Air Force: Would it make sense to put backward facing air to air missiles on fighter jets?

The way missiles work, they would not be stable flying backwards. From the missile's reference point, as soon as it was released from the plane it would be flying backwards and tumble out of control.

Guns work, and bombers used to have gun positions in the tail.

But not missiles.

Missiles are not new technology. if this was needed or advantageous it would have been done by now. I'm pretty sure that all the defence contractors and Air Forces world wide know where they are doing. None saw the need to do so since missiles became armaments on fighter aircraft.

Modern planes like the eurofighter for example (if they are equipped with modern missiles too) can hit targets at the rear.

Just for example at 3:30 you will see a german eurofighter firing an Iris T missile at a target behind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r2nrzHTR_o

Btw. a single missile costs about 400.000 euros

(about 500.000 Dollars)

That id what they have the flares for. They are exceedingly hot and bright magnesium to fool the incoming missile

The last thing a pilot wants to do is to point his tail to the enemy so he could fire rear firing missiles

Chetak

So, what would you use for guidance, since the aircraft's radar is forward facing, and IR seekers would be blinded by the aircraft's own exhaust.

Those things can fire forward turn sharply, and hit a target in the rear

Missiles today are "seekers" and they don't have to be on your tail to fire them.