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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Explosive_weapons   http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Category:Explosive_weapons    http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Category:Explosives http://stargate.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Explosives                            http://clonewars.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Weapons        http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Explosives    http://rainbowsix.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Explosives        http://killzone.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Explosives      http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/C4          http://crysis.wikia.com/wiki/C4         http://battlefield.wikia.com/wiki/C4    http://homefront.wikia.com/wiki/C4    http://farcry.wikia.com/wiki/C4    http://darksector.wikia.com/wiki/C4     http://specops.wikia.com/wiki/C4   http://conflictserieswiki.wikia.com/wiki/C4         http://medalofhonor.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Explosives                                                                        http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Advanced_long-range_torpedo                                                      http://zarconian-empire.wikispot.org/Front_Page/Talk?action=Files&do=view&target=2014-10-09%2000.27.55.jpg

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Triple target Terminator (T3); DRADM  DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs.

T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mode seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

More on the Next Generation Missiles:

Next Generation AEGIS Missile

Missile Defense Roadmap

Early Intercept Calls for Kills at Extended Range

Introducing SM-3 IIB

LRASM - Long Range Strike Missile

T3 - Future Air Dominance Missile

Describe Lockheed Martin RGM-90 Siren here.Supercavitation is the use of cavitation effects to create a bubble of gas inside a liquid large enough to encompass an object travelling through the liquid, greatly reducing the skin friction drag on the object and enabling achievement of very high speeds. Current applications are mainly limited to projectiles or very fast torpedoes, but in principle the technique could be  Physical principle In water, cavitation occurs when water pressure is lowered below the water's vapour pressure, forming bubbles of vapour. That can happen when water is accelerated to high speeds as when turning a sharp corner around a moving piece of metal such as a ship's propeller or a pump's impeller. The greater the water depth (or pressure for a water pipe) at which the fluid acceleration occurs, the less the tendency for cavitation because of the greater difference between local pressure and vapour pressure. (The non-dimensional Cavitation number is a measure of the tendency for vapour pressure bubbles to form in a liquid, calculated as the difference between local pressure and vapour pressure, divided by dynamic pressure.) Once the flow slows down again, the water vapour will generally be reabsorbed into the liquid water. That can be a problem for ship propellers if cavitation bubbles implode on the surface of the propeller, each applying a small force that is concentrated in both location and time, causing damage.[citation needed]

A common occurrence of water vapour bubbles is observed in a pan of boiling water. In that case the water pressure is not reduced, but rather, the vapour pressure of the water is increased by means of heating. If the heat source is sufficient, the bubbles will detach from the bottom of the pan and rise to the surface as steam. Otherwise if the pan is removed from the heat the bubbles will be reabsorbed into the water as it cools, possibly causing pitting or spalling on the bottom of the pan as the bubbles implode.[citation needed]

A supercavitating object is a high speed submerged object that is designed to initiate a cavitation bubble at the nose which (either naturally or augmented with internally-generated gas) extends past the aft end of the object, substantially reducing the skin friction drag that would be present if the sides of the object were in contact with the liquid in which the object is submerged. A key feature of the supercavitating object is the nose, which may be shaped as a flat disk or cone, and may be articulated, but which likely has a sharp edge around the perimeter behind which the cavitation bubble forms.[1] The shape of the object aft of the nose will generally be slender in order to stay within the limited diameter of the cavitation bubble. If the bubble is of insufficient length to encompass the object, especially at slower speeds, the bubble can be enlarged and extended by injection of high pressure gas near the object's nose.[1]

The great speed required for supercavitation to work can be achieved temporarily by a projectile fired under water or by an airborne projectile impacting the water. Rocket propulsion can be used for sustained operation, with the possibility of tapping high pressure gas to route to the object's nose in order to enhance the cavitation bubble. An example of rocket propulsion is the Russian Shkval supercavitating torpedo.[2][3] In principle, maneuvering may be achieved by various means such as drag fins that project through the bubble into the surrounding liquid[4] (p. 22), by tilting the nose of the object, by injecting gas asymmetrically near the nose in order to distort the geometry of the cavity, by vectoring rocket thrust through gimbaling for a single nozzle, or by differential thrust for multiple nozzles.[1]  Applications

In 1960, the USSR started developing a project under the codename "Шквал" (Squall) run by NII-24 (Kiev) to develop a high-speed torpedo, an underwater rocket, four to five times faster than traditional torpedoes capable of combating enemy submarines. Several models of the device were made, the most successful – M-5 – was created by 1972. In 1972 to 1977, over 300 test launches were made (95% of them on Issyk Kul lake), by 29 November 1972 VA-111 Shkval was put into service with mass production started in 1978.

In 2004, German weapons manufacturer Diehl BGT Defence announced their own supercavitating torpedo, Barracuda, now officially named "Superkavitierender Unterwasserlaufkörper" or "supercavitating underwater running body" (English translation). According to Diehl, it reaches more than 400 kilometres per hour (250 mph).

In 1994, the US Navy began developing a sea mine clearance system invented by C Tech Defense Corporation, known as RAMICS (Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System), based on a supercavitating projectile stable in both air and water. These have been produced in 12.7 millimeters (0.50 in), 20 millimetres (0.79 in), and 30 millimetres (1.2 in) diameters.[6] The terminal ballistic design of the projectile allowed it to cause explosive destruction of sea mines as deep as 45 meters (148 ft) underwater with a single round. In 2000, these projectiles were used to successfully destroy a range of live underwater mines when fired from a hovering Sea Cobra gunship at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. RAMICS is currently[when?] undergoing development by Northrop Grumman for introduction into the fleet. The darts of German (Heckler & Koch P11) and Russian underwater firearms,[8] and other similar weapons are also supercavitating.

In 2005, DARPA announced the 'Underwater Express program', a research and evaluation bid to establish the potential of supercavitation. The program's ultimate goal is a new class of underwater craft for littoral missions that can transport small groups of Navy personnel or specialized military cargo at speeds up to 100 knots. The contracts were awarded to Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Electric Boat in late 2006. In 2009, DARPA announced progress via a new class of submarine.

The submarine's designer, Electric Boat, is working on a one-quarter scale model for sea trials off the coast of Rhode Island. If the trials are successful, Electric Boat will begin production on a full scale 100-foot submarine. Currently, the Navy's fastest submarine can only travel at 25 to 30 knots while submerged. But if everything goes according to plan, the Underwater Express will speed along at 100 knots, allowing the delivery of men and materiel faster than ever."

<p id="l26" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Iran claimed to have successfully tested its first supercavitation torpedo on 2 April and 3 April 2006. Some sources have speculated it is based on the Russian VA-111 Shkval supercavitation torpedo, which travels at the same speed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied supplying Iran with the technology. Iran called this weapon the Hoot (Whale).

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Boeing AIM-120X here.The AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile) is a high-supersonic, day/night/all weather Beyond Visual Range (BVR), fire-and-forget air-to-air missile. It has a high-explosive warhead and relies on active radar homing for the final stages of flight, being launched on inertial mid-course guidance without the need for the fighter to keep the target illuminated. Its capabilities include look-down, shoot-down, multiple launches against multiple targets, and intercepts at very short range in dogfight situations. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">the AIM-120 is used by a variety of Western fixed-wing combat aircraft, and is a decisive factor in most ongoing Middle East aircraft procurement programs. Unit cost is about USD 6,000 (FY 1999).

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Missile here.Lockheed Martin is producing the combat-proven Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile under production contracts from the U.S. Army Air and Missile Defense Program Executive Office and multiple international customers. The PAC-3 Missile is being incorporated into the Patriot air defense system. The ‘hit-to-kill’ PAC-3 Missile is the world’s most advanced, capable and powerful terminal air defense missile. It defeats the entire threat: tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), cruise missiles and aircraft. The PAC-3 Missile is a quantum leap ahead of any other air defense missile when it comes to the ability to protect the Warfighter in their defining moments.

The PAC-3 Missile is a high velocity interceptor that defeats incoming targets by direct, body-to-body impact. PAC-3 Missiles, when deployed in a Patriot battery, will significantly increase the Patriot system's firepower, since 16 PAC-3s load-out on a Patriot launcher, compared with four of the legacy Patriot PAC-2 missiles. One hundred percent effective in Operation Iraqi Freedom, PAC-3 Missiles are now deployed with U.S. and allied forces.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, is the prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade to the Patriot air defense system. The PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade consists of the PAC-3 Missile, a highly agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 Missile canisters (in four packs), a fire solution computer and an Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES). These elements are integrated into the Patriot system, a high to medium altitude, long-range air defense missile system providing air defense of ground combat forces and high-value assets.

The PAC-3 Missile uses a solid propellant rocket motor, aerodynamic controls, attitude control motors (ACMs) and inertial guidance to navigate. The missile flies to an intercept point specified prior to launch by its ground-based fire solution computer, which is embedded in the engagement control station. Target trajectory data can be updated during missile flyout by means of a radio frequency uplink/downlink.

Shortly before arrival at the intercept point, the PAC-3 Missile's on board Ka band seeker acquires the target, selects the optimal aim point and terminal guidance is initiated. The ACMs, which are small, short duration solid propellant rocket motors located in the missile forebody, fire explosively to refine the missile's course to assure body-to-body impact.

The PAC-3 Missile was selected as the primary interceptor for the multi-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). Managed by the NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA), MEADS is a model transatlantic development program focused on the next generation of air and missile defense.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Length5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) Finspan51 cm (20 in)

Diameter25 cm (10 in)

<p id="l17" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Weight320 kg (700 lb)  SpeedMach 5+ Ceiling15000 m (50000 ft)  Range20 km (12 miles) PropulsionSolid-fueled rocket  Warhead"Hit-to-kill" + blast-fragmentation  That being said, I do not deny that the info I use come from Russian pages but the fact is that Russia's arms industries are heavily commercialized, more so than even in the U.S. This means that Russia's arms manufacturers, like U.S. ones (except for Lockheed Martin's JSF department), must be truthful in their technical claims to comply with international trade and marketing laws. It's also worth mentioning that it's not the Russian government outputting these data; so if a Russian arms plant outputs false data and the Russian defense ministry finds out about it after a purchase, it won't end up well for the plant, same things goes for international sales as well.

<p id="l23" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Unfortunately, the truthfulness in Russian arms claims only extends to the published technical data; their marketing videos and media, likewise with many western ones, are full of BS. Just take a look at this promotional video made by the Russians to promote their air defense systems:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsgQ83…@  That video made it look like the U.S. wasn't even trying; it's BS isn't it. While Russian low or mid band search RaDARs may be able to identify a stealth aircraft from very long range, their contemporary fire control RaDARs most likely won't be able to lock on until the B-2A is very close; All the B-2A has to do is to navigate through gaps that exist between the Russian's fire control acquisition radii and it'll be safe, something the B-2A crew can easily do with their RWR bearing indications.

<p id="l27" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Same thing with American videos and other marketing miscellanea; take this F-15SE (which, by the way, is my 2nd favorite heavy fighter) video for example:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn6nx_…@  As you can see, the video, like the Russian one, clearly negated any of the technical advantages of the opponent and made it look like the Russians weren't even trying. No matter how hard they try, they won't be able to reduce the F-15's frontal RCS below 4 or 3m2, which means it will be detected by the Su-35's Irbis-E RaDAR at ~220km (see graph: www.ausairpower.net/XIMG/Irbis…@ ). And the Sukhoi's on board  L005S Sorbtsiya high powered defensive jammer will make long range acquisitions difficult. It's also disregarding the fact that even legacy Su-27s' RWR can indentify the F-15SE's RaDAR signals and alert its pilot. Even if the F-15SE is using jamming mode, the Su-27 can use Angle on Jamming to fire a R-27ER missile to home in onto the F-15's jamming signal. The F-15SEs can also lock HARM missiles onto the Su-27's jammer but the R-27ER, being a dedicated air to air missile and having longer range, will have a much higher probability of hit. I'm not saying that the Su-27 or the Su-35 will trump the F-15SE any day, but it's that the F-15SE will also need to be doing a lot of missile dodging and evasive action as well; and if its missiles miss too many times and it gets too close to a Su-27 or Su-35, then its odds of winning the fight will be drastically reduced because a close range maneuvering dogfight is where the Russian Sukhois shine.

<p id="l32" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In conclusion, I do agree with you on your AK vs AR-15 analogy. The S-400 is like the AK; reliable and has good stopping power and guaranteed terminal effect but heavy, cumbersome and not very ergonomic; the PAC-3 on the other hand is like the AR-15; much lighter, much more ergonomic and more pleasant to operate but not as reliable and doesn't pack as big a punch (given that the AR is firing 5.56x45mm NATO). That being said, both systems have their inherent advantages and disadvantages. Same thing goes for the Russian and U.S. Arms industries; they both have their strengths and weaknesses and they both produce BS. I shall also mention that the Russians are quickly closing many technological gaps they have from the U.S. and the Russians can also actually deliver operational and deployable equipment on time with minimal delay most of the time; that is mainly due to their highly commercialized and produce or perish nature of operating. The U.S. on the other hand have many fantastic armament programs that worked out fine and delivered well. But today, you have tragic failures such as the F-35 JSF that's going to stay in production due to Lockheed Martin's massive lobbying power, this means that Lockheed will have little incentive to deliver a better product as regardless of what quality of product they deliver, they will still receive those taxpayer $s. The trillion dollar JSF program with its numerous budget blowouts and cost overruns will also bar the U.S. from formally developing any new aircraft that will truly trump their Russian opponents.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin PAC-4 Missile.com here.Lockheed Martin has received a contract for a Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) to the battle-proven Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile. The PAC-3  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">MSE provides performance enhancements to the missile that will counter evolving threat advancements.

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The PAC-3 MSE program includes flight software, flight testing, modification and qualification of subsystems, production planning and tooling, and support for full Patriot system integration.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Under the PAC-3 MSE initiative the company will incorporate a larger, more powerful motor into the missile for added thrust, along with larger fins and other structural modifications for more agility. The modifications will extend the missile’s reach by up to 50 percent. The larger fins, which will collapse to allow the missile to fit into the current PAC-3 launcher, will give the interceptor more maneuverability against faster and more sophisticated ballistic and cruise missiles.

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The flight test program includes one controlled test flight and two guided intercept tests against threat representative tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs). All testing will be conducted at White Sands Missile Range, NM.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">These enhancements are the natural, pre-planned evolution of a system that was baselined in 1994. The MSE is a true spiral development that will enable a very capable interceptor to grow to the requirements of defeating new and evolving threats. These enhancements will assure that the PAC-3 Missile Segment of the Patriot Air Defense System will be capable of defeating these threats far into the future.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The ‘hit-to-kill’ PAC-3 Missile is the world’s most advanced, capable and powerful theater air defense missile. It defeats the entire threat to the Patriot Air Defense System: tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) carrying weapons of mass destruction, advanced cruise missiles and aircraft. PAC-3 Missiles significantly increase the Patriot system's firepower, since 16 PAC-3s load-out on a Patriot launcher, compared with four of the older Patriot PAC-2 missiles.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The current PAC-3 Missile production rate, authorized in October 2002, includes an FY‘03 production quantity of 100 missiles and 108 missiles in FY‘04. Production rates are ramping up and will continue through the next decade.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade to the Patriot air defense system. The PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade consists of the PAC-3 Missile, a highly agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 Missile canisters (in four packs), a fire solution computer and an Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES). These elements will be integrated into the Patriot system, a high to medium altitude, long-range air defense missile system providing air defense of ground combat forces and high-value assets.

<p id="l17" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The PAC-3 Missile has been selected as the primary interceptor for the multi-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). Managed by the NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA), MEADS is a model transatlantic development program focused on the next generation of air and missile defense. MEADS will focus on risk reduction, application of key technologies and validation of a system design incorporating the PAC-3 Missile. missilethreat.wpengine.netdna-…@

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">air born lunch variant

<p id="l22" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">There are two main variants of the PAC-3 configuration: an air-launched variant, and a long-range version. The air-launched hit-to-kill (ALHTK) development program is a PAC-3 interceptor launched from F-15C aircraft, and possibly F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft. The idea is to integrate a proven defensive system, with the mobility of an air-launched platform. Additionally, the PAC-3 interceptors could achieve up to six times the range of the land-based system due to the reduction in fuel use needed to obtain its cruising speed. 4@ Another  variant, the Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) program, replaces the current motor with a more powerful one, allowing for increased range. The standard PAC-3 has a range of 15 km; the PAC-3 MSE has a range of 22 km.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin AIM-155 diamondback here.Lockheed Martin AIM-155 diamondback   <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Next Generation Air Dominance Missiles  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs. <p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mode seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin AIM-155 diamondback here.Lockhee



<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">d Martin AIM-155 diamondback  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Next Generation Air Dominance Missiles

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Triple target Terminator (T3); DRADM

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mode seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin AGM-100 RATTLRS here.Lockheed Martin AGM-100 RATTLRS   <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">RATTLRS <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;"> <p id="l4" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Revolutionary Approach To Time-critical Long Range Strike

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">An artist impression of a RATTLRS launched from a Litening II Joint Strike Fighter  Revolutionary Approach To Time-critical Long Range Strike (RATTLRS) represents a new supersonic cruise missile concept, enabling warfighters to rapidly launch precision attacks against time-critical targets, from ranges of hundreds of kilometers. When planning RATTLERS missions, users will be able to adjust fuel consumption, speed and range to address a particular mission objective. Unlike current cruise missiles, depending on a lengthy and complex mission planning process, RATTLRS will feature much faster mission preparation, taking only few minutes. Missiles will be able to strike a target after flying a distance of hundreds of kilometers, within 30 minutes from target detection.

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">An artist impression of a RATTLRS launched vertically from a Surface shipOne of the main advantages of RATTLRS is its ability to cruise at variable speeds, including supersonic speed (Mach 3 – 4), using a high-speed turbine engine without a booster (afterburner). In supersonic mode, the turbine engine used in RATTLRS will be most efficient. This capability is translated to extended range, long mission endurance and reduced thermal signature. RATTLRS will be launched from tactical fighters and bombers. A derivative of the missile will be vertically launched from surface ships and from submerged submarines. The 2,000 lbs, 20 foot long technology demonstrator cruise missile will use the YJ102R turbine engine developed by LibertyWorks, (Rolls Royce North American Technologies).

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The missile will have a range exceeding 500 miles, flying at supersonic speed, at an altitude of 70,000 feet. RATTLRS will be designed to flexibly accommodate various types of payloads, including unitary penetration warheads and submunition dispensers. The missile is designed to enable subsonic and supersonic submunition dispensing as well as direct attack with unitary warhead. Whether unitary or dispenser warheads are used, the high acceleration at supersonic speed increases the velocity of the missiles at an exponential rate, gathering maximum kinetic energy at the terminal phase.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">An artist rendering of a RATTLRS supersonic cruise missile, shown with wings deployed for supersonic cruise flight. In October 2006 the missile's development is progressing, as Lockheed Martin concludes the final series of high speed sled tests, examining different aspects of the missile's terminal flight phase. Tests included subsonic sled tests, supersonic submunition dispensing and most recently, high velocity penetration of concrete reinforced target. Flight testing of the new cruise missile TD is scheduled to start within a year.

<p id="l17" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">During the recent tests, a structure simulating the nose and inlet structure of the missile was accelerated to Mach 2+ supersonic speed and demonstrated clean penetration of concrete barriers while maintaining structural integrity. The test validated that lightweight penetrator warheads, when coupled with high-speed vehicles, provide the penetration depth of significantly heavier penetrators. Previous tests verified the submunition dispensing system, designed to overcome the complex dynamic flow associated with a supersonic weapon. The system uses an ejection device that closes up the airframe cavities to eliminate disruptive air flow and provide extra support to significantly reduce pitching and allow for more rapid stabilization.

