Anyone who doubts what an AIM-9 can do should think back. Though heavy, the AA-3 'Anab's warhead was primitive, and look what a mess one of those did to a KAL 747. The aircraft was already doomed when the second hit, I'm told.
And what did our Israeli chums use against that Libyan 727? And how about the airliner which went down after being hit by a stray AIM-9 somewhere in the Med, or am I dreaming that one?
Incidentally, the OR blokes at the time intended the Nimrod/AIM-9 fit as being a deterrent to the snooping Argie 707 and L-188 maritime patrol aircraft.