No. 6 - Sidewinder With 20/20 hindsight it's easy to see just how valuable the Sidewinder missile is; however, in the 1940s, the infrared technology at the heart of the missile wasn't something that the military wanted or even thought would work. The missile was essentially developed off the books and in secret by a gifted group of engineers and scientists who believed in the project.
It wasn't used extensively in combat until Vietnam, where, unfortunately, it wasn't as effective against maneuverable, low-flying fighters as had been hoped. According to historian Lon Nordeen, one U.S. squadron commander told his demoralized pilots: "Guys, they don't call them 'hittles.'"
The military didn't give up on the Sidewinder, and the missile was steadily upgraded. Over its decades of service, it became perhaps the most lethal air-to-air weapon of the missile era.
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