launch is "Fox Two".
90% of all United States air combat losses over the past 25 years have been due to infrared-homing missiles.
Read more about Infrared Homing: Seeker Types, Scanning Patterns and Modulation, Cooling, Tracking
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