A method of guiding an air-to-air missile launched from a penetrating aircraft at a target aircraft having a search radar therein is shown. The missile changes from a passive antiradiation homing mode to an active seeker mode when the missile is detected and the search radar is shutdown. The active seeker uses a synthetic aperture radar that is squinted at the target aircraft. At the handover point when the search radar is shutdown, the missile executes a turn away from the target aircraft to bring the target aircraft within the synthetic aperture radar coverage. The amount of turn is within preselected limits based on several parameters.
