I am reading how AIM-9 or AIM-120 air to air missile works and I can't realy understand how the detonation mechanism and warhead works.
For AIM-9 they say it uses four laser diodes and four photo diodes located behind control fins that are mounted perpendicular to the flight direction. When rocket is parralel with the target plane the laser light from diodes bounce of the plane's body back to the photo diodes. At that time high explosives in the warhead is detonated and energy of the explosion propels alternating welded rods forming a destruction ring. They call it annular blast-frag or continuous-rod warhead.
Since laser diodes/photo diodes are mounter perpendicular to the flight direction that means that heat seaker must not directly steer the missile to hit the target plane but instead it has to steer it parallel with the target plane in order this rod ring can have any effect.
With AIM-120 the detonation mechanism is proximity radar. Those missiles uses high explosive blast-fragmentation warhead and I suspect radar steers the missile directly to the target plane and when close enough the high explosive detonates thus propeling the shrapnels in the direction of flight, just like below animation shows.
That makes sanse but AIM-9 does not. Can someome explains.