<p id="l19" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">RATTLRS is a technology demonstration program supported by the US Navy (Office of Naval Research ONR), USAF, NASA and other US government agencies. The prime contractor for the demonstration phase is Lockheed Martin.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe lockheed martin aim-200 Ares here.Lockheed martin aim-200 ares  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Triple target Terminator (T3); DRADM   <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs. <p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mode seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

<p id="l1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix here.Description Long-range air-to-air missile, carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the F-14 Tomcat.

<p id="l4" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Background The Phoenix missile is the Navy's only long-range air-to-air missile. It is an airborne weapons control system with multiple-target handling capabilities, used to kill multiple air targets with conventional warheads. Near simultaneous launch is possible against up to six targets in all weather and heavy jamming environments. The improved Phoenix, the AIM-54C, can better counter projected threats from tactical aircraft and cruise missiles Point Of Contact <p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Public Affairs Office Naval Air Systems Command Washington, DC 20361-0701

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">General Characteristics Primary Function: Long-range air-launched air intercept missile. Contractor: Hughes Aircraft Co. and Raytheon Co. Date Deployed: 1974. Unit Cost: $477,131. Propulsion: Solid propellant rocket motor built by Hercules. Length: 13 feet (3.9 meters). Diameter: 15 inches (38.1 cm). Wingspan: 3 feet (.9 meters). Weight: 1,024 pounds (460.8 kg). Speed: In excess of 3,000 mph (4,800 kmph). Range: In excess of 100 nautical miles (115 statute miles, 184 km). Guidance System: Semi-active and active radar homing. Warhead: Proximity fuse, high explosive. Warhead Weight: 135 pounds (60.75 kg).

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AIM-54 Phoenix here.The AIM-54 Phoenix is a radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile, carried in clusters of up to six missiles — formerly on the U.S. Navy's and currently on the Islamic Republic of Iran  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Air Force's F-14 Tomcat interceptors/multi-role fighters: which is the only aircraft capable of carrying it. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Air Force's F-14 Tomcat interceptors/multi-role fighters: which is the only aircraft capable of carrying it. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-54 was originally developed in the early 1960s for the canceled F-111B naval variant, and based on the Eagle project for the canceled F6D Missileer. Both were based on the idea of long-range, slow-cruise, non-maneuvering missile carriers to counter long-range bombers carrying low-flying cruise missiles. It had no use for close-range air superiority.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">History

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Phoenix missile was the United States' only long-range air-to-air missile, and its first missile capable of multiple-launch against more than one target.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Most other U.S. aircraft relied on the smaller, less-expensive AIM-7 Sparrow; classified as a Medium Range Missile (MRM). Guidance for the Sparrow required that the launching aircraft use its radar to continuously illuminate a single target for the missile seeker to track, or guidance would be lost. This method meant the aircraft no longer had a search capability while supporting the launched Sparrow, effectively reducing situational awareness. An AIM-54A launched from the NA-3A-testbed in 1966

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Tomcat's AWG-9 radar was capable of tracking up to 24 targets in Track-While-Scan mode, with the AWG-9 selecting up to six priority targets for potential launch by the AIM-54. The pilot or Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) could then launch the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles when launch parameters were met. The large Tactical Information Display (TID) in the RIO's cockpit gave an unprecedented amount of information to the aircrew (the pilot had the ability to monitor the RIO's display) and, importantly, the AWG-9 could continually search and track multiple targets after Phoenix missiles were launched, thereby maintaining situational awareness of the Battlespace.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Link-4 datalink capability allowed U.S. Navy Tomcats to share information with the E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft, and during Desert Shield in 1990, the Link-4A was introduced and allowed the Tomcats to have a fighter-to-fighter datalink capability, further enhancing overall situational awareness. The F-14D entered service with the JTIDS that brought the even better Link-16 datalink "picture" to the cockpit.

<p id="l16" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Active guidance

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Phoenix has several guidance modes and achieves its longest range by using mid-course updates from the F-14A/B AWG-9 radar (APG-71 radar in the F-14D) as it climbs to cruise between 80,000 ft (24,000 m) and 100,000 ft (30,000 m) at close to Mach 5. Phoenix uses its high altitude to gain gravitational potential energy, which is later converted into kinetic energy as the missile dives at high velocity towards its target during which it activates its active radar to provide terminal guidance. By comparison, the AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided, medium-range air-to-air missile uses an on-board computer, made possible by digital technology, to compute a collision course to the target. It can be updated by the launching aircraft, before also using an active seeker in its final phase.

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-54/AWG-9 combination was the first to have multiple track capability (up to 24 targets) and launch (up to 6 Phoenixes can be launched nearly simultaneously); the large 1,000 lb (500 kg) missile is equipped with a conventional warhead. The airframe is a scaled-up version of the USAF AIM-47 Falcon with 4 cruciform fins. 4 can be carried under the fuselage tunnel attached to special aerodynamic pallets, and 1 under each glove station. A full load of 6 Phoenix missiles and the unique launch rails weigh in at over 8,000 lb (3,600 kg), about twice the weight of Sparrows, so it was more common to carry a mixed load of 4 Phoenix, 2 Sparrow and 2 Sidewinder missiles. Depending on the source, there are reports that an F-14 could not be recovered on a carrier with all 6 missiles, but only 2 or 4.

<p id="l22" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Long range fleet defense missile AIM-54 Phoenix moments after launch (1991)

<p id="l25" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Phoenix was designed to defend the Carrier Battle Group against a variety of threats including cruise missiles, and its range and loiter capability provided defense in depth. During the height of the Cold War, the threat included regimental-size raids of Tu-16 Badger and Tu-22M Backfire bombers equipped with high-speed cruise missiles and considerable Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) of various types. The upgraded Phoenix, the AIM-54C, was developed to better counter projected threats from tactical aircraft and cruise missiles, and its final upgrade included a re-programmable memory capability to keep pace with emerging threat ECM. It is thought that the Phoenix was based on the similar AIM-47 missile. The AIM-47 was developed for the experimental Mach-3 Lockheed YF-12 interceptor version of their venerable SR-71 Blackbird.

<p id="l27" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The U.S. Air Force adopted neither the AIM-47, nor the AIM-54, operationally. The Air Force had no similar capability with the F-15 Eagle until the introduction of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The latest model, AIM-120C-7, has a range of 72 miles (116 km), still significantly less than the retired AIM-54.

<p id="l29" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The associated AWG-9 radar system carried by the F-111B and F-14 Tomcat was one of largest and most powerful ever fitted to a fighter.

<p id="l31" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Legacy

<p id="l33" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-54 Phoenix was retired from USN service on September 30, 2004. F-14 Tomcats were retired on September 22, 2006. They were replaced by shorter-range AIM-120 AMRAAMs, employed on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Both the F-14 Tomcat and AIM-54 Phoenix missile continue in the service of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, although the operational abilities of these aircraft and the missiles are questionable, since the United States refused to supply spare parts and maintenance after the 1979 revolution; except for a brief period during the Iran-Contra Affair (see F-14 Tomcat for more details). An AIM-54 Phoenix being attached to an F-14 wing pylon. Note the forward wings have not been installed yet (2003)

<p id="l36" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Despite the much-vaunted capabilities, the Phoenix was rarely used in combat, with only two confirmed launches and no confirmed targets destroyed in U.S. Navy service, though a large number of kills were claimed by Iranian F-14s during the Iran–Iraq War.[citation needed] The USAF F-15 Eagle had responsibility for overland Combat Air Patrol (CAP) duties in Desert Storm in 1991, primarily because of the onboard F-15 IFF capabilities; the Tomcat did not have the requisite IFF capability mandated by the JFACC to satisfy the Rules of Engagement (ROE) in order to utilize the Phoenix capability at Beyond Visual Range (BVR). From an engineering and service standpoint, the Phoenix could be said to be a notable success. However, as the only surviving member of the Falcon missile family, it was not adopted by any other nation (besides Iran), any other U.S. armed service, or even supported by any other aircraft. It was heavy, large, expensive and not practical in close combat compared to the Sparrow or AMRAAM.

<p id="l38" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Variants

<p id="l40" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AIM-54A

The original version to become operational, in 1974 and exported to Iran.

<p id="l43" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AIM-54C

Improved version, better able to counter cruise missiles. Superseded the AIM-54A from 1986.

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AIM-54 ECCM/Sealed

Improved to include electronic counter-countermeasure capabilities, does not require coolant conditioning during captive flight. Used from 1988 onwards.

Because the AIM-54 ECCM/Sealed receives no coolant, Tomcats carrying this version of the missile may not exceed a certain airspeed.

<p id="l51" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">There were also test, evaluation, ground training and captive air training versions of the missile; designated ATM-54, AEM-54, DATM-54A, and CATM-54. The flight versions had A and C versions. The DATM-54 was not made in a C version as there was no change in the ground handling characteristics.

<p id="l53" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Iranian combat experiences with the AIM-54 Phoenix An F-14A Tomcat fighter aircraft from the U.S. Navy "Top Gun" Fighter Weapons School, San Diego, painted like an Iranian fighter for adversary training.

<p id="l56" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Little to nothing is known about Iran's use of its 79 F-14A Tomcats (delivered prior to 1979) in most western outlets; the exception being a book released by Osprey Publishing titled "Iranian F-14 Tomcats in Combat" authored by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop.[1] Most of the research contained in the book was based on pilot interviews and though it may be the only book devoted to the topic of Iranian F-14s, it is not without its critics.

<p id="l58" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Reports vary on the use of the 285 missiles supplied to Iran [2], during the Iran–Iraq War, from 1980-88. It is rumored that U.S. technical personnel sabotaged the aircraft and weapons before they left the country following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, making it impossible to fire the missile. However, the IRIAF was able to repair the sabotage and the damage only affected a limited number of planes; not the entire fleet.

<p id="l60" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Some western sources claim that it is unlikely that the Phoenix was used operationally. First, as difficult as the missile and fire control systems were to operate, Iran had hired many American technicians. Upon leaving, they took most of the knowledge about how to operate and maintain these complex weapon systems with them. Also, without a steady supply of engineering support from Hughes Aircraft Missile Systems Group and corresponding spares and upgrades, even a technically competent operator would have extreme difficulty fielding operational weapons.

<p id="l62" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Most informed sources claim that the primary use of the F-14 was as an airborne early warning aircraft, guarded by other fighters. However, Cooper claims that the IRIAF used the F-14 actively as a fighter-interceptor, and at times as an escort fighter with the AIM-54 scoring 60-70 kills. F-14s were often used to protect IRIAF tankers supporting strike packages into Iraq, and scanned over the border with their radars, often engaging detected Iraqi flights. Also, some F-14s were modified into specialized airborne early warning aircraft.

<p id="l64" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Supporters of these claims point to the fact that, in the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi fighter pilots consistently turned and fled as soon as American F-14 pilots turned on their fighters' very distinctive AN/AWG-9 radars, which suggests that Iraqi pilots had learned to avoid the F-14. The counter-argument is that virtually all Iraqi fighters turned and fled when confronted, regardless of the type of aircraft facing them, although the USAF had much better success engaging Iraqi fighters with their F-15 Eagles in the same vicinity where Tomcats operated.

<p id="l66" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">According to Cooper, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force was able to keep its F-14 fighters and AIM-54 missiles in regular use during the whole of the Iran–Iraq War, though periodic lack of spares grounded at times large parts of the fleet. At worst, during late 1987, the stock of AIM-54 missiles was at its lowest, with less than 50 operational missiles available. The missiles needed fresh thermal batteries that could only be purchased from the USA. Iran managed finally, to find a clandestine buyer that supplied it with batteries - though those did cost up to $10,000 USD each. Iran did receive spares and parts for both the F-14s and AIM-54s from various sources during the Iran–Iraq War, and has received more spares after the conflict.[citation needed] Iran started a heavy industrial program to build spares for the planes and missiles,[citation needed] and although there are claims that it no longer relies on outside sources to keep its F-14s and AIM-54s operational, there is evidence that Iran continues to procure parts clandestinely.[3]

<p id="l68" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] American combat experience <p id="l78" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Characteristics
 * <p id="l70" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">The Gulf of Sidra incident (1981), in which American F-14s shot down 2 Libyan Su-22s, is sometimes thought to have involved AIM-54s. However, the engagement was conducted at short ranges using the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The other U.S. F-14 fighter to fighter engagement, the Gulf of Sidra incident (1989), used AIM-7 Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles, but not the Phoenix.
 * <p id="l72" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">In training, the Phoenix hit a target drone at a range of 212 km (in January 1979, in Iran).
 * <p id="l74" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">On January 5, 1999, pair of U.S. F-14s fired two AIM-54 at Iraqi MiG-25s southeast of Baghdad (both missed).[4]
 * <p id="l76" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">On September 9, 1999 another U.S. F-14 launched an AIM-54 at an Iraqi MiG-23 that was heading south into the No-Fly Zone from Al Taqaddum air base west of Baghdad. The missile eventually went into the ground.[5]

<p id="l80" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">(Source[6])
 * <p id="l82" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Primary function: Long-range air-launched air intercept missile
 * <p id="l83" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Contractor: Hughes Aircraft Company and Raytheon Corporation
 * <p id="l84" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Unit cost: US$477,131
 * <p id="l85" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Power Plant: Solid propellant rocket motor built by Hercules
 * <p id="l86" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Length: 13 ft (4.0 m)
 * <p id="l87" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Weight: 1,000–1,040 pounds (450–470 kg)
 * <p id="l88" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Diameter: 15 in (380 mm)
 * <p id="l89" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Wing span: 3 ft (910 mm)
 * <p id="l90" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Range: In excess of 100 nautical miles (120 mi; 190 km)¹
 * <p id="l91" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Speed: 3,000+ mph (4,680+ km/h)
 * <p id="l92" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Guidance system: Semi-active and active radar homing
 * <p id="l93" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Warheads: Proximity fuze, high explosive
 * <p id="l94" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Warhead weight: 135 pounds (61 kg)
 * <p id="l95" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Users: USA (U.S. Navy), Iran (IRIAF)
 * <p id="l96" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Date deployed: 1974
 * <p id="l97" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Date retired (U.S.): September 30, 2004

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Hughes AIM-47 Falcon here.In 1958, Hughes started to develop the AN/ASG-18 fire-control system (FCS) for the forthcoming North American F-108 Rapier long-range Mach 3+ interceptor. The missile component of the system was to be a large derivative of the AIM-4 Falcon missile family, designated GAR-9, which was to have a range of more than 160 km (100 miles). The large radar of the AN/ASG-18 was to provide target illumination for the semi-active radar mid-course guidance. For terminal homing, the GAR-9 was equipped with an infrared seeker. The GAR-9 was powered by a storable liquid-fuel rocket motor, and for some time, a low-yield nuclear W-42 warhead was envisioned, but eventually a conventional HE warhead was used. AIM-47 rocket for YF-12A For improvement of the FCS the flying laboratory bomber Convair B-58 Hustler (factory number 55-665) was used

When the F-108 was cancelled in 1959, the USAF looked for a replacement and found the Lockheed А-12 "Blackbird" reconnaissance plane. It was decided to developed an interceptor derivative, designated YF-12A, which would use the AN/ASG-18 FCS and the GAR-9 missile. In 1963 the XGAR-9 prototype missile was redesignated XAIM-47A, and in the same year, flight tests of the YF-12A and the XAIM-47A began. During the test program, several successful long-range intercepts of target drones were performed. In 1966 the planned F-12B production interceptor was cancelled, which also meant the cancellation of the AIM-47A production missile. About 80 XAIM-47A's had been built, and some of the technology was used by Hughes to develop the AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile for the U.S. Navy.

An air-to-ground derivative of the AIM-47 was briefly evaluated as the XAGM-76A.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Description Design Hughes Aircraft Co. Type AIM-47 (GAR-9) Falcon Тип long-range air-to-air missile Tracking system emiactive Radarhoming First launch 1961 Dimensions & Weight Lenght, m 3,81 (3,2) Diameter, m 0,33 (0,335) Wingspan, m 0,914 (0,838) Warhead High-explosive or nuclear W-42 Weight, kg 360 (365) Power-plant Engine Lockheed storable liquid-fuel rocket Trust, kgf Performance Speed, m/s (Mach) (6) Launch range, km up to 180 (210)

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AIM-4 Falcon here.AIM-4 Falcon <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Development of a guided air-to-air missile began in 1946. Hughes Aircraft was awarded a contract for a subsonic missile under the project designation MX-798, which soon gave way to the supersonic MX-904 in 1947. The original purpose of the weapon was as a self-defense weapon for bomber aircraft, but after 1950 it was decided that it should arm fighter aircraft instead, particularly in the interception role. <p id="l6" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The first test firings took place in 1949, at which time it was designated AAM-A-2 and given the popular name Falcon. A brief policy of awarding fighter and bomber designations to missiles led it to be redesignated F-98 in 1951. In 1955 the policy changed again, and the missile was again redesignated GAR-1.

<p id="l8" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The initial GAR-1 and GAR-2 models entered service in 1956. It armed the F-89 Scorpion, F-101B Voodoo and F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors. The only other users were Canada, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, whose CF-101 Voodoo, Saab 35 Draken and Mirage IIIS carried the AIM-4 Falcon. Canada also hoped to use them on the CF-105 Arrow interceptor, that was never realized because of the Arrow's cancellation.

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Fighters carrying the Falcon were often designed with internal weapons bays for carrying this missile. The Scorpion carried them on wingtip pods, while the Delta Dagger and Delta Dart had belly bays with a trapeze mechanism to move them into the airstream for launch (see picture above). The F-101B had an unusual bay arrangement where two were stored externally, and then the bay door would rotate to expose two more missiles. It is likely the F-111 internal bay would have accommodated the missile as well, but by the time of service, the Air Force had already dropped the Falcon for use against fighters, as well as the idea of using the F-111 as an air combat fighter.

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The GAR-1 had semi-active radar homing (SARH), giving a range of about 5 miles (8 km). About 4,000 rounds were produced. It was replaced in production by the GAR-1D (later AIM-4A), with larger control surfaces. About 12,000 of this variant were produced, the major production version of the SARH Falcon.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The GAR-2 (later AIM-4B) was a heat-seeker, generally limited to rear-aspect engagements, but with the advantage of being a 'fire and forget' weapon. As would also be Soviet practice, it was common to fire the weapon in salvos of both types to increase the chances of a hit (a heat-seeking missile fired first, followed moments later by a radar-guided missile). The GAR-2 was about 1.5 in (40 mm) longer and 16 lb (7 kg) heavier than its SARH counterpart. Its range was similar. It was replaced in production by the GAR-2A (later AIM-4C), with a more sensitive infrared seeker. A total of about 26,000 of the infrared-homing Falcons were built. 119th Fighter Wing weapons handlers with an AIM-4C, 1972.

<p id="l17" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">All of the early Falcons had a small 7.6 lb (3.4 kg) warhead, limiting their lethal radius. Also limiting them tactically was the fact that Falcon lacked a proximity fuze: the fuzing for the missile was in the leading edges of the wings, requiring a direct hit to detonate.

<p id="l19" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In 1958 Hughes introduced a slightly enlarged version of the Falcon, initially dubbed Super Falcon, with a more powerful, longer-burning rocket engine, increasing speed and range. It had a larger warhead (28.7 lb / 13 kg) and better guidance systems. The SARH versions were GAR-3 (AIM-4E) and the improved GAR-3A (AIM-4F). The infrared version was the GAR-4A (AIM-4G). About 2,700 SARH missiles and 3,400 IR Super Falcons were produced, replacing most earlier versions of the weapon in service.

<p id="l21" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Falcon was redesignated AIM-4 in September 1962.

<p id="l23" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The final version of the original Falcon was the GAR-2B (later AIM-4D), which entered service in 1963. This was intended as a fighter combat weapon, combining the lighter, smaller airframe of the earlier GAR-1/GAR-2 weapon with the improved IR seeker of the GAR-4A/AIM-4G.

<p id="l25" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">A larger version of the Falcon carrying a 0.25-kiloton nuclear warhead was developed as the GAR-11 (later designated the AIM-26 Falcon), while a long-range version was developed for the XF-108 Rapier and the Lockheed YF-12 interceptors as the GAR-9 (later AIM-47 Falcon).

<p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Operational history

<p id="l30" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The USAF deployed AIM-4 in May 1967 during the Vietnam War on the new F-4D Phantom II, which carried it on the inner wing pylons and was ostensibly not wired to carry the Navy-designed AIM-9 Sidewinder. The missile's combat performance was very poor. The Falcon, already operational on Air Defense Command aircraft, was designed to be used against bombers and its slow seeker cooling times requiring as much as 6 to 7 seconds to obtain a lock on a target rendered it largely ineffective against maneuvering fighters. Moreover it could only be cooled once. Limited coolant supply meant that once cooled, the missile would expend its supply of liquid nitrogen in two minutes, rendering it useless on the rail. The missile also had a small warhead, and lacked proximity fusing. As a result, only five kills were scored, all with the AIM-4D version.[1] (The Falcon was also experimentally fired by the F-102 Delta Dagger against ground targets at night using its infrared seeker.) A New Jersey ANG F-106A launching an AIM-4, 1984.

<p id="l33" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The weapon was unpopular with pilots from the onset and was formally withdrawn in 1969, to be replaced in the F-4D by the Sidewinder after retrofitting the proper wiring. Col. Robin Olds, commanding the F-4 Phantom II-equipped 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, was an outspoken critic of the missile and said of it:

<p id="l35" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">By the beginning of June, we all hated the new AIM-4 Falcon missiles. I loathed the damned useless things. I wanted my Sidewinders back. In two missions I had fired seven or eight of the bloody things and not one guided. They were worse than I had anticipated. Sometimes they refused to launch; sometimes they just cruised off into the blue without guiding. In the thick of an engagement with my head twisting and turning, trying to keep track of friend and foe, I'd forget which of the four I had (already) selected and couldn't tell which of the remaining was perking and which head was already expiring on its launch rail. Twice upon returning to base I had the tech rep go over the switchology and firing sequences. We never discovered I was doing anything wrong.

<p id="l37" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">An effort to address the limitations of AIM-4D led to the development in 1970 of the XAIM-4H, which had a laser proximity fuze, new warhead, and better maneuverability. It was cancelled the following year without entering service.

<p id="l39" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-4F/AIM-4G Super Falcon remained in USAF and ANG service, primarily with F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors, until the final retirement of the F-106 in 1988.

<p id="l41" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-4C was also produced as the HM-58 for the Swiss Air Force for use on Dassault Mirage IIIS, and the Swedish Air Force (as the Rb 28) for the Saab 35 Draken.

<p id="l43" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Operators

<p id="l45" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Canada

<p id="l47" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Forces

<p id="l50" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Finland

<p id="l52" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Finnish Air Force - (Swedish built missiles)

<p id="l54" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Sweden

<p id="l56" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Swedish Air Force - (Licence built by SAAB)

<p id="l58" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Switzerland

<p id="l60" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Swiss Air Force

<p id="l62" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">United States

<p id="l64" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">United States Air Force

<p id="l66" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Greece

<p id="l68" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Hellenic Air Force

<p id="l70" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Turkey

<p id="l72" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Turkish Air Force

<p id="l74" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Specifications (GAR-1D/ -2B / AIM-4C/D) AIM-4A and AIM-4G missile line drawings.jpg

<p id="l77" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Length: 78 in (1.98 m) / 79.5 in (2.02 m) Wingspan: 20 in (508 mm) Diameter: 6.4 in (163 mm) Weight: 119 lb (54 kg) / 135 lb (61 kg) Speed: Mach 3 Range 6 miles (9.7 km) Guidance: semi-active radar homing / rear-aspect infrared Warhead: 7.6 lb (3.4 kg) high explosive

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Boeing JDRADM AIM-170 here.Boeing JDRADM <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AIM-170  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Joint Dual-Role Air Dominance Missile  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">erial dogfights are rare in modern times - the statistics speak for themselves. More than 16,000 Hughes / Raytheon AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles have been purchased by the US Government during the two decades since they first entered service, yet pilots have reportedly only fired around a dozen of them against hostile enemies. By contrast, the US Air Force used more than 3,500 weapons against ground targets in Afghanistan during the opening nine months of 2011 alone. <p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The demands of this conflict, along with other recent operations in Iraq and Libya, may have dictated that close air support has concentrated on air-to-ground engagements, but while air-to-air combat currently remains uncommon, the threat of it has not entirely disappeared.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In some respects, the potential danger to today's fighter aircraft could even be said to have grown, as unmanned drones and technologically advanced surface-to-air missiles increasingly feature alongside enemy pilots in modern aerial warfare. Unsurprisingly, despite their infrequent use of late, air-to-air missiles (AAMs) remain an essential combat element for fifth-generation jet fighters. High-tech capabilities of fifth-generation AAMs "Unsurprisingly, despite their infrequent use, air-to-air missiles (AAMs) remain an essential combat element for fifth-generation jet fighters."

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Fifth-generation AAMs are every bit as high-tech as their fifth-generation launch platforms. Like the fourth-generation before them, this latest crop of missiles has largely arisen out of a range of developments and improvements in seeker technology.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Resistance to infrared countermeasures, increased off-bore sighting capabilities and high in-flight agility features from the previous generation remain, but they are now further enhanced by electro-optical imaging technologies and advanced digital processing.

<p id="l17" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The combination allows fifth-generation missiles to discern more detailed images, improving their ability to distinguish between enemy aircraft and any flare countermeasures they may deploy, enabling vulnerable points to be specifically targeted, rather than just locking on to the brightest heat source, as well as allowing much smaller targets, such as drones, to be engaged. Expanding the 'no-escape zone'

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In addition, the enhanced performance of next-generation beyond visual range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) in particular will significantly expand the 'no-escape zone' and increase the range over which air-to-air engagements in future can be fought, enabling pilots to exploit the capabilities of their new aircraft to the full.

<p id="l22" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Eurofighter Typhoon, for instance, is ultimately destined to have the Meteor - a state-of-the-art BVRAAM from European manufacturer MBDA - as its principal air-to-air weapon system. Said to offer world-beating air superiority, Meteor is a fast and agile missile, with what is claimed to be the largest 'no-escape zone' of any air-to-air weapon. Equipped with both proximity and impact fuses, it can engage targets ranging from fast-jets to UAVs or cruise missiles, autonomously in all weathers, during day or night, in full electronic countermeasure environments. It also highlights two other key developments in AAM design - improved kinematic performance and a high degree of network-centric readiness. Kinematic and network-centric - the missiles of the future

<p id="l25" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">According to the manufacturers, Meteor has between three and six times the kinematic performance of current similar types of air-to-air weapons - something made possible by its unique solid fuel, variable-flow, ducted ramjet propulsion system. "Fifth-generation AAMs are every bit as high-tech as their fifth-generation launch platforms."

<p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Although rocket motors have the edge in terms of overall speed, they experience a characteristic energy drop-off towards the limit of their range. Ramjets, by contrast, maintain their peak energy state for longer, delivering power throughout the flight, providing a high - though slightly slower - average speed and long ranges over a wide operational envelope, from sea level to high altitude.

<p id="l30" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Their effectiveness is further enhanced with the inclusion of two-way data link communication, in response to the growing trend towards increasingly networked warfare. It allows the missile to receive mid-course targeting updates, or to be re-targeted if necessary, either via the launch aircraft itself or by a remotely-located third party, bringing unprecedented levels of flexibility to the weapons system.

<p id="l32" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Currently in pre-production, the first Meteor missiles are on-schedule for delivery during 2012. When the missile enters service with the air forces of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK in 2013-15, it will offer full integration on the Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale jets, in addition to the Eurofighter, with the potential to also equip a number of other platforms, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Air-to-air supremacy and the new risks of aerial combat "The Eurofighter Typhoon is ultimately destined to have the Meteor - a state-of-the-art BVRAAM from European manufacturer MBDA - as its principal air-to-air weapon system."

<p id="l36" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">A single aircraft armed with a high-tech BVRAAM system would effectively dominate aerial engagements, targeting even the latest generation of opposing warplanes long before they attain combat range themselves. It is a prospect which has renewed the focus around the globe on air-to-air capabilities in general - both long and short range - and in some quarters, the ramifications of that are already beginning to look significant.

<p id="l38" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The latest Russian and Chinese challenge to US air supremacy, which began in 2010 with the arrival of the prototype Sukhoi T-50 and Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighters, has also now been boosted by the success of these countries in developing state-of-the-art, long-range AAMs.

<p id="l40" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The new Russian weapon for the MiG-31BM 'Foxhound' interceptor is currently in the final stages of development, while China's design is also progressing well, passing approval tests in May 2011. Against this backdrop, in February the US announced the cancellation of its own $15bn next generation missile (NGM) programme - formerly known as the joint dual-role air dominance missile - for what General Edward Bolton, the USAF's chief budget officer, called "affordability reasons".

<p id="l42" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">A number of defence analysts have expressed concerns that abandoning the project, which had until just two short months earlier been publically described as a major priority by USAF officials, exposes US forces to unacceptable operational risks.

<p id="l44" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">There has also been speculation that it could even open up the spectre of another AAM-gap, like the one which persisted through most of the 1990s, when analysis suggested the helmet-sighted Vympel R-73 AAM would give Soviet-bloc MiG-29s a decisive 'first shot' advantage in close quarter engagement.

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Until 2003 and the USAF's introduction of the AIM-9X, Chinese Su-27SK and Su-30MKK fighters, equipped with the R-73, also shared this same advantage. With the impending arrival of weapons such as the ramjet powered Chinese PL-21 and the Russian rocket-powered RVV-BD missiles, some fear history may be about to repeat itself.

<p id="l48" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Air-to-air combat remains a very rare event in modern warfare. After more than a decade of action over Iraq and Afghanistan, there has not been a single instance, not even during the initial stages of operations.

<p id="l50" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Nonetheless, the continued development of increasingly high-tech fighter aircraft, sensors and airborne weapons systems worldwide represent an enduring and quickly evolving potential threat to military pilots and planes. More to the point, it is clearly one that no air force can easily ignore.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Raytheon AIM-188 ADRAM here.Raytheon AIM-188 ADRAM  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">aim 188 ADRAM <p id="l6" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs.

<p id="l8" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mode seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe aim 188 ADRAM here.aim 188 ADRAM

DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mo



<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">de seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin CUDA AIM-160 here.Lockheed Martin CUDA AIM-160 A1

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">“A Lockheed Martin model shows how its “’Cuda” concept for a small AMRAAM-class radar guided dogfight missile could triple the air-to-air internal loadout on an F-35. The missile is about the size of a Small Diameter Bomb and fits on an SDB-style rack.”

<p id="l8" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">“We are having some challenges getting information on Cuda cleared for public release,” Cheryl Amerine, Cuda POC at the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, told The Aviationist.

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">“Cuda is a Lockheed Martin multi-role Hit-to-Kill (HTK) missile concept. Lockheed Martin has discussed the missile concept with the United States Air Force. The Cuda concept significantly increases the internal carriage capacity for 5th generation fighters (provides 2X to 3X capacity). Combat proven HTK technology has been in the US Army for over a decade. Bringing this proven HTK technology to the USAF will provide potentially transformational new capabilities and options for new CONOPS.”

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Hit-to-Kill missile technology Lockheed is designing for the USAF is still classified and some of the capabilities of the Cuda missile are being reviewed for public release. Still, something can be said based on the few details available.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">First of all, the F-35 will carry kinetic energy interceptors: “hit-to-kill” weapons rely on the kinetic energy of the impact to destroy their target. That’s why some HTK missiles don’t carry any warhead (others use a lethality enhancer warhead).

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">HTK technologies can be used for missile defense (Scuds, rockets or even ballistic missiles). Is someone at the Pentagon studying the possibilty to use F-35s carrying clusters of Cudas as aerial anti-missile systems to intercept small rockets, SAMs (surface-to-air missiles)?

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Second, that unlike Sidewinders, Cuda missiles, rather than being equipped with an IIR (Imaging Infra Red) seeker, will be radar-guided. This means they will be ejected from the internal bays in such a way the exposure of the stealth plane is reduced.

<p id="l22" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Third, the possible integration of the Cuda with the F-22: since a Raptor can carry eight SDB, it can theoretically carry up to eight Cuda, even if the perfect air-to-air loadout could be mix of AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X and Cuda missiles.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Lockheed Martin CUDA AIM-160 mark 1 here.“A Lockheed Martin model shows how its “’Cuda” concept for a small AMRAAM-class radar guided dogfight missile could triple the air-to-air internal loadout on an  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">F-35. The missile is about the size of a Small Diameter Bomb and fits on an SDB-style rack.” <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">“We are having some challenges getting information on Cuda cleared for public release,” Cheryl Amerine, Cuda POC at the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, told The Aviationist. <p id="l6" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">“Cuda is a Lockheed Martin multi-role Hit-to-Kill (HTK) missile concept. Lockheed Martin has discussed the missile concept with the United States Air Force. The Cuda concept significantly increases the internal carriage capacity for 5th generation fighters (provides 2X to 3X capacity). Combat proven HTK technology has been in the US Army for over a decade. Bringing this proven HTK technology to the USAF will provide potentially transformational new capabilities and options for new CONOPS.”

<p id="l8" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Hit-to-Kill missile technology Lockheed is designing for the USAF is still classified and some of the capabilities of the Cuda missile are being reviewed for public release. Still, something can be said based on the few details available.

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">First of all, the F-35 will carry kinetic energy interceptors: “hit-to-kill” weapons rely on the kinetic energy of the impact to destroy their target. That’s why some HTK missiles don’t carry any warhead (others use a lethality enhancer warhead).

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">HTK technologies can be used for missile defense (Scuds, rockets or even ballistic missiles). Is someone at the Pentagon studying the possibilty to use F-35s carrying clusters of Cudas as aerial anti-missile systems to intercept small rockets, SAMs (surface-to-air missiles)?

<p id="l16" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Second, that unlike Sidewinders, Cuda missiles, rather than being equipped with an IIR (Imaging Infra Red) seeker, will be radar-guided. This means they will be ejected from the internal bays in such a way the exposure of the stealth plane is reduced.

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Third, the possible integration of the Cuda with the F-22: since a Raptor can carry eight SDB, it can theoretically carry up to eight Cuda, even if the perfect air-to-air loadout could be mix of AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X and Cuda missiles.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AIM-152 AAAM here.AIM-152 AAAM

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-152 AAAM is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by the United States of America. The program went through a protracted development stage but was never adopted by the United States Air Force, due to the ending of the cold war and the reduction in threat of its perceived primary target Soviet Union supersonic bombers.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Overview

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-152 originated in a U.S. Navy requirement for an advanced air-to-air missile to replace the AIM-54 Phoenix. By the mid 1980s the Phoenix was seen to be no longer cutting edge, and the Navy wanted a long range missile to counter the Soviet Tu-22M Backfire and Tu-160 Blackjack long-range supersonic bombers. The goal was to produce a weapon which was smaller and lighter than the Phoenix, with equal or better range and a flight speed of Mach 3 or more. An ACIMD demonstrator on an F-14 at the NWC China Lake.

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Some of the systems considered for the missile had already been evaluated by the China Lake Naval Weapons Center in the early 1980s as part of the Advanced Common Intercept Missile Demonstration (ACIMD) program. ACIMD missiles had been built but none had flown by the time the project was cancelled. In 1987, Hughes/Raytheon and General Dynamics/Westinghouse were selected to produce competing designs for the AIM-152.

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Hughes/Raytheon design was largely based on the ACIMD missile, with a hybrid ramjet/solid rocket engine which offered high speeds. The missile would use an inertial guidance system with terminal guidance provided by active radar - a mode of flight that would later be employed in the AIM-120 AMRAAM. An infrared terminal homing seeker was also planned, which would allow the missile to engage without any emissions which would alert the target.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The GD/Westinghouse design was even smaller, with a multiple-pulse pure solid rocket motor. It also had an inertial guidance system, but midcourse updating was provided via a dual-band semi-active radar. Terminal guidance was via an electro-optical sensor, with a backup infrared seeker also included. One flaw of semi-active radar homing is that the launch aircraft must illuminate the target with its radar during flight, meaning that it must fly towards the enemy and so expose itself to greater danger. GD/Westinghouse planned to avoid this by equipping the launching aircraft with a radar pod which could illuminate the target from both forward and aft, allowing it to turn and escape whilst still providing a target for the missile.

<p id="l16" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">With the fall of the Soviet Union the threat from Russian bombers effectively ended, and since no other nation could match the previous threat the AAAM was left without an enemy to defend against. The project was cancelled in 1992, shortly after the YAIM-152A designation had been given to the two prototypes.

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">With the phasing out of the Phoenix missile the US Navy lost its long range AAM capability, relying instead on the medium range AIM-120 AMRAAM. Longer range versions



<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">of the AMRAAM are in development to restore some of this capability. Hughes/Raytheon :

Length : 3.66 m (12 ft)

Diameter : 231 mm (9 in)

Weight : Less than 300 kg (660 lb)

Speed : Mach 3+

Range : 185 km+ (115 miles)

Propulsion : Rocket/ramjet engine

Warhead : 14 to 23 kg (30 to 50 lb) blast-fragmentation

<p id="l29" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">GD/Westinghouse :

Length : 3.66 m (12 ft)

Diameter : 140 mm (5.5 in)

Weight : 172 kg (380 lb)

Speed : Mach 3+

Range : > 185 km (100 nm)

Propulsion : Multiple-pulse solid-propellant rocket

Warhead : 14 to 23 kg (30 to 50 lb) blast-fragmentation

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Raytheon FMRAAM/Raytheon AGM-88 HARM here.Raytheon FMRAAM

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The FMRAAM (Future Medium Range Air to Air Missile), was a modified ramjet powered version of the Hughes (now Raytheon) AIM-120 AMRAAM Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile that was conceived to fulfill British requirements for a new longer range missile to use in place of the AMRAAM on their new Eurofighter Typhoon fighter. It competed with and lost to the MBDA Meteor, thus never reaching production.[1] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AGM-88 HARM (high-speed antiradiation missile) is a supersonic air-to-surface tactical missile designed to seek and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defense systems. The AGM-88 can detect, attack and destroy a target with minimum aircrew input. Guidance is provided through reception of signals emitted from a ground-based threat radar. It has the capability of discriminating a single target from a number of emitters in the environment. The proportional guidance system that homes in on enemy radar emissions has a fixed antenna and seeker head in the missile nose. A smokeless, solid-propellant, dual-thrust rocket motor propels the missile. The Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 and EA-6B have the capability to employ the AGM-88. With the retirement of the F-4, the F-16C is the only aircraft in the current Air Force inventory to use the AGM-88. The B version has an improved guidance section which incorporates an improved tactical software and electronically reprogrammable memory. <p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AGM-88 missile was approved for full production by the Defense Systems Acquisition Review Council in March 1983. The Air Force equipped the F-4G Wild Weasel with the AGM-88 to increase the F-4G's lethality in electronic combat. The missile worked with the APR-47 radar attack and warning system on the aircraft. The missile is operationally deployed throughout the Air Force and in full production as a joint US Air Force-US Navy project. HARM continues to prove its value against continuously emitting threat radar. Over 80 missiles were fired from USN/USMC aircraft both during and post Desert Fox.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AGM-88A/B HARM is an evolution of anti-radiation missile weapon systems, SHRIKE and STANDARD ARM. HARM incorporates the more desirable features of each while providing additional capabilities that enhance operational effectiveness. Although generally similar in appearance and mission to the AGM-45 Shrike, produced more than 25 years prior to the AGM-88, the AGM-88 HARM is several feet longer than an AGM-45, has a slightly-enlarged diameter a foot back from the nose, and has a slightly greater diameter overall. The AGM-45 also has an RF window/slot on the side, not present on the AGM-88.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The system consists of the guided missile, LAU-118(V)1/A launcher, launch aircraft, and HARM peculiar avionics. The weapon system has the capability of detecting, acquiring, displaying, and selecting a radiating threat and launching a missile or missiles. The HARM Missile receives target parameters from the launch aircraft prior to launch. The HARM Missile uses these parameters and relevant attitude data to process incoming RF energy to acquire and guide the HARM Missile to the desired target. The HARM missile has a terminal homing capability that provides a launch and leave capability for the launch aircraft. Additional unique features include the high speed, low smoke, rocket motor and seeker sensitivity that enable the missile to easily attack sidelobes and backlobes of an emitter.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The following provides functional descriptions for each section of the HARM Missile and significant enhancements.

Guidance Section. Several modifications have been made to the HARM Guidance section through hardware modifications and software upgrades.

Hardware Configurations. The AGM-88A was the first version of the missile to be produced. It incorporated a fuzable-link memory that required the guidance section to be returned to the manufacturer to change the Tactical software. The AGM-88B missile was developed in the mid 1980s and incorporated an electronically reprogrammable memory that allowed changing the missile software in the field. The AGM-88C missile is the latest version and incorporates several new design features and is also reprogrammable in the field.

Software Versions. Block I software was the original Tactical software used with the AGM-88A missile. Block II software provided guidance and fuzing improvements and was used in both AGM-88A missiles and AGM-88B missiles. In 1990 Block III software was installed in AGM-88B missiles to counter the capabilities of the advanced threats. All AGM-88C missiles contained Block IV software which is currently the latest version.

Warhead Section. The warhead section is designed to inflict sufficient damage on the target antenna and waveguide system to force an inoperative condition. It also ensures complete destruction of the HARM Missile guidance section.. The AGM-88A, and AGM-88B warhead section contains 25,000 pre-formed steel fragments, an explosive charge, a fuze, and a fuze booster. The AGM-88C utilizes an improved warhead section containing 12,845 tungsten fragments and an improved explosive charge which provides greater overall lethality.

Control Section. The control section of the HARM Missile is located aft of the warhead section. The control section contains wing actuators to steer the missile on a desired trajectory, missile captive and free flight electrical power supply equipment, attitude reference equipment, and the missile target detection device. An umbilical connector mounted on top of the control section provides electrical interface between the launch aircraft and the missile.

Rocket Motor Section. Thrust for the HARM Missile is developed by a dual thrust rocket motor utilizing a low smoke propellant. The section contains a manually operated safety-arming device, igniter, propellant grain, and a fixed nozzle. External components on the rocket motor section consist of fittings for the fins, launch lugs, and a detent rib.

Wings. The wings direct the course of the HARM Missile in flight by internally controlled actuators within the control section. Four wings are required per missile.

Fins. The BSU-60/B and BSU-60A/B fins are identical type fins except for a redesigned locking mechanism. They are interchangeable as sets. The fins provide aerodynamic stability of the HARM Missile during flight.

<p id="l33" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Antiradiation missiles have an unparalleled ability to home in on enemy emitters and disrupt or destroy the elements of an integrated air defense system (IADS). However, they are not classic precision-guided weapons, such as laser-guided munitions. On the contrary, ARMs cannot be steered and under certain conditions may not guide on the target that they were originally fired. Also, they do not have the ability to discern friend from foe. Therefore, the precision detection capability of the launching platform and its human operator in the loop are key elements ensuring weapon effectiveness and the prevention of fratricide. The translation of what the launching aircraft sees to what the ARM sees is paramount.

<p id="l35" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Several unique factors effect ARM employment. Most significant are the ambiguities in the radar frequency spectrum which cause friendly, enemy, and neutral radar emissions to appear similar. Ambiguities make accurate platform targeting and missile guidance difficult. These ambiguities will continue to worsen as the frequency spectrum becomes more dense and overcrowded. A limited amount of frequencies is suitable for radar operations, and as newer systems evolve, more emitters will overlap. In some instances, high target area activity in a dense emitter environment may cause cockpit task saturation and decrease targeting efficiency. Now previously defined enemy emitters from the Soviet era cannot be exclusively classified as such. Potential partners in multinational combined operations may employ such systems, causing use of the same weapon system on both sides of a conflict. For example, in Desert Storm, coalition forces and Iraq both used the SA-6 and Hawk weapon systems. As systems intermingle during changing world political conditions, it will become increasingly difficult to detect friendly, enemy, and neutral radar emitters.

<p id="l37" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Rules of engagement (ROE) compensate for some of the above problems. Restricting weapons firing until specific conditions are met reduces potential fratricide as well as avoids inefficient weapons employment. However, ROE must be optimized for all platforms in theater and take into account each system's capabilities and limitations. Each service employs ARMs with different objectives and philosophies. Individual service platforms can employ ARMs with varying degrees of accuracy. To improve integration during a joint campaign, each service must understand how the other executes ARM employment. Likewise, inaccurate targeting and fratricide is prevented by knowing how friendly ground and naval emitters operate. Joint planners must extensively coordinate all aspects of ARM employment during a SEAD campaign. Critical to planning is the transmission of friendly emitter order of battle information to the aircrews. Timely, accurate data, combined with appropriate ROE and knowledge of ambiguous theater systems, will overcome the obstacles presented by a dense frequency spectrum.

<p id="l39" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The CP-1001B/C HARM Command Launch Computer (CLC) is an electronics subsystem installed on the airframe to interface with the AGM-88 A/B/C HARM Missile. The CLC and associated software package are compatible with all AGM-88 A/B/C missiles. The CLC receives target data from the missile and onboard avionics, processes the data for display to the aircrew to the appropriate display, determines target priority, and collects aircraft data for pre-launch hand-off to the AGM-88 HARM missile. The CLC determines time coincidence between the AGM-88 HARM missile and the RWR directional data and pulse repetition intervals and formats. The identification data is processed by the CLC to perform target identification, prioritization, and display information. The CLC generates targeting commands to the AGM-88 HARM missile for appropriate target and provides Targeting and guidance information for the AGM-88 to Target Of Interest (TOI) on offensive attack missions.

<p id="l41" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The primary lethal Supression of Enemy Air Defense [SEAD] platform, the F-16 employing AGM-88 High Speed Anti-radiation Missiles (HARM) has several shortfalls. It is becoming increasingly difficult to logistically support the F-16 and the HARM. SEAD forces have limited automated mission planning capability. It is very difficult to stimulate, decoy, and saturate enemy threat radars without putting friendly forces in harm's way, and the ability to reactively target surface-to-air threats is limited. The ability to employ off-board targeting sources is limited in the timeliness and accuracy required for the preemptive destruction mission. Though offboard sources may find mobile targets, there is a limited capability to pass required information in real time so fighters can reactively or preemptively target mobile surface-to-air threats. There is no on-board capability to preemptively target mobile surface-to-air threat systems. Current SEAD weapons all depend on RF homing for guidance and are vulnerable to emission control (EMCON) countertactics. There is also limited capability to perform real-time battle damage assessment (BDA). On the non-lethal side, there is limited capability to suppress RF threats and C2 systems.

<p id="l43" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Upgrades New systems and/or improvements to existing systems are required to ensure successful accomplishment of the lethal SEAD mission. In the near term, an upgrade to Harm Targeting System (HTS) will be fielded in 1999. Eventual augmentation or replacement of the HTS with an improved emitter targeting and passive identification system will provide expanded frequency coverage, more precise target location information and unambiguous emitter identification capability. Multi-ship targeting will provide great improvements in targeting accuracy and timeliness. It will require data link capability for real-time targeting of both reactive and preemptive target sets.

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">For the future, CINCS are demanding reliable, one-shot hard kills against threat radar, even if the radar shuts down prior to missile impact. The Navy has a three-step program to develop this capability for HARM.

HARM Block 3a and 5 software updates have completed testing and were incorporated as a software only engineering change starting in August 1999. The software improves missile performance against several threat countermeasures. The Block V software upgrade was fielded in 1999 and incorporates tighter control of missile flight path to reduce the risk of fratricide and increase kill probability. AGM-88C Block 5 missiles also feature a lethal capability against high power GPS jammers showcased in fleet battle experiments. To ensure continued EA-6B compatibility, OFP's SSA 5.2 and 89A 1.0 have been developed by the Weapons System Support Activity, Point Mugu, California. Both are baselined from 5.1 COD, will include HARM III/IIIA/IV/V, and are supported by the same TEAMS release. Two successful live fires of IIIA and V missiles from Block 89A aircraft were made in September 1998 and were followed by Block 82/89 live fires. The differences in the OFP software is nearly transparent to the fleet. The 89A 1.0 OFP has been optimized for the Block 89A avionics architecture that includes a second 1553 navigation bus and CDNU bus control.

The international HARM upgrade program (AGM-88D Block 6 is the US designation) is a cooperative software and hardware upgrade. It will incorporate a current state of the art GPS/IMU in place of the original mechanical gyros to improve missile precision, increase kill probability, and further reduce the probability of fratricide. As a by-product, the missile will have a high-speed, point-to-point capability. Plans call for retrofit kit production in 2003.

The Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) project is adding to the Block VI capability by demonstrating technology for RF homing integration with an active millimeter wave terminal seeker to provide a counter-shutdown capability. Fielding this capability could be in the 2005 timeframe.

<p id="l52" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Specifications Primary Function: Air-to-surface anti-radiation missile Mission Defense suppression Targets Fixed soft Service Navy and Air Force Contractor: Raytheon [Texas Instruments] Program status Operational Date Deployed: 1984 Power Plant: Thiokol dual-thrust rocket motor Thrust: Dual thrust Length: 13 feet, 8 inches (4.14 meters) Launch Weight: 800 pounds (360 kilograms) Diameter: 10 inches (25.40 centimeters) Wingspan: 3 feet, 8 inches (101.60 centimeters) Range: 30 plus miles (48 plus kilometers) Speed: Max. speed: 2280 km/h Guidance System: Proportional Guidance method Homes on electronic emissions Warhead WAU-7/B, 143.51bs. Direct Fragmentation Explosive (NEW) PBXC-116 (45.2 lbs.) Fuze Pulsed Laser Proximity/Contact Propulsion Boost Sustain 64,000 lbs./sec. Low Smoke Development cost $644.5 million Production cost $5,568.1 million Total acquisition cost $6,212.6 million Acquisition unit cost $316,856 Production unit cost $283,985 Quantity 19,607 (Navy and Air Force) Platforms F/A-18, F-4G, F-16

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe aim-165 Excalibur here.aim-165 Excalibur  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Next Generation Air Dominance Missiles <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Triple target Terminator (T3); DRADM Next Generation Air Dominance Missiles <p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">DARPA has awarded two competitive development contracts to Boeing and raytheon, to conduct conceptual design and development of a multi-mission air/air and air/ground missile dubbed 'Triple Target Terminator' (T3). The program, part of the agency's advanced weapons initiative, is pursuing a high speed, long-range missile that can engage enemy aircraft, cruise missile and air defense targets. T3 will be designed for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-35, F-22 and F-15SE, or externally on fighters, bombers and UAVs.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">T3 would allow strike fighter aircraft to rapidly switch between air-to-air and air-to-surface (counter-air) capabilities. The missile is likely to be equipped with multi-mode seeker and network-centric data links, providing high level of target discrimination, employment of kinetic network-centric applications and human-in-the-loop control. An advanced multi-purpose warhead will be required to engage the wide range of targets with maximum lethality.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Raytheon and Boeing were each awarded $21.3 million contracts in November 2010, for the development of T3. The companies are expected to deliver conceptual designs within a year, and continue developing the future weapon, providing prototype missiles for flight demonstration by 2014.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Parallel to DARPA's T3 program the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is also examining new technologies for a future air/air weapon known as 'DRADM'. Boeing was awarded contracts for the demonstration of a vector thrust propulsion and control, terminal guidance sensors, shaped-charge warhead and fuse mechanism for such a missile. In 2010 DARPA has also funded technology tradeoff studies associated with similar aspects of T3. It has yet to be determined whether the two programs will compete or supplement each other in a common design. ATK, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to pursue future, dual-role missile development to date, but none of these companies were awarded contracts for T3 or DRADM.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Whatever the future missile will be, it is expected to replace current AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM 'air dominance' missiles currently in service with U.S. air Combat Command, U.S. Navy, Marines, and many allied air forces.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Ravens aim-80 here.Ravens aim-80 joint strike missile <p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">

The JSM missile system is designed for both Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) and Naval Fire Support (NFS) missions in:

Open sea

Littoral

Over land

To comply with operation in these areas the missile system has been designed with:

Advanced engagement planning system which exploits the geography in the area

Accurate navigation system for flight close to terrain

High maneuverability to allow flight planning in close vicinity to land masses

Imaging target seeker for discrimination of land and non-targets

The JSM long range facilitates:

Launch platform standoff

Flexibility in engagement planning

Sea control / Sea denial over a wide area

Naval fire support and strike missions at long distance

The JSM weapon Data Link will be a two-way networking data link that will offer the following capabilities to the operator:

Target Update

Re-Targeting

Mission abort

Bomb Hit Indication (BHI)

The JSM Weapon Data Link Network will be a Link 16 compatible data link and will be compliant with standard military equipment.

The JSM missile is primarily designed for operations from fixed wing aircraft platforms. Concept studies are under way to establish the requirements related to other platforms.

F-35 an FA-70 partner nations have expressed great interest in the new missile, some of the partner nations are funding work for integration of the JSM to the F-35 an FA-70.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AIM-9 Sidewinder here.IM-9 Sidewinder

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. It has a high-explosive warhead and an active infrared guidance system. The Sidewinder was developed by the US Navy for fleet air defense and was adapted by the U.S. Air Force for fighter aircraft use. Early versions of the missile were extensively used in the Southeast Asian conflict. In September 1958 Chinese Nationalist F-86s fired the first Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to down 11 communist Chinese MiG-17s over the Formosa Straits. Until that time, aircraft defensive means where primarily limited to pilots and tail gunners firing small caliber ammunition in dog-fight situations.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9 has a cylindrical body with a roll-stabilizing rear wing/rolleron assembly. Also, it has detachable, double-delta control surfaces behind the nose that improve the missile's maneuverability. Both rollerons and control surfaces are in a cross-like arrangement.

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The missile's main components are an infrared homing guidance section, an active optical target detector, a high-explosive warhead, and a rocket motor.

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The infrared guidance head enables the missile to home on target aircraft engine exhaust. An infrared unit costs less than other types of guidance systems, and can be used in day/night and electronic countermeasures conditions. The infrared seeker also permits the pilot to launch the missile, then leave the area or take evasive action while the missile guides itself to the target. Variants

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The development process has produced increased capabilities with each missile modification.

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9A, prototype of the Sidewinder, was first fired successfully in September 1953. The initial production version, designated AIM-9B, entered the Air Force inventory in 1956 and was effective only at close range. It could not engage targets close to the ground, nor did it have nighttime or head-on attack capability. These shortcomings were eliminated on subsequent versions.

<p id="l16" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9G provided the capability to lock on and launch against a target offset from the axis of the launch aircraft.

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9H configuration replace vacuum tubes with solid-state modules and a thermal battery replaced the turbo-alternator. The AIM-9H was configured with a continuous-rod bundle warhead.

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9J, a conversion of the AIM-B and E models, has maneuvering capability for dogfighting, and greater speed and range, giving it greater enhanced aerial combat capability. Deliveries began in 1977 to equip the F-15 and other Sidewinder-compatible aircraft.

<p id="l22" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9L added a more powerful solid-propellant rocket motor as well as tracking maneuvering ability. Improvements in heat sensor and control systems have provided the AIM-9L missile with an all-aspect attack capability and improved guidance characteristics. The L model was the first Sidewinder with the ability to attack from all angles, including head-on. An improved active optical fuze increased the missile's lethality and resistance to electronic countermeasures. A conical scan seeker increased seeker sensitivity and improved tracking stability. The AIM-9L is configured with an annular blast fragmentation warhead. Production and delivery of the AIM-9L began in 1976.

<p id="l24" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9M missile utilizes a guidance control section with counter-countermeasures and improved maintainability and producibility. The AIM-9M is configured with an annular blast fragmentation warhead.

<p id="l26" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9P, an improved version of the J model, has greater engagement boundaries, enabling it to be launched farther from the target. The more maneuverable P model also incorporated improved solid-state electronics that increased reliability and maintainability. Deliveries began in 1978.

<p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9P-1 has an active optical target detector instead of the infrared influence fuze; the AIM-9P-2 added a reduced-smoke motor. The most recently developed version, the AIM-9P-3, combined both the active optical target detector and the reduced-smoke motor. It also has added mechanical strengthening to the warhead as well as the guidance and control section. The improved warhead uses new explosive material that is less sensitive to high temperature and has a longer shelf life.

<p id="l30" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9M, currently the only operational variant, has the all-aspect capability of the L model, but provides all-around higher performance. The M model has improved defense against infrared countermeasures, enhanced background discrimination capability, and a reduced-smoke rocket motor. These modifications increase ability to locate and lock-on a target and decrease the missile's chances for detection. Deliveries of the M model began in 1983.

<p id="l32" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9M-9 has expanded infrared counter measures detection circuitry.

<p id="l34" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9X Sidewinder Air-to-Air missile program will develop a short range heat seeking weapon to be employed in both offensive and defensive counter-air operations. Offensively, the weapon will assure that US and combined air forces have the ability project the necessary power to insure dominant maneuver. In the defensive counter-air role, the missile system will provide a key capability for force protection. The multi-service Air Intercept Missile (AIM-9X Sidewinder) development will field a high off-boresight capable short range heat seeking missile to be employed on US Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps fighters. The missile will be used both for offensive and defensive counter-air operations as a short range, launch and leave air combat missile that uses infra red guidance. The AIM-9X will complement longer range radar guided missiles such as the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).

<p id="l36" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The new missile is required to reestablish the parity of US aircraft in short range air combat, vis-à-vis improved foreign export aircraft and missiles. Specific deficiencies exist in the current AIM-9M in high off-boresight angle capability, infra-red counter-countermeasures robustness, kinematic performance, and missile maneuverability. The MiG-29 with its AA-10/AA-11 missiles are the major threat to US forces. Additionally, there are a number of other missiles on the world market that outperform the current US inventory AIM-9M weapon system in the critical operational employment areas.

<p id="l38" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9X will expand the capabilities of the current AIM-9M by developing a new seeker imaging infra-red focal plane array, a high performance airframe, and a new signal processor for the seeker/sensor. The current acquisition strategy seeks to retain the warhead, fuze, and rocket motor of the current design in order to capitalize on the large existing inventory of AIM-9 weapons. The F-15C/D and the F/A-18C/D will be the initial platforms for integration and T&E.

<p id="l40" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The early operational assessment of the Hughes and Raytheon DEMVAL results was that both the Hughes and Raytheon missiles showed potential for meeting both the mission effectiveness and suitability requirements of the AIM-9X operational requirements document. Specifically, all critical operational issues were rated green (potentially effective/suitable) except counter-countermeasures capability, lethality, built in test functionality, and reprogrammability. Counter-countermeasures capability of both missiles was initially below the operationally required threshold values, however the Hughes missile showed a rapid improvement through the course of the evaluation. The missiles demonstrated acceptable performance levels in the air-to-air phase. The other assessment areas not resolved as green had insufficient data for conclusive evaluation. However, again, the risk of either DEMVAL missile not meeting the threshold requirement was rated as low. The results of the operational assessment were integral to the Service source selection decision to award the engineering, manufacturing, development contract to Hughes Missile Systems Corporation.

<p id="l42" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The early operational assessment of the British ASRAAM foreign comparative test (FCT) focused on the risk areas of the ASRAAM: focal plane array effectiveness, seeker signal processing, warhead effectiveness, rocket motor testing, and kinematic/guidance ability to support the lethality requirements of the AIM-9X. The resulting assessment was that the ASRAAM (as is) cannot meet the AIM-9X operational requirements in high off-boresight angle performance, infrared counter-countermeasures robustness, lethality, and interoperability.

<p id="l44" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9X is a supersonic, air-to-air, guided missile which employs a passive IR target acquisition system, proportional navigational guidance, a closed-loop position servo Control Actuation Section (CAS), and an AOTD. The AIM-9X is launched from an aircraft after target detection to home in on IR emissions and to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft. The missile interfaces with the aircraft through the missile launcher using a forward umbilical cable, a mid-body umbilical connector and three missile hangars. The AIM-9X has three basic phases of operation: captive flight, launch, and free flight.

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;"># The AIM-9X utilizes the existing AIM-9M AOTD, warhead, and rocket motor, but incorporates a new Guidance Section (GS), new hangars, a new mid-body connector, new harness and harness cover, new titanium wings and fins, and a new CAS. The missile is propelled by the AIM-9M solid-propellant rocket motor, but uses a new Arm and Fire Device (AFD) handle design. Also, the AIM-9M rocket motor is modified to mount the CAS on its aft end. Aerodynamic lift and stability for the missile are provided by four forward-mounted, fixed titanium wings. Airframe maneuvering is accomplished by four titanium control fins mounted in line with the fixed wings and activated by the CAS, which includes a thrust vector control system that uses four jet vanes to direct the flow of the rocket motor exhaust. The AIM-9X is configured with the AIM-9M Annular Blast Fragmentation (ABF) warhead, which incorporates a new Electronic Safe and Arm Device (ESAD) to arm the warhead after launch. The AIM-9M AOTD is used to detect the presence of a target at distances out to the maximum effective range of the missile warhead and command detonation. Guidance Section. The GS provides the missile tracking, guidance, and control signals. It consists of three major subassemblies: (1) a mid-wave IR Focal Plane Array (FPA) seeker assembly for detecting the target, (2) an electronics unit that converts the detected target information to tracking and guidance command signals, and (3) a center section containing the cryoengine, contact fuze device, two thermal batteries, and required harnesses and connectors. The coolant supply for the GS is provided by the twin-opposed-piston, linear drive, Stirling cryoengine.
 * 1) Forward Hangar/Mid-body Umbilical Connector and Buffer Connector. The hangers on the AIM-9M rocket motor are replaced by slightly "taller" hangers for AIM-9X. These taller hangers provide additional separation between the missile and the launcher. This separation is needed to provide adequate clearance for the AIM-9X on all the launcher configurations. The middle and aft hanger mounting is unchanged from the AIM-9M configuration. The forward hanger is replaced by an integrated forward hanger/mid-body umbilical assembly. The mid-body umbilical connector adds a mid-body interface with the LAU-127 launcher. This connection provides the missile MIL-STD-1553 digital communications with the launching aircraft, and requires a buffer connector similar to the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) buffer connector. The forward hanger/mid-body umbilical assembly is an integrated assembly that consists of the hanger, the mid-body umbilical connector, the umbilical cabling, and the rocket motor AFD wiring to the hanger striker points. The rocket motor AFD wiring is unchanged from that used in the AIM-9M and will interface with the striker points as in the AIM-9M configuration.
 * 2) Harness and Harness Cover. Unlike the AIM-9M, an electronic harness has been added to the AIM-9X to provide the communications interface between the electronics unit in the GS and the other missile components. Due to the lack of space internally, the harness had to be mounted externally on the underside of the missile surface. The harness cover spans most of the length of the missile and provides an aerodynamic surface and protective cover for the electronic harness and the CAS electronic circuit board.

<p id="l50" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9X will utilize mid-wave IR FPA seeker technology in lieu of the single-element IR seeker used in the AIM-9M. The AIM-9X will be a digital missile with Built-In-Test (BIT) and re-programming capability that is not present in the the analog AIM-9M. A buffer connector must be used on the mid-body umbilical connector when the AIM-9X is loaded on the LAU-127 launcher. The AIM-9X will use an internal cryogenic engine, called a cryoengine, for IR element cooling. The cryoengine does not require externally-supplied coolant, e.g., nitrogen, and thus does not use the nitrogen receiver assemblies contained in the LAU-7 and LAU-127 launchers, which provide IR element coolant for the AIM-9M. The AIM-9X will use titanium wings and fins. Also, the AIM-9X will use a CAS to direct movement of the aft fins and four internal jet vanes. The jet vanes direct the flow of the rocket motor exhaust to generate thrust vector control.

<p id="l52" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Fleet introduction of the AIM-9X missile is planned to begin in FY02 via aircraft carrier load outs. Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) All-Up-Round (AUR) missile deliveries begin in FY01 and continue through FY04, when Full-Rate Production deliveries begin.

<p id="l54" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9X seeks and homes in on IR energy emitted by the target. When an IR-emitting source enters the seeker field of view, an audio signal is generated by the electronics unit. The pilot hears the signal through the headset, indicating that the AIM-9X has acquired a potential target. One method of cueing the AIM-9X to the target’s IR energy source is referred to as boresight, whereby the missile is physically pointed toward the target via the pilot maneuvering the aircraft. The IR energy gathered by the missile seeker is converted to electronic signals that enable the missile to acquire and track the target up to its seeker gimbal limits. A second method of cueing the AIM-9X to the target’s IR energy is the Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mo



<p id="l54" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">de (SEAM). SEAM slaves the AIM-9X seeker to the aircraft radar. The aircraft avionics system can slave the missile seeker up to a given number of degrees from the missile/aircraft boresight axis. The missile seeker is slaved until an audible signal indicates seeker target acquisition. Upon target acquisition, a seeker interlock in the missile is released (uncaged) and the missile seeker begins tracking the target. The AIM-9X seeker will then continue to track the target. A third method for cueing the AIM-9X to the target’s IR energy is through use of the JHMCS. This method allows the pilot to cue the AIM-9X seeker to high off-boresight targets via helmet movement. The pilot can launch the AIM-9X anytime after receipt of the appropriate audible signal.

<p id="l56" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-9X is required to be compatible, at full capability, with the F/A-18C/ D/E/F, F-15C/D/E, F-16C/D, and F-22 aircraft, and be capable of being used in a reduced capacity on other aircraft with MIL-STD-1760 signal set capability (F-14B Upgrade, F-14D, AV-8B, and AH-1W). The AIM-9X is also backward compatible to aircraft/launchers only capable of AIM-9M analog communication. For analog interfaces, the AIM-9X operates, and is identified, as an AIM-9M. This backward compatibility includes the analog seeker slave mode. The AIM-9X will be integrated with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), a helmet-mounted display with capability to cue and verify cueing of high off-boresight sensors and weapons. This missile-helmet marriage will provide the aircrew with first-look, first-shot capability in the air-to-air, within visual range, combat arena. Increased off-boresight acquisition angle and improved situational awareness will be achieved through the integrated combination of the AIM-9X missile, the JHMCS and the aircraft.

<p id="l58" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">For the USN and United States Mar

<p id="l58" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">ine Corps (USMC), two guided missile launchers are available to carry and launch the AIM-9X on the F/A-18 aircraft. The LAU-7 guided missile launcher can be used on all applicable Sidewinder weapons stations, however, it requires modification of the current power supply and the addition of digital and addressing lines to the forward umbilical to carry and launch the AIM-9X. With these modifications, it will be designated the LAU-7D/A. The LAU-127 guided missile launcher can be used on the F/A-18 aircraft wing stations only. F/A-18 aircraft wing stations require a LAU-115 guided missile launcher in order to attach the LAU-127.

<p id="l60" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Specifications Primary Function Air-to-air missile Contractor Naval Weapons Center Power Plant Hercules and Bermite Mk 36 Mod 71, 8 solid-propellant rocket motor Thrust Classified Speed Supersonic Mach 2.5 Range 10 to 18 miles depending on altitude Length 9 feet, 5 inches (2.87 meters) Diameter 5 inches (0.13 meters) Finspan 2 feet, 3/4 inches (0.63 meters) Warhead Annular blast fragmentation warhead 25 lbs high explosive for AIM-9H 20.8 lbs high explosive for AIM-9L/M Launch Weight 190 pounds (85.5 kilograms) Guidance System Solid-state, infrared homing system Introduction Date 1956 Unit Cost Approximately $84,000 Inventory Classified

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AGM-45 Shrike here.AGM-45 Shrike  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[close] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;"> <p id="l4" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Scholarship applications for Wikimania 2010 are now open. Apply now! [Hide] [Help us with translations!] AGM-45 Shrike From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search AGM-45 Shrike Anti-Radiation Missile Technical summary An AGM-45 being fired by an A-4 Skyhawk Primary function: Antiradiation missile that homes in on hostile antiaircraft radars. Propulsion: Solid-fuel rocket Length: 10 ft (3.05 m) Weight: 390 lb (177.06 kg) Diameter: 8 in (203 mm) Warhead: Conventional Wingspan: 3 ft (914 mm) Guidance: Passive radar homing Platforms: A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder F-105 Thunderchief F-4 Phantom II Unit replacement cost: $32,000.00

<p id="l25" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45 Shrike is an American anti-radiation missile designed to home in on hostile antiaircraft radars. The Shrike was developed by the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake in 1963 by mating a seeker head to the rocket body of an AIM-7 Sparrow. It was phased out by U.S. in 1992 and at an unknown time by the Israeli Air Force (the only other major user), and has been superseded by the AGM-88 HARM missile. The Israel Defense Forces developed a version of the Shrike that could be ground-launched and mounted it on an M4 Sherman chassis as the Kilshon (Hebrew for Trident). [edit] History

<p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Shrike was first employed during the Vietnam War by the Navy in 1965 using A-4 aircraft. The Air Force adopted the weapon the following year using F-105F and G Thunderchief Wild Weasel SEAD aircraft, and later the F-4 Phantom II in the same role. The range was nominally shorter than the SA-2 Guideline missiles the system was used against although it was a great improvement over the early method of attacking SAM sites with rockets and bombs from F-100F Super Sabres. A Shrike was typically lofted about 30 degrees above the horizon at a Fan Song radar some 15 miles (25 km) away for a flight time of 50 seconds. Tactics incrementally changed over the campaigns of 1966 and 1967 until the advent of the AGM-78 Standard ARM. This new weapon allowed launches from significantly longer range with a much easier attack profile, as the ARM could be launched up to 180 degrees off target and still expect a hit and its speed allowed it to travel faster than the SA-2. Even after the AGM-78 entered service, the Weasels still carried the Shrike because the ARM cost about $200,000, while a Shrike cost only $7,000. If USAF pilots expended an ARM they would have to fill out a lengthy form during debriefing. A somewhat standard load for the F-105G was a 650 US gal (2,500 L) centerline fuel tank, two AGM-78s on inboard pylons and two Shrikes on the outboards. The mix varied slightly for jamming pods and the occasional AIM-9 Sidewinder but this was the baseline.[citation needed]

<p id="l30" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Although the Shrike missile did not enter regular service with the United Kingdom, it was supplied to the RAF for use in the Falklands War of 1982. RAF Shrikes were fitted to modified Vulcan bombers in order to attack Argentinian radar installations during Operation Black Buck. The main target was a Westinghouse AN/TPS-43 long range 3D radar that the Argentine Air Force deployed during April to guard the Falklands' surrounded airspace. The Argentine operators were aware of the US-supplied anti-radar missiles and would simply turn it off during the Vulcan's approaches. This radar would remain intact during the whole conflict. However, air defences remain operational during the attacks and the Shrikes hit two of the less valuable and rapidly replaced secondary fire control radars. As a result of this experience next generation missiles were designed to "remember" the radar position even if they were turned off. Also, following a Vulcan making an emergency landing at Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian authorities confiscated one Shrike which was never returned. Argentinian Skyguard radar destroyed by an RAF Shrike fired during the Black Buck Six raid in 1982 [edit] Variants

<p id="l34" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Shrike's limitations are characterized primarily in the fact that subvariants abound, each tuned to a different radar band. Angle gating, used to prioritize targets, was included in every subvariant of the AGM-45A and B after the A-2 and B-2. It was also slow and the lack of punch in the warhead made it difficult for bomb damage assessment, as well as inflicting any damage to the Fan Song Radar vans beyond a shattered radar dish, an easy item to replace or repair. The short range, combined with its lack of speed (compared to the SA-2 SAM) made for a difficult attack. The missile had to be well within the range of the SAM and if a SAM was fired the SAM would get to the aircraft first. Also the missile had few tolerances and had to be launched no more than + or - 3 degrees from the target. Many pilots in Vietnam did not like the Shrike because of its limitations and its success rate of around 25%.

<p id="l36" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The differences between the AGM-45A and B are in the rocket motor used, and in the warheads capable of being fitted. The AGM-45A used the Rocketdyne Mk 39 Mod 0 (or apparently in some cases the Aerojet Mk 53 Mod 1) motor, while the AGM-45B used Aerojet Mk 78 Mod 0 which greatly increased the range of the missile. As for warheads, the Mk 5 Mod 0, Mk 86 Mod 0, and WAU-8/B could all be fitted to the AGM-45A and were all blast-fragmentation in nature. The AGM-45B made use of the improved Mk 5 Mod 1 and Mk 86 Mod 1 warheads, as well as, the WAU-9/B, again all blast-fragmentation in type.

<p id="l38" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The following table provides information on what radar bands were associated with certain guidance sections, and the subvariant designation. Designation Guidance Section Targeted Bands AGM-45A-1 Mk 23 Mod 0 E/F Band AGM-45A-2

<p id="l43" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-2 Mk 22 Mod 0/1/2 G Band AGM-45A-3

<p id="l47" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-3 Mk 24 Mod 0/1/34 Broad E/F Band AGM-45A-3A

<p id="l51" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-3A Mk 24 Mod 2/5 Narrow E/F Band AGM-45A-3B

<p id="l55" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-3B Mk 24 Mod 3 E/F Band AGM-45A-4

<p id="l59" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-4 Mk 25 Mod 0/1 G Band AGM-45A-6

<p id="l63" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-6 Mk 36 Mod 1 I Band AGM-45A-7

<p id="l67" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-7 Mk 37 Mod 0 E/F Band AGM-45A-9

<p id="l71" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-9 Mk 49 Mod 0 I Band AGM-45A-9A

<p id="l75" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-9A Mk 49 Mod 1 I Band, "G bias" AGM-45A-10

<p id="l79" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AGM-45B-10 Mk 50 Mod 0 E Band to I Band

<p id="l82" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">For unknown reasons, -5 and -8 were not produced. [edit] External links Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AGM-45 Shrike Search Wikisource Wikisource has several original texts related to: Audio recordings and transcripts with comments of actual Wild Weasel combat missions over Vietnam.

<p id="l87" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">* The AGM-45 Shrike at Designation Systems.net
 * International Signal and Control

<p id="l90" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[show] v • d • e USN drone and missile designations 1947–1962 Air-to-air missiles

<p id="l95" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AAM-N-2 • AAM-N-3 • AAM-N-4 • AAM-N-5 • AAM-N-6 • AAM-N-7 • AAM-N-9 • AAM-N-10 • AAM-N-11 Air-to-surface missiles

<p id="l98" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">ASM-N-2 • ASM-N-4 • ASM-N-5 • ASM-N-6 • ASM-N-7 • ASM-N-8 • ASM-N-10 • ASM-N-11 Air-to-underwater missiles

<p id="l101" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AUM-N-2 • AUM-N-4 • AUM-N-6 Surface-to-air missiles

<p id="l104" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">SAM-N-2 • SAM-N-4 • SAM-N-6 • SAM-N-7 • SAM-N-8 • SAM-N-8 • SAM-N-9 Surface-to-surface missiles

<p id="l107" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">SSM-N-2 • SSM-N-4 • SSM-N-6 • SSM-N-8 • SSM-N-9 (I) • SSM-N-9 (II) Surface-to-underwater missiles

<p id="l110" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">SUM-N-2 Test vehicles

<p id="l113" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Control: CTV-N-2 • CTV-N-4 • CTV-N-6 • CTV-N-8 • CTV-N-9 • CTV-N-10 Launching: LTV-N-2 • LTV-N-4 Propulsion: PTV-N-2 • PTV-N-4 Research and general testing: RTV-N-2 • RTV-N-4 • RTV-N-6 • RTV-N-8 • RTV-N-10 • RTV-N-12 • RTV-N-13 • RTV-N-15 • RTV-N-16 [show] v • d • e United States tri-service missile and drone designations post-1962 1–50

<p id="l122" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">MGM-1 • RIM-2 • MIM-3 • AIM-4 • MGM-5 • RGM-6 • AIM-7 • RIM-8 • AIM-9 • CIM-10 • PGM-11 • AGM-12 • CGM-13/MGM-13 • MIM-14 • RGM-15 • CGM-16 • PGM-17 • MGM-18 • PGM-19 • ADM-20 • MGM-21 • AGM-22 • MIM-23 • RIM-24 • HGM-25 • AIM-26 • UGM-27 • AGM-28 • MGM-29 • LGM-30 • MGM-31 • MGM-32 • MQM-33 • AQM-34 • AQM-35 • MQM-36 • AQM-37 • AQM-38 • MQM-39 • MQM-40 • AQM-41 • MQM-42 • FIM-43 • UUM-44 • AGM-45 • MIM-46 • AIM-47 • AGM-48 • LIM-49 • RIM-50 51–100

<p id="l125" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">MGM-51 • MGM-52 • AGM-53 • AIM-54 • RIM-55 • PQM-56 • MQM-57 • MQM-58 • RGM-59 • AQM-60 • MQM-61 • AGM-62 • AGM-63 • AGM-64 • AGM-65 • RIM-66 • RIM-67 • AIM-68 • AGM-69 • LEM-70 • BGM-71 • MIM-72 • UGM-73 • BQM-74/MQM-74 • BGM-75 • AGM-76 • FGM-77 • AGM-78 • AGM-79 • AGM-80 • AQM-81 • AIM-82 • AGM-83 • AGM-84/RGM-84/UGM-84 • RIM-85 • AGM-86 • AGM-87 • AGM-88 • UGM-89 • BQM-90 • AQM-91 • FIM-92 • XQM-93 • YQM-94 • AIM-95 • UGM-96 • AIM-97 • YQM-98 • LIM-99 • LIM-100 101–150

<p id="l128" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">RIM-101 • PQM-102 • AQM-103 • MIM-104 • MQM-105 • BQM-106 • MQM-107 • BQM-108 • BGM-109 • BGM-110 • BQM-111 • AGM-112 • RIM-113 • AGM-114 • MIM-115 • RIM-116 • FQM-117 • LGM-118 • AGM-119 • AIM-120 • CQM-121 • AGM-122 • AGM-123 • AGM-124 • RUM-125/UUM-125 • BQM-126 • AQM-127 • AQM-128 • AGM-129 • AGM-130 • AGM-131 • AIM-132 • UGM-133 • MGM-134 • ASM-135 • AGM-136 • AGM-137 • CEM-138 • RUM-139 • MGM-140 • ADM-141 • AGM-142 • MQM-143 • ADM-144 • BQM-145 • MIM-146 • BQM-147 • FGM-148 • PQM-149 • PQM-150 151–

<p id="l131" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">FQM-151 • AIM-152 • AGM-153 • AGM-154 • BQM-155 • RIM-156 • MGM-157 • AGM-158 • AGM-159 • ADM-160 • RIM-161 • RIM-162 • GQM-163 • MGM-164 • RGM-165 • MGM-166 • BQM-167 • MGM-168 • AGM-169 • MQM-170 • MQM-171 • FGM-172 • GQM-173 • RIM-174 See also: United States tri-service rocket designations post-1962 US Anti-radiation missiles · US ICBMs · US Air-to-air · USAF guided missiles · Category:Rockets and missiles [show] v • d • e Lists relating to aviation General Timeline of aviation · Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · Airports · Airlines (defunct) · Civil authorities · Museums Military Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft Accidents/incidents General · Military · Commercial (airliners) · Deaths Records Airspeed · Distance · Altitude · Endurance · Most-produced aircraft

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AGM-84 Harpoon here.The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Integrated Defense Systems). In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977. The missile system has also been further developed into a land-strike weapon, the Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM). <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The regular Harpoon uses active radar homing, and a low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory to improve survivability and lethality. The missile's launch platforms include: <p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The missile is comparable to the French-made Exocet, the Swedish RBS-15, the Russian SS-N-25 Switchblade, the British Sea Eagle and the Chinese Yingji.
 * <p id="l5" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Fixed-wing aircraft (the AGM-84, without the solid-fuel rocket booster)
 * <p id="l6" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Surface ships (the RGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster that detaches when expended, to allow the missile's main turbojet to maintain flight)
 * <p id="l7" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Submarines (the UGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and encapsulated in a container to enable submerged launch through a torpedo tube);
 * <p id="l8" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Coastal defense batteries, from which it would be fired with a solid-fuel rocket booster.

<p id="l12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Development

<p id="l14" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Early Harpoons

<p id="l16" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Harpoon was first introduced in 1977 after the sinking of the Israeli destroyer Eilat in 1967 by a Soviet-built Styx anti-ship missile from an Egyptian missile boat. Initially developed as an air-launched missile for the United States Navy P-3 Orion patrol planes, the Harpoon has been adapted for use on Air Force B-52H bombers, which can carry from eight to 12 of the missiles. The Harpoon has been procured by many U.S. allies, especially by the NATO countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, etc.

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Harpoon has also been adapted for use on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, in use by the USA, Singapore, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. It has been carried by several US Navy aircraft, including the P-3 Orion, the A-6 Intruder, the S-3 Viking, the AV-8B Harrier II, and the F/A-18 Hornet.

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Royal Australian Air Force can fire AGM-84 series missiles from its F-111C/G Aardvarks, F/A-18 Hornets, and P-3C Orion aircraft. The Royal Australian Navy deploys the Harpoon on major surface combatants and in the Collins-class submarines. The Spanish Air Force and the Chilean Navy are also AGM-84D customers and deploy the missiles on surface ships, F/A-18s, F-16s, and P-3 Orion aircraft. The British Royal Navy deploys the Harpoon on several types of surface ship and submarine, and the Royal Air Force uses it on the Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft. The Canadian frigate HMCS Regina (FFH 334) fires a Harpoon anti-ship missile during a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) sinking exercise.

<p id="l23" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Canadian Forces Maritime Command (Canadian Navy) uses Harpoons on its Halifax-class frigates. The Royal New Zealand Air Force has the capability of carrying the Harpoon on its five P-3 patrol planes as its only means of striking surface ships.

<p id="l25" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Republic of Singapore Air Force also operates five modified Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) which are fitted with sonars and sensors to fire the Harpoon missile. The Pakistani Navy uses the Harpoon on its naval frigates and P-3C Orions. The Turkish Navy uses Harpoons on surface combatants and Type-209 submarines. The Turkish Air Force will operate the SLAM-ER.

<p id="l27" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Fifty-seven Harpoons were reportedly sold to the Republic of China Air Force (china). The Taiwanese navy also includes four guided-missile destroyers and several guided-missile frigates with the capability of carrying the Harpoon, include the ex-USN Knox class frigates and the locally-built derivative of the Oliver Hazard Perry class.

<p id="l29" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Harpoon Block ID

<p id="l31" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">This version featured a larger fuel tank and re-attack capability, but was not produced in numbers because its intended mission (confrontation with the Soviet Union) was, after 1991, considered unlikely.

<p id="l33" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] SLAM ATA (Block IG)

<p id="l35" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">This version, under development, gives the SLAM a re-attack capability as well as an image comparison capability similar to the Tomahawk cruise missile; that is, the weapon can compare the target scene in front of it with an image stored in its on-board computer during terminal phase target acquisition and lock on.[1]

<p id="l37" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Harpoon Block II Harpoon Block II test firing from USS Decatur.

<p id="l40" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In production at Boeing facilities in Saint Charles, Missouri, is the Harpoon Block II, intended to offer an expanded engagement envelope, enhanced resistance to electronic countermeasures and improved targeting. Specifically, the Harpoon was initially designed as an open-ocean weapon. The Block II missiles continue progress begun with Block IE, and the Block II missile provides the Harpoon with a littoral water attack capability.

<p id="l42" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The key improvements of the Harpoon Block II are obtained by incorporating the inertial measurement unit from the Joint Direct Attack Munition program, and the software, computer, Global Positioning System (GPS)/inertial navigation system and GPS antenna/receiver from the SLAM Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), an upgrade to the SLAM.

<p id="l44" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Although initially tested from U.S. Navy ships, the decision was made to not procure Harpoon Block II for the U.S. Navy fleet. Boeing lists 28 foreign navies as Block II customers. ([link])

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Harpoon Block III

<p id="l48" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Harpoon Block III was intended to be an upgrade package to the existing USN Block 1C missiles and Command Launch Systems (CLS) for guided-missile cruisers, guided-missile destroyers, and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet airplane. After experiencing an increase in the scope of required government ship integration, test and evaluation, and a delay in development of a data-link, the Harpoon Block III program was canceled by the U.S. Navy in April 2009. Cancellation of Block III however does not preclude the possibility of continued incremental upgrades to the Harpoon missile and launching suite in the future.

<p id="l50" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Operational history

<p id="l52" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In 1981 and 1982 there were two accidental launches of Harpoon missiles from US and Danish surface ships.

<p id="l54" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In 1986, the United States Navy sank at least two Libyan patrol boats in the Gulf of Sidra. Two Harpoon missiles were launched from the USS Yorktown with no confirmed results and several others from A-6 Intruder aircraft that were said to have hit their targets.[2][3] Initial reports claimed that the USS Yorktown scored hits on a patrol boat, but action reports indicated that the target may have been a false one and that no ships were hit by those missiles.[4]

<p id="l56" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In 1988, Harpoon missiles were used to sink the Iranian frigate Sahand during Operation Praying Mantis. Another was fired at the Sina class missile boat Joshan, but failed to strike because the Fast Attack Craft (FAC) had already been mostly sunk by RIM-66 Standard missiles. An Iranian Harpoon was also fired at the guided missile cruiser USS Wainwright. The missile was successfully lured away by chaff.[5]

<p id="l58" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In December 1988, a Harpoon launched by an F/A-18 Hornet fighter from the aircraft carrier USS Constellation[6] killed one sailor when it struck the Jagvivek, a 250 ft (76 m) long Indian merchant ship, during an exercise at the Pacific Missile Range near Kauai, Hawaii. A Notice to Mariners had been issued warning of the danger, but the Jagvivek strayed into the test range, and the Harpoon, loaded with an inert dummy warhead, locked onto it instead of its intended target.

<p id="l60" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In June 2009 it was reported by a U.S.-based newspaper, citing unnamed officials from the US administration and US Congress, that the U.S. government had accused Pakistan of illegally modifying older Harpoon missiles to strike land-based targets. An unnamed Pakistani official was reported to have commented that the accusations were incorrect and the missile tested was developed domestically by Pakistan, also stating that Pakistan had given permission for US officials to inspect its Harpoon inventory. An independent expert cited by the report stated that the Pakistani version was credible because Pakistan was already producing more modern missiles based on domestic and foreign technology, hence modification of out-dated missiles such as the older Harpoon variant being unnecessary.[7][8][9] It was later confirmed that Pakistan and the U.S. administration had reached some sort of agreement allowing U.S. officials to inspect Pakistan's inventory of Harpoon missiles.[10] [11]

<p id="l62" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] General characteristics Harpoon Block II test firing from USS Thorn.
 * <p id="l65" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Primary function: Air-, surface-, or submarine-launched anti-surface (anti-ship) missile
 * <p id="l66" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Contractor: The McDonnell Douglas Astronautic Company - East
 * <p id="l67" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Power plant: Teledyne Teledyne J402 turbojet, 660 lb (300 kg)-force (2.9 kN) thrust, and a solid-propellant booster for surface and submarine launches
 * <p id="l68" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Length:

<p id="l69" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Air launched: 3.8 metres (12 ft) 7 in)

<p id="l70" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Surface and submarine launched: 4.6 metres (15 ft)
 * <p id="l71" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Weight:

<p id="l72" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Air launched: 519 kilograms (1,140 lb)

<p id="l73" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Submarine or ship launched from box or canister launcher: 628 kilograms (1,380 lb)
 * <p id="l74" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Diameter: 340 millimetres (13 in)
 * <p id="l75" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Wing span: 914 millimetres (36.0 in)
 * <p id="l76" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Maximum altitude: 910 metres (3,000 ft) with booster fins and wings
 * <p id="l77" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Range: Over-the-horizon (approx 50 nautical miles)

<p id="l78" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o AGM-84D: 220 km (120 nmi)

<p id="l79" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o RGM/UGM-84D: 140 km (75 nmi)

<p id="l80" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o AGM-84E: 93 km (50 nmi)

<p id="l81" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o AGM-84F: 315 km (170 nmi)

<p id="l82" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o AGM-84H/K: 280 km (150 nmi)
 * <p id="l83" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Speed: High subsonic, around 850 km/h (460 knots, 240 m/s, or 530 mph)
 * <p id="l84" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Guidance: Sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar altimeter, active radar terminal homing
 * <p id="l85" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Warhead: 221 kilograms (490 lb), penetration high-explosive blast
 * <p id="l86" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Unit cost: US$720,000
 * <p id="l87" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Date deployed:

<p id="l88" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Ship launched (RGM-84A): 1977

<p id="l89" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Air launched (AGM-84A): 1979

<p id="l90" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o Submarine launched (UGM-84A): 1981

<p id="l91" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o SLAM (AGM-84E): 1990

<p id="l92" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o SLAM-ER (AGM-84H): 1998 (delivery); 2000 (initial operational capability (IOC))

<p id="l93" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o SLAM-ER ATA (AGM-84K): 2002 (IOC)

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe McDonnell Douglas AGM-84 Harpoon tyeps SLAM AGM-8E here.The Harpoon missile provides the Navy and the Air Force with a common missile for air, ship, and submarine launches. The weapon system uses mid-course guidance with a radar seeker to attack surface ships. Its low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory, active radar guidance and warhead design assure high survivability and effectiveness. The Harpoon missile and its launch control equipment provide the warfighter capability to interdict ships at ranges well beyond those of other aircraft. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Harpoon missile was designed to sink warships in an open-ocean environment. Other weapons (such as the Standard and Tomahawk missiles) can be used against ships, but Harpoon and Penguin are the only missiles used by the United States military with anti-ship warfare as the primary mission. Once targeting information is obtained and sent to the Harpoon missile, it is fired. Once fired, the missile flys to the target location, turns on its seeker, locates the target and strikes it without further action from the firing platform. This allows the firing platform to engage other threats instead of concentrating on one at a time. <p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">An appropriately configured HARPOON can be launched from an AERO-65 bomb rack, AERO-7/A bomb rack, MK 6 canister, MK 7 shock resistant canister, MK 12 thickwall canister, MK 112 ASROC launcher, MK 8 and MK 116 TARTAR launcher, or submarine torpedo tube launcher.

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Submarines fire a capsule containing the Harpoon from their torpedo tubes. When the capsule breaches the surface, the top is blown off and the missile is launched. Aircraft launched Harpoons do not require a Booster. Depending upon launch conditions, the Harpoon engine generally will not start until after the missile is dropped from the wing. This allows firing from higher altitudes and longer range flights.

The Guidance Section consists of an active radar seeker and radome, Missile Guidance Unit (MGU), radar altimeter and antennas, and power converter. The MGU consists of a three-axis attitude reference assembly (ARA) and a digital computer/power supply (DC/PS). Prior to launch, the DC/PS is initialized with data by the Command Launch System. After launch, the DC/PS uses the missile acceleration data from the ARA and altitude data from the radar altimeter to maintain the missile on the programmed flight profile. After seeker target acquisition, the DC/PS uses seeker data to guide the missile to the target.

The Warhead Section consists of a target-penetrating, load-carrying steel structure containing 215 pounds of high explosive (DESTEX) and a safe-and-arm/contact fuze assembly. The safe-and-arm/contact fuze assembly ensures the warhead will not explode until after the missile is launched. It is designed to explode the warhead after impacting the target. The warhead section can be replaced by an exercise section which transmits missile performance data for collection and analysis.

The Sustainer Section consists of a fuel tank with JP-10 fuel, air inlet duct, and a jet engine. This provides the thrust to power the missile during sustained flight. The Sustainer Section has four fixed fins which provide lift.

The Control Section consists of four electromechanical actuators which use signals from the Guidance Section to turn four fins which control missile motion.

The Booster Section consists of a solid fuel rocket and arming and firing device. Surface and submarine platforms use a booster to launch Harpoon and propel it to a speed at which sustained flight can be achieved. The Booster Section separates from the missile before sustained flight begins.

<p id="l19" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The submarine Harpoon is contained within a capsule and is called ENCAP for encapsulated. The ENCAP is the same size and general shape of a blunt nosed torpedo and is launched from submarine torpedo tubes. It has positive buoyancy (it floats), so when it is ejected from the submarine, it will rise to the surface, without power. The ENCAP consists of a nosecap, main body and afterbody. The missile is on shock isolator rails within the main body. The afterbody has fins which direct the ENCAP towards the surface at the proper angle for missile launch. Once the ENCAP breaches the surface, the nosecap is blown off by a small rocket and the missile is launched.

<p id="l21" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Harpoon missile was developed in the early 1970s. Numerous upgrades have kept it at the forefront of missile capabilities, including the Block 1 introduced in 1978, and the Block 1B introduced in 1981. Today, the latest variant developed in 1982 called Block 1C is deployed by the United States military (Navy and Air Force) as well as US allies. New developments are constantly being evaluated. Although originally planned to be in use until 2015, there is no plan to develop a replacement by the USN. There are continuing, extensive efforts (testing and analysis) to ensure no detrimental effects of missile aging. With budget constraints projected into the future, Harpoon will be employed past 2015.

The AGM-84D Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system produced by Boeing [formerly McDonnell Douglas]. The Harpoon's active radar guidance, warhead design, and low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory assure high survivability and effectiveness. The missile is capable of being launched from surface ships, submarines, or (without the booster) from aircraft. The AGM-84D was first introduced in 1977, and in 1979 an air-launched version was deployed on the Navy's P-3 Orion aircraft. Originally developed for the Navy to serve as its basic anti-ship missile for fleetwide use, the AGM-84D also has been adapted for use on the Air Force's B-52G bombers, which can carry from eight to 12 of the missiles.

The AGM-84D Harpoon Block 1D (with a larger fuel tank and reattack capability) was developed in 1991. With the reduced threat because of the break-up of the Soviet Union, this upgrade was shelved and never produced.

The AGM-84E Harpoon/SLAM [Stand-Off Land Attack Missile] Block 1E is an intermediate range weapon system designed to provide day, night and adverse weather precision strike capability against high value land targets and ships in port. In the late 1980s, a land-attack missile was needed. Rather than design one from scratch, the US Navy took everything from Harpoon except the guidance and seeker sections, added a Global Positioning System receiver, a Walleye optical guidance system, and a Maverick data-link to create the Stand-off Land Attack Missile (SLAM). The AGM-84E uses an inertial navigation system with GPS, infrared terminal guidance, and is fitted with a Tomahawk warhead for better penetration. SLAM can be launched from land-based or aircraft carrier-based F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. It was employed successfully in Operation Desert Storm and UN relief operations in Bosnia prior to Operation Joint Endeavor.

The SLAM-ER (Expanded Response) Block 1F, a major upgrade to the SLAM missile that is currently in production, provides over twice the missile range, target penetration capability, and control range of SLAM. SLAM-ER has a greater range (150+ miles), a titanium warhead for increased penetration, and software improvements which allow the pilot to retarget the impact point of the missile during the terminal phase of attack (about the last five miles). In addition, many expansions are being made to improve performance, survivability, mission planning, and pilot (man-in-the-loop) interface. The SLAM-ER development contract was awarded to McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (Now BOEING) in February of 1995. SLAM-ER achieved its first flight in March of 1997. All Navy SLAM missiles are currently planned to be retrofitted to SLAM-ER configuration. About 500 SLAM missiles will be converted to the SLAM-ER configuration between FY 1997 and FY 2001.

The SLAM-ATA (Automatic Target Acquisition) Block 1G, a follow on enhancement to SLAM-ER with reattack capability and new seeker, is under development. SLAM-ERs equipped with ATA will match the seeker images of a target scene with an on-board reference image. This process will improve the missile's ability to strike targets in cluttered spaces, such as urban areas. It will also improve missile targeting capability in poor weather, counter measure protected environments, and better enable offset aimpoint targeting.

The Harpoon Block II is an upgrade program to improve the baseline capabilities to attack targets in congested littoral environments. The upgrade is based on the current Harpoon. Harpoon Block II will provide accurate long-range guidance for coastal, littoral and blue water ship targets by incorporating the low cost integrated Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) from the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) program currently under development by Boeing. GPS antennae and software from Boeing's Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and SLAM Expanded Response (SLAM ER) will be integrated into the guidance section. The improved littoral capabilities will enable Harpoon Block II to impact a designated GPS target point. The existing 500 pound blast warhead will deliver lethal firepower against targets which include coastal anti-surface missile sites and ships in port. For the anti-ship mission, the GPS/INS provides improved missile guidance to the target area. The accurate navigation solution allows target ship discrimination from a nearby land mass using shoreline data provided by the launch platform. These Block II improvements will maintain Harpoon's high hit probability while offering a 90% improvement in the separation distance between the hostile threat and local shorelines. Harpoon Block II will be capable of deployment from all platforms which currently have the Harpoon Missile system by using existing command and launch equipment. A growth path is envisioned for integration with the Vertical Launch System and modern integrated weapon control systems. With initiation of engineering and manufacturing development in 1998, initial operational capability for Block II will be available by 2001.

<p id="l35" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">At the direction of Headquarters Strategic Air Command, the Harpoon Air Command and Launch Control Set was fully integrated into a fully operational B-52G from Mather AFB, Calif., in March 1983. Three successful live launches at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Point Mugu, Calif., led to the modification of a total of 30 B-52Gs with Harpoon launch control equipment, enough to provide two squadrons of Harpoon-capable B-52Gs by June 30, 1985. The 42nd Bombardment Wing, Loring Air Force Base, Maine, and the 43rd Bombardment Wing, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, were first tasked to perform the Harpoon mission. Both wings refined tactics and doctrine to merge the long-range, heavy-payload capability of the B-52 with the proven reliability of this superior stand-off attack weapon.

<p id="l37" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">After Loring AFB closed and the retirement of the last B-52G at Castle AFB, Calif., the Harpoon mission was moved to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La. Four B-52H models were rapidly modified (as an interim measure) to accept Harpoon launch control equipment pending B-52H fleet modification. By 1997, all B-52H airframes were Harpoon capable, providing both the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., and the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale, full squadron strength capability.

<p id="l39" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Following five successful flight tests and the completion of developmental tests, in early 1998 the US Navy approved the second low-rate initial production lot of the Boeing Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response. The decision paved the way for Boeing to produce 22 SLAM ERs with an option for an additional 20. Interim flight clearance was granted by Commander Naval Air Systems Command for employment of SLAM ER AGM-84H missiles on F/A-18C/D aircraft in two configurations:

Configuration I: Stations 1 and 9: AIM-9, CATM-9 with/without Alrite laser reflector, or ballasted ARDS pod, or empty LAU-7; Stations 2 and 8: AGM-84H. Stations 5 and 7: 330 gallon fuel tank or AWW-13 pod or empty pylon. Station 6: Missile well cover or LAU-116.

Configuration II: Stations 1 and 9: AIM-9, CATM-9 with/without Alrite laser reflector, or ballasted EATS pod or ballasted ARDS pod, or empty LAU-7; Stations 2 and 8: AWW-13 or empty pylon; Stations 3 and 7: AGM-84H; Stations 4 and 6: Missile well cover or LAU-116; Station 5: 330 gallon fuel tank or AWW-13 pod or empty pylon.

<p id="l44" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Navy has proposed replacing the joint program for JASSM with SLAM-ER, prior to completion of the current program definition and risk reduction phase for JASSM. However, the SLAM-ER development and procurement schedule may be excessively concurrent. On the basis of a single controlled flight test, the Navy made a low rate initial production decision that will result in the procurement of approximately 19 percent of the total planned buy of SLAM-ER before the completion of development and operational testing. And flight tests of a SLAM-ER with operational seeker will not be conducted until Development Test II.

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Harpoon missile launcher can be mounted on a truck. Another truck holds the Command Launch System electronics and a generator. Park the two trucks, connect them with cables, and the anti-ship missile battery is ready to control straits or prevent ships from threatening friendly soil.

<p id="l48" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Specifications Primary Function: Air-to-surface anti-ship missile Mission Maritime ship attack Targets Maritime surface Service Navy and Air Force Contractor: Boeing [ex McDonnell Douglas] Power Plant: Teledyne Turbojet and solid propellant booster for surface and submarine launch Program status Operational

sea-launch air-launch SLAM SLAM-ER

<p id="l57" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">First capability 1977 1979 Thrust: 660 pounds Length: 15 feet (4.55 meters) 12 feet, 7 inches (3.79 meters) 14 feet, 8 inches (4.49 meters) Weight: 1,470 pounds (661.5 kilograms) 1,145 pounds (515.25 kilograms) 1,385 pounds (629.55 kilograms) Diameter: 13.5 inches (34.29 centimeters) Wingspan: 3 feet (91.44 centimeters) Range: Greater than 60 nautical miles 150+ miles Speed: 855 km/h Guidance System: Sea-skimming cruise with mid-course guidance monitored by radar altimeter, active seeker radar terminal homing inertial navigation system with GPS, infrared terminal guidance Warheads: Penetration high-explosive blast (488 pounds) Explosive Destex Fuze Contact Development cost $320.7 million Production cost $2,882.3 million Total acquisition cost $3,203.0 million Acquisition unit cost $527,416 Production unit cost $474,609 Quantity Navy: 5,983; Air Force: 90 Platforms A-6, F/A-18, S-3, P-3, B-52H, ships

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Boeing AGM-84HK SLAM-ER here.Boeing AGM-84HK SLAM-ER

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">he Standoff Land Attack Missile or SLAM is a subsonic over-the-horizon, all-weather standoff cruise missile which grew out of the United States Navy's Harpoon anti-ship missile in the 1970s

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Original SLAM

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">It is now difficult to see any visual similarities between the SLAM-ER and the Harpoon. However, the original SLAM very closely resembled the Harpoon because it shared most of its components with the Harpoon, despite being somewhat longer. This helped reduce development costs and allowed the system to be developed in 48 months. The original SLAM was developed at extremely short notice during the Gulf War to meet emergency requirements. A number of SLAMs were successfully fired at Iraqi coastal targets during the Gulf War. In fact, it was successfully employed by F/A-18 and A-6 aircrews in Desert Storm even before operational testing had begun. The longer length of the original SLAM compared to Harpoon meant that it flew in a slightly nose-up attitude while approaching the target. Current SLAM An F/A-18C carrying a SLAM-ER and two AN/AWW-13 datalink pods.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In its current incarnation, the SLAM-ER (Expanded Response), it is capable of attacking land and sea targets automatically, at long-range (155+ miles/250+ km), and can also be controlled remotely from the air. It relies on military-grade GPS and infrared imaging for navigation. It can strike both moving and stationary targets. It can be redirected to another target after launch if the original target has already been destroyed, or is no longer a priority.[2] SLAM-ER attained IOC in June 2000. It is extremely accurate, with the best CEP in the U.S. Navy.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">General Electric provides an Automatic Target Recognition Unit (ATRU)[3] which processes pre-launch and post-launch targeting data, allows high speed video comparison, and enables the SLAM-ER to be used in a true "fire and forget" manner. It also includes a "man-in-the-loop" mode, where the pilot/controller can designate the point of impact precisely, even if the target has no distinguishing infrared signature.[2] It can be launched and controlled by F-15, F/A-18, P-3 Orion and S-3 Viking.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The cost of a single SLAM-ER is $500,000. Specifications

Primary Role: Long range, air-launched precision land and sea attack cruise missile.

Contractor: Boeing.

Service History: 2000-present (SLAM-ER).

Unit Cost: $650,000.

Propulsion: Teledyne turbojet. Thrust is greater than 600 pounds.

Length: 172 inches (4.4 m).

Diameter: 13.5 inches (34.3 cm).

Wingspan: 86 inches (2.2 m).

Weight: 1,488 pounds (674.5 kg).

Speed: High Subsonic.

Range: Over-the-horizon, in excess of 135 nmi/250 km.

Guidance System: Ring Laser Gyro Inertial Navigation System (INS) with multi-channel GPS; infrared seeker for terminal guidance with data link from the controlling aircraft. Upgraded missiles incorporate Automatic Target Acquisition (ATA).

<p id="l31" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Users

South Korea

Turkey

United States

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe Boeing AGM-84HK SLAM-ER here.Boeing AGM-84HK SLAM-ER

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">he Standoff Land Attack Missile or SLAM is a subsonic over-the-horizon, all-weather standoff cruise missile which grew out of the United States Navy's Harpoon anti-ship missile in the 1970s

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Original SLAM

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">It is now difficult to see any visual similarities between the SLAM-ER and the Harpoon. However, the original SLAM very closely resembled the Harpoon because it shared most of its components with the Harpoon, despite being somewhat longer. This helped reduce development costs and allowed the system to be developed in 48 months. The original SLAM was developed at extremely short notice during the Gulf War to meet emergency requirements. A number of SLAMs were successfully fired at Iraqi coastal targets during the Gulf War. In fact, it was successfully employed by F/A-18 and A-6 aircrews in Desert Storm even before operational testing had begun. The longer length of the original SLAM compared to Harpoon meant that it flew in a slightly nose-up attitude while approaching the target. Current SLAM An F/A-18C carrying a SLAM-ER and two AN/AWW-13 datalink pods.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In its current incarnation, the SLAM-ER (Expanded Response), it is capable of attacking land and sea targets automatically, at long-range (155+ miles/250+ km), and can also be controlled remotely from the air. It relies on military-grade GPS and infrared imaging for navigation. It can strike both moving and stationary targets. It can be redirected to another target after launch if the original target has already been destroyed, or is no longer a priority.[2] SLAM-ER attained IOC in June 2000. It is extremely accurate, with the best CEP in the U.S. Navy.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">General Electric provides an Automatic Target Recognition Unit (ATRU)[3] which processes pre-launch and post-launch targeting data, allows high speed video comparison, and enables the SLAM-ER to be used in a true "fire and forget" manner. It also includes a "man-in-the-loop" mode, where the pilot/controller can designate the point of impact precisely, even if the target has no distinguishing infrared signature.[2] It can be launched and controlled by F-15, F/A-18, P-3 Orion and S-3 Viking.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The cost of a single SLAM-ER is $500,000. Specifications

Primary Role: Long range, air-launched precision land and sea attack cruise missile.

Contractor: Boeing.

Service History: 2000-present (SLAM-ER).

Unit Cost: $650,000.

Propulsion: Teledyne turbojet. Thrust is greater than 600 pounds.

Length: 172 inches (4.4 m).

Diameter: 13.5 inches (34.3 cm).

Wingspan: 86 inches (2.2 m).

Weight: 1,488 pounds (674.5 kg).

Speed: High Subsonic.

Range: Over-the-horizon, in excess of 135 nmi/250 km.

Guidance System: Ring Laser Gyro Inertial Navigation System (INS) with multi-channel GPS; infrared seeker for terminal guidance with data link from the controlling aircraft. Upgraded missiles incorporate Automatic Target Acquisition (ATA).

<p id="l31" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Users

South Korea

Turkey

United States

<p id="l1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AGM-84H SLAM-ER here.The Standoff Land Attack Missile or SLAM is a subsonic[1], over-the-horizon, all-weather standoff cruise missile which grew out of the United States Navy's Harpoon anti-ship missile in the 1970s.

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The original SLAM

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">It is now difficult to see any visual similarities between the SLAM-ER and the Harpoon. However, the original SLAM very closely resembled the Harpoon because it shared most of its components with the Harpoon, despite being somewhat longer. This helped reduce development costs and allowed the system to be developed within weeks. The original SLAM was developed at extremely short notice during the Gulf War to meet emergency requirements. It was notable for requiring two aircraft to employ it, ie one to launch the missile and another to provide the data-link. The longer length of the original SLAM compared to Harpoon meant that it flew in a slightly nose-up attitude whilst approaching the target. A number of SLAMs were successfully fired at Iraqi coastal targets during the Gulf War. Current SLAM

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In its current incarnation, the SLAM-ER (expanded response), it is capable of attacking land and sea targets automatically, at long-range (150+ miles), and can also be controlled remotely from the air. It relies on military-grade GPS and infrared imaging for navigation. It can strike both moving and stationary targets.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">General Electric provides an Automatic Target Recognition Unit (ATRU)[2] which processes pre-launch and post-launch targeting data, allows high speed video comparison, and enables the SLAM-ER to be used in a true "Fire and Forget" manner.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The cost of a single SLAM-ER is US$720,000.

The Users of SLAM

South Korea

Turkey

United States

Variants
 * <p id="l22" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">AGM-84E — Basic SLAM
 * <p id="l23" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">AGM-84H — SLAM-ER
 * <p id="l24" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">AGM-84K — Internally improved AGM-84H
 * <p id="l25" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">SLAM-ER ATA — Version with autonomous target acquisition capability: operated by Republic of Korea Air Force & Turkish Air Force

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe ASM-135 ASAT here.The ASM-135 ASAT is an air-launched anti-satellite multi stage missile that was developed by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) Aerospace. The ASM-135 was carried exclusively by the United  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">States Air Force (USAF)'s F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft.

<p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Development

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Starting in the late 1950s, the United States began development of anti-satellite weapons. The first United States anti-satellite weapon was Bold Orion Weapon System 119B. Like the ASM-135, the Bold Orion missile was air launched; but in this case from a B-47 Stratojet. The Bold Orion was tested in 19 October 1959 against the Explorer 6 satellite.[1] The two-stage Bold Orion missile passed within 4 miles (6.4 km) of Explorer 6. From this distance, only a relatively large yield nuclear warhead would likely have destroyed the target.[2]

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Starting in 1960 the Department of Defense (DoD) started a program called SPIN (SPace INtercept).[1] In 1962, the United States Navy air launched rockets from an F-4D fighter as part of Project Hi-Hoe with the objective of developing an anti-satellite weapon.[3][4]

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The United States developed direct ascent anti-satellite weapons. A United States Army Nike Zeus missile armed with a nuclear warhead destroyed an orbiting satellite in May 1963.[5] One missile from this system known as Project MUDFLAP and later as Project 505 was available for launch from 1964 until 1967.[5] A nuclear armed Thor anti-satellite system deployed by the United States Air Force under Program 437 eventually replaced the Project 505 Nike Zeus in 1967. The Program 437 Thor missile system remained in limited deployment until 1975.[6]. One drawback of nuclear armed anti-satellite weapons was they could also potentially damage United States reconnaissance satellites. As a result the United States anti-satellite weapons development effort were re-directed to develop systems that did not require the use of nuclear weapons.[5]

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">After the Soviet Union demonstrated an operational co-orbital anti-satellite system, in 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter directed the USAF to develop and deploy a new anti-satellite system.[7]

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In 1978, the USAF started a new program initially designated the Prototype Miniature Air-Launched Segment (PMALS) and Air Force System Command's Space Division established a system program office.[7] The USAF issued a Request for Proposal for the Air Launched Miniature Vehicle. The requirement was for an air-launched missile that could be used against satellites in low earth orbit. [edit] Design

<p id="l16" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In 1979, the USAF issued a contract to LTV Aerospace to begin work on the ALMV. The LTV Aerospace design featured a multi-stage missile with a infrared homing kinetic energy warhead.[8]

<p id="l18" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The ASM-135 was launched from an F-15A in a supersonic zoom climb. The F-15's mission computer and heads-up display were modified to provide steering directions for the pilot.[8]

<p id="l20" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">A modified Boeing AGM-69 SRAM missile with a Lockheed Propulsion Company LPC-415 solid propellant two pulse rocket engine was used as the first stage of the ASM-135 ASAT.[9]

<p id="l22" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The LTV Aerospace Altair 3 was used as the second stage of the ASM-135.[10] The Altair 3 used the Thiokol FW-4S solid propellant rocket engine. The Altair 3 stage was also used as the fourth stage for the Scout rocket [10] and had been previously used in both the Bold Orion and HiHo anti-satellite weapons efforts.[3] The Altair was equipped with Hydrazine fueled thrusters that could be used to point the missile towards the target satellite.

<p id="l24" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">LTV Aerospace also provided the third stage for the ASM-135 ASAT. This stage was called Miniature Homing Vehicle (MHV) intercepter. Prior to being deployed the second stage was used to spin the MHV up to approximately 30 revolutions per second and point the MHV towards the target.[11]

<p id="l26" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">A Honeywell ring laser gyroscope was used for spin rate determination and to obtain an inertial timing reference before the MHV separated from the second stage.[11] The infrared sensor was developed by Hughes Research Laboratories. The sensor utilized a strip detector where four strips of Indium Bismuth were arranged in a cross and four strips were arranged as logarithmic spirals. As the detector was spun, the infrared target's position could be measured and as it crossed the strips in the sensors field of view. The MHV infrared detector was cooled by liquid helium from a dewar installed in place of the F-15's gun ammunition drum and from a smaller dewar located in the second stage of the ASM-135. Cryogenic lines from the second stage were retracted prior to the spin up of the MHV.[11]

<p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The MHV guidance system solely tracked targets in the field of view of the infrared sensor, but did not determine altitude, attitude, or range to the target. Direct Proportional Line of Sight guidance used information from the detector to maneuver and null out any line-of-sight change. A Bang-bang control system was used to fire 56 full charge "divert" and lower thrust 8 half charge "end-game" solid rocket motors arranged around the circumference of the MHV. The half charge 8 "end-game" motors were used to perform finer trajectory adjustments just prior to intercepting the target satellite. Four pods at the rear of the MHV contained small attitud



<p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">e control rocket motors. These motors were used to dampen off center rotation by the MHV.[11] [edit] Test launches

<p id="l31" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">On 21 December 1982, an F-15A was used to perform the first captive carry ASM-135 test flight from the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California in the United States.[7]

<p id="l33" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">On 20 August 1985 President Reagan authorized a test against a satellite. The test was delayed to provide notice to the United States Congress. The target was the Solwind P78-1, an orbiting solar observatory that was launched on 24 February 1979.[7]

<p id="l35" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">On 13 September 1985, Maj. Wilbert D. "Doug" Pearson, flying the "Celestial Eagle" F-15A 76-0084 launched an ASM-135 ASAT about 200 miles (322 km) west of Vandenberg Air Force Base and destroyed the Solwind P78-1 satellite flying at an altitude of 345 miles (555 km). Prior to the launch the F-15 flying at Mach 1.22 executed a 3.8g zoom climb at an angle of 65 degrees. The ASM-134 ASAT was automatically launched at 38,100 ft while the F-15 was flying at Mach .934.[7] The 30 lb (13.6 kg) MHV collided with the 2,000 lb (907 kg) Solwind P78-1 satellite at closing velocity of 15,000 mph (24,140 km/h).[9] An F-15 Eagle launches the ASM-135 during the final test, which destroyed the Solwind P78-1 satellite.

<p id="l38" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">NASA learned of U.S. Air Force plans for the Solwind ASAT test in July 1985. NASA modeled the effects of the test. This model determined that debris produced would still be in orbit in the 1990s. It would force NASA to enhance debris shielding for its planned space station.[12]

<p id="l40" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Earlier the U.S. Air Force and NASA had worked together to develop a Scout-launched target vehicle for ASAT experiments. NASA advised the U.S. Air Force on how to conduct the ASAT test to avoid producing long-lived debris. However, congressional restrictions on ASAT tests intervened.[12]

<p id="l42" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In order to complete an ASAT test before an expected Congressional ban took effect (as it did in October 1985), the DoD determined to use the existing

<p id="l42" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Solwind astrophysics satellite as a target.[12]

<p id="l44" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">NASA worked with the DoD to monitor the effects of the tests using two orbital debris telescopes and a reentry radar deployed to Alaska.[12]

<p id="l46" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">NASA assumed the torn metal would be bright. Surprisingly, the Solwind pieces turned out to appear so dark as to be almost undetectable. Only two pieces were seen. NASA Scientists theorized that the unexpected Solwind darkening was due to carbonization of organic compounds in the target satellite; that is, when the kinetic energy of the projectile became heat energy on impact, the plastics inside Solwind vaporized and condensed on the metal pieces as soot.[12]

<p id="l48" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">NASA utilized U.S. Air Force infrared telescopes to show that the pieces were warm with heat absorbed from the Sun. This added weight to the contention that they were dark with soot and not reflective. The pieces decayed quickly from orbit, implying a large area-to-mass ratio. According to NASA, as of January 1998, 8 of 285 trackable pieces remained in orbit.[12]

<p id="l50" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Solwind test had three important results: <p id="l56" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In the end, the Solwind ASAT test had few consequences for the planned U.S. space station as station completion was pushed beyond the mid-1990s. The record-high level of solar activity during the 1989-1991 solar maximum heated and expanded the atmosphere more than anticipated in 1985, accelerating Solwind debris decay.[12] ASM-135 Test Launches Flight Number Date Description 1 21 January 1984 Missile successfully tested without miniature vehicle 2 13 November 1984 Missile failed when MHV was directed at
 * <p id="l52" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">It raised the possibility that the objects optical systems were detecting were large and dark, not small and bright as was generally assumed. This had implications for the calibration of optical and radar orbital debris detection systems.
 * <p id="l53" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">The test also created a baseline event for researchers seeking a characteristic signature of a hypervelocity collision in space.
 * <p id="l54" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Awareness was raised about the orbital debris problem.

<p id="l56" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">a star. 3 13 September 1985 Missile successfully destroys the satellite P78-1 Solwind 4 22 August 1986 Missile successfully tested when MHV was directed at a star. 5 29 September 1986 Missile successfully tested when MHV was directed at a star.

<p id="l64" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">15 ASM-135 ASAT missiles were produced and 5 missiles were flight tested.[9] [edit] Operational history

<p id="l67" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The United States Air Force intended to modify 20 F-15A fighters from the 318th Fighter Intercepter Squadron based at McChord Air Force Base in the United States state of Washington and the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Langley Air Force Base in the United States state of Virginia for the anti-satellite mission. Both squadrons had airframes modified to support the ASM-135 by the time the project was cancelled in 1988.[13]

<p id="l69" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The USAF had planned to deploy an operational force of 112 ASM-135 missiles.[8]

<p id="l71" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The deployment of the ASM-135 was central to a policy debate in the United States over the strategic need for an anti-satellite weapon and the potential for anti-satellite weapon arms control with the Soviet Union. Starting in 1983, the United States Cong

<p id="l71" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">ress starting placing various restrictions on the ASM-135 program.[6] In December 1985, included a ban on testing the ASM-135 on a target in space. This decision was made only a day after the Air Force sent two target satellites into orbit for its next round of tests. The Air Force continued to test the ASAT system in 1986, but stayed within the limits of the ban by not engaging a space-borne target.[14]

<p id="l73" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In the same year the deployment of the ASM-135 was estimated to cost $5.3 billion dollars (US) up from the original $500 million dollar (US) estimate. The USAF scaled back the ASM-135 program by two-thirds in attempt to control costs.[3] The USAF also never strongly supported the program and proposed canceling the program in 1987.[6] In 1988, the Reagan Administration canceled the ASM-135 program because of technical problems, testing delays, and significant cost growth.[3] F-15A With ASM-135 ASAT drawing.png [edit] Variants <p id="l80" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Operator *<p id="l82" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">United States
 * <p id="l77" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">ASM-135 - 15 missiles produced.
 * <p id="l78" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">CASM-135 - Captive carry version of ASM-135A with warhead simulator and inert motors.

<p id="l83" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">o United States Air Force <p id="l85" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Survivors
 * <p id="l87" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">CASM-135 currently on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, United States.
 * <p id="l88" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">CASM-135 currently in storage at the National Museum of the Un

<p id="l88" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">ited States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, United States. <p id="l90" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">[edit] Popular culture
 * <p id="l92" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">The ASM-135 features prominently in the Tom Clancy novel Red Storm Rising. Two USSR RORSATs are knocked out by F-15 launched ASATs.
 * <p id="l93" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Capt. Todd Pearson son of Major General Wilbert D. "Doug" Pearson (ret.) flew the exact same F-15 Eagle (Celestial Eagle 76-0084), now assigned to the Florida Air National Guard 125th Fighter Wing on 13 September 2007. 22 years earlier the same aircraft had been used by Major General Pearson to accomplish the only successful satellite kill by an aircraft launched missile in history.
 * <p id="l94" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">The ASM-135 is featured on a 1:72 scale die-cast aircraft model from Dragon Models Limited.[15]

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe AIM-95 Agile here.AIM-95 Agile <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;"> <p id="l3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-95 Agile was an air-to-air missile developed by the United States of America. It was developed by the US Navy to equip the F-14 Tomcat, replacing the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Around the same time, the US Air Force was designing the AIM-82 to equip their F-15 Eagle, and later dropped their efforts to join the Agile program. In the end, newer versions of Sidewinder would close the performance gap so much that the Agile program was cancelled.

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-95 was developed at the China Lake Naval Weapons Center as an advanced replacement for the AIM-9 Sidewinder short range air-to-air missile. The Agile was equipped with an infrared seeker for fire and forget operation. The seeker head had a high off-boresight lock-on capability capable of being targeted by a Helmet Mounted Sight (HMS), allowing it to be fired at targets which were not directly ahead—thus making it far easier to achieve a firing position. The solid-propellant rocket used thrust vectoring for control giving it superior turning capability over the Sidewinder.

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The US Air Force was developing the AIM-82 missile to equip the F-15 Eagle at the same time. Since both missiles were more or less identical in their role, it was decided to abandon the AIM-82 in favour of the Agile. AIMVAL

<p id="l10" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">AIMVAL VX-5 F-4 Phantom with prototype Agile seekers

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The AIM-95A was developed to a point where flight tests were carried out including test firing at China Lake and inclusion in the ACEVAL/AIMVAL Joint Test & Evaluation conducted with both the F-14 and F-15 at Nellis AFB in 1975-78. AIMVAL analysis results indicating limited utility of higher high boresight capability and high cost resulted in opinion that it was no longer regarded as affordable and the project was cancelled in 1975. Instead an improved version of the Sidewinder was developed for use by both the Air Force and Navy. Although this was intended to be an interim solution, in fact the AIM-9 continues in service today.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The Soviet Union did embark on development of an advanced high boresight SRM with thrust vectoring and subsequently fielded the AA-11/R-73 Archer on the MiG-29 in 1985.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Describe General-purpose bomb here.General-purpose bomb

<p id="l5" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">General-purpose (GP) bombs use a thick-walled metal casing with explosive filler (typically TNT, Composition B, or Tritonal in NATO or United States service) composing about 50% of the bomb's total weight. (The British term for a bomb of this type is "medium case" or "medium capacity",(abbreviated to MC). The GP bomb is a common weapon of fighter bomber and attack aircraft because it is useful for a variety of tactical applications and relatively cheap.

<p id="l7" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">General-purpose bombs are often identified by their weight (e.g., 500 lb, 250 kg). In many cases this is strictly a nominal weight, or caliber, and the actual weight of each individual weapon may vary depending on its retardation, fusing, carriage, and guidance systems. For example, the actual weight of a U.S. M117 bomb, nominally 750 lb (340 kg), is typically around 820 lb (374 kg).

<p id="l9" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Most modern air-dropped GP bombs are designed to minimize drag for the carrier aircraft.

<p id="l11" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In low-altitude attacks, there is a danger of the attacking aircraft being caught in the blast of its own weapons. To address this problem, GP bombs are often fitted with retarders, parachutes or pop-out fins that slow the bomb's descent to allow the aircraft time to escape the detonation.

<p id="l13" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">GP bombs can be fitted with a variety of fuses and fins for different uses. One notable example is the "daisy cutter" fuse used on Vietnam-era American weapons, an extended probe designed to ensure that the bomb would detonate on contact (even with foliage) rather than burying itself in earth or mud, which would reduce its effectiveness.

<p id="l15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">GP bombs are commonly used as the warheads for more sophisticated precision-guided munitions. Affixing various types of seeker and electrically controlled fins turns a basic 'iron' bomb into a laser-guided bomb (like the U.S. Paveway series), an electro-optical guided bomb, or, more recently, GPS-guided weapon (like the U.S. JDAM). The combination is cheaper than a true guided missile (and can be more easily upgraded or replaced in service), but substantially more accurate than an unguided bomb.

<p id="l17" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Modern American GP bombs: the Mark 80 series

<p id="l19" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">During the Korean War and Vietnam War the U.S. used older designs like the M117 and M118, which had a higher explosive content (about 65%) than most current weapons. Although some of these weapons remain in the U.S. arsenal, they are little used, and the M117 is primarily carried only by the B-52 Stratofortress.

<p id="l21" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">The primary U.S. GP bombs are the Mark 80 series. This class of weapons uses a shape known as Aero 1A, designed by Ed Heinemann of Douglas Aircraft as the result of studies in 1946. It has a length-to-diameter ratio of about 8:1, and results in minimum drag for the carrier aircraft. The Mark 80 series was not used in combat until the Vietnam War, but has since that time replaced most earlier GP weapons. It includes four basic weapon types: <p id="l28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Vietnam service showed the Mk 81 "Firecracker" to be insufficiently effective, and it was withdrawn from U.S. service. However, recently precision-guided variants of the Mk 81 bomb have begun a return to service, based on U.S. experience in Iraq after 2003, and the desire to reduce collateral damage compared to Mk 82 and larger bombs (e.g., when attacking a single small building in a populated area).
 * <p id="l23" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mark 81 - nominal weight 250 lb (113 kg)
 * <p id="l24" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mark 82 - nominal weight 500 lb (227 kg)
 * <p id="l25" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mark 83 - nominal weight 1,000 lb (454 kg)
 * <p id="l26" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mark 84 - nominal weight 2,000 lb (908 kg)

<p id="l30" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Since the Vietnam War, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps GP bombs are distinguished by a thick ablative fire-retardant coating, which is designed to delay any potential accidental explosion in the event of a shipboard fire. Land-based air forces typically do not use such coatings, largely because they add some 30 lb (14 kg) to the weight of the complete weapon.[citation needed]

Describe Long Range Land Attack Projectile here.The Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) is a developmental program to produce a precision guided 155 mm naval artillery shell for the U.S. Navy. The system is under development by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, the prime contractor being BAE Systems. In cooperation with BAE a version of LRLAP has been designed to be used with the 5"/45 naval The LRLAP uses a base bleed rocket assistance, and an extended range fin glide trajectory, the warhead effectiveness is comparable to that of the new M795 artillery shell,and it is capable of 6 round MRSI impact in a span of 2 seconds.It uses a blast-frag munition.

pecifications

Caliber: 155 mm.

Weight:

Total: 225 lb (102 kg).

Bursting charge: 24 lb (11 kg).

Length (propellant and projectile): 88 in (223 cm).

Guidance: GPS/INS.

Accuracy: Circular error probable of 50 m or less.

Range: 100 nautical miles (190 km) max. (Different sources report 83 nautical miles (150 km), or 74 nautical miles (140 km).

Warhead: Unitary high-explosive.

5"/54 mk. 45

Caliber: 5in.

Weight:

Length (propellant and projectile):

Guidance: GPS/INS.

Accuracy:

Range: 53 nautical miles (100 km) max.

Warhead: Unitary high-explosive.

Program status

June 2005 - Successful guided flight test of the LRLAP sets gun-launched guided projectile range record of 59 nautical miles (109 km).

September 2010 - Successful unguided flight test.

August 2011 - Two live fire tests of 45 nautical miles range.

Describe gbu-120 pave spike here.gbu-120 pave spikeA thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures.

Mechanism

Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxygen premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 15% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.

In contrast to condensed explosive where oxidation in a confined region produces a blast front from essentially a point source, here a flame front accelerates to a large volume producing pressure fronts both within the mixture of fuel and oxidant and then in the surrounding air.

Thermobaric explosives apply the principles underlying accidental unconfined vapor cloud explosions (UVCE), which include those from dispersions of flammable dusts and droplets. In previous times they were most often encountered in flour mills and their storage containers, and later in coal mines, but now most commonly in discharged oil tankers and refineries, the most recent being at Buncefield in the UK where the blast wave woke people 150 kilometresmi) from its centre.

A typical weapon consists of a container packed with a fuel substance, in the center of which is a small conventional-explosive "scatter charge". Fuels are chosen on the basis of the exothermicity of their oxidation, ranging from powdered metals such as aluminium or magnesium, or organic materials, possibly with a self-contained partial oxidant. The most recent development involves the use of nanofuels.

A thermobaric bomb's effective yield requires the most appropriate combination of a number of factors; among these are how well the fuel is dispersed, how rapidly it mixes with the surrounding atmosphere and the initiation of the igniter and its position relative to the container of fuel. In some cases separate charges are used to disperse and ignite the fuel. In other designs stronger cases allow the fuel to be contained long enough for the fuel to heat to well above its auto-ignition temperature, so that, even its cooling during expansion from the container, results in rapid ignition once the mixture is within conventional flammability limits.

It is important to note that conventional upper and lower limits of flammability apply to such weapons. Close in, blast from the dispersal charge, compressing and heating the surrounding atmosphere, will have some influence on the lower limit. The upper limit has been demonstrated strongly to influence the ignition of fogs above pools of oil. This weakness may be eliminated by designs where the fuel is preheated well above its ignition temperature, so that its cooling during its dispersion still results in a minimal ignition delay on mixing.

In confinement, a series of reflective shock waves are generated, which maintain the fireball and can extend its duration to between 10 and 50 msec as exothermic recombination reactions occur.[ Further damage can result as the gases cool and pressure drops sharply, leading to a partial vacuum, powerful enough to cause physical damage to people and structures. This effect has given rise to the misnomer "vacuum bomb". Piston-type afterburning is also believed to occur in such structures, as flame-fronts accelerate through it.[ The overpressure within the detonation can reach 430 psi (3.0 megapascals) and the temperature can be 4,500 to 5,400 °F (2,500 to 3,000 °C). Outside the cloud the blast wave travels at over 2 miles per second (3.2 km/s).

Current US FAE munitions include:

BLU-73 FAE I BLU-95 500-lb (FAE-II) BLU-96 2,000-lb (FAE-II) CBU-55 FAE I CBU-72 FAE I The XM1060 40-mm grenade is a small-arms thermobaric device, which was delivered to U.S. forces in April 2003.[43] Since the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, the US Marine Corps has introduced a thermobaric 'Novel Explosive' (SMAW-NE) round for the Mk 153 SMAW rocket launcher. One team of Marines reported that they had destroyed a large one-story masonry type building with one round from 100 yards (91 m). The 48-pound (22 kg) AGM-114N Hellfire Metal Augmented Charge introduced in 2003 in Iraq contains a thermobaric explosive fill, using fluoridated aluminium layered between the charge casing and a PBXN-112 explosive mixture. When the PBXN-112 detonates, the aluminium mixture is dispersed and rapidly burns. The resultant sustained high pressure is extremely effective against people and structures.[45]

Improvised uses

Thermobaric and fuel-air explosives have been used in guerrilla warfare since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing in Lebanon which used a gas-enhanced explosive mechanism, probably propane, butane or acetylene.[46] The explosive used by the bombers in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing incorporated the FAE principle, using three tanks of bottled hydrogen gas to enhance the blast.[47][48] In 2002, Jemaah Islamiyah bombers used a shocked dispersed solid fuel charge,[49] based on the thermobaric principle,[50] to attack the Sari nightclub in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Describe pave knife gbu 225 here.pave knife gbu 225he BLU-118/B nomenclature was first reported on 21 December 2001, and this weapon is clearly unrelated to the BLU-118 500 lb. napalm canister used during the Vietnam war.

The BLU-118/B is a penetrating warhead filled with an advanced thermobaric explosive that, when detonated, generates higher sustained blast pressures in confined spaces such as tunnels and underground facilities. The BLU-118/B uses the same penetrator body as the standard BLU-109 weapon. The significant difference is the replacement of the high explosive fill with a new thermobaric explosive that provides increased lethality in confined spaces.

The BLU-118/B warhead uses a Fuze Munition Unit (FMU)-143J/B to initiate the explosive. The FMU-143 fuze has been modified with a new booster and a 120-millisecond delay. All weapon guidance systems and employment options currently used with the BLU-109 warhead are compatible with the new BLU-118/B warhead.

BLU-118/B payload candidates included PBXIH-135 [one of the Navy's new insensitive polymer bonded explosives], HAS-13, or SFAE [solid fuel air explosive] loaded into existing BLU-109 Weapon Bodies. Conventional high explosives (CHE) are characterized by a sensitivity to mechanical or thermal energy. Insensitive high explosives (IHE), on the other hand, require extraordinarily high stimuli before violent reaction occurs. Insensitive explosives reliably fulfil their performance, readiness and operational requirements on demand, but the violence of response to unplanned hazardous stimuli is restricted to an acceptable level. This means that when a munition is in a fire, hit by a fragment, bullet or high velocity projectile or subject to some other hazard the result will not be a detonation or a violent reaction of the explosive and propellant; no more than severe burning will ocur [such a deflagration is an exothermic reaction that occurs particle to particle at subsonic speed]. Some insensitive explosives are known to react in a different way to conventional explosives. For instance, detonation reactions are slower but more energy is released in a way that has the potential to produce a lot more damage.

The BLU-118/B bomb body can be attached to a variety of laser guidance system packages, including the GBU-15, GBU-24, GBU-27, and GBU-28 laser guided bombs, as well as the AGM-130 missiles.

BLU-118B weapon operational concepts include vertical delivery with the bomb detonated at or just outside portal, skip bomb with short fuse (1st or second contact), skip bomb with long fuse (penetrate door, max distance down adit), and vertical delivery to penetrate overburden and detonate inside the tunnel adit.

In October 2001 the Department of Defense accelerated a number of programs being pursued as Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTD) that could be used in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) organized a quick-response team on October 11, 2001, that included Navy, Air Force, Department of Energy and industry experts to identify, test, integrate and field a rapid solution that would enhance weapons options in countering hardened underground targets.

Explosive experts at the Naval Surface Weapons Center, Indian Head, MD, responded with a developmental explosive that provided enhanced internal blast effects. The Air Force Precision Strike Program Office at Eglin AFB, FL, led the team performing the weapon system integration, safety and flight clearances, and produced a modified fuzing system for the new warhead. The Indian Head facility conducted static testing of the fuze to demonstrate reliable initiation of the new explosive. Indian Head experts were called upon to provide the energetic solution, as PBXIH-135 was selected as the thermobaric bomb fill for the Air Force BLU-109 bombs. This new thermobaric bomb, designated as BLU-118/B, was developed within 67 days and subsequently supported Operation Enduring Freedom. Both static and flight tests were then conducted at full-scale tunnel facilities at the Nevada Test Site.

The BLU-118B was successfully tested at the Nevada Test Site on 14 December 2001. During that test, a Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-24 laser-guided weapon using the BLU-118B warhead was dropped from an F-15E attack aircraft. The laser-guided bomb was "skipped" into a tunnel and exploded with a delayed fuze, which produced a significant growth in overpressure and temperature in the tunnel. When compared to the standard BLU-109 explosive, results showed the new thermobaric weapon generated a significant improvement in overpressure and pressure-impulse in the tunnel complex. The test culminated a two-month accelerated effort to rapidly transition a developmental explosive to improve lethality against underground facilities. DTRA weaponized and delivered (within 60 days) 10 thermobaric-filled air delivered munitions (BLU-118B) designed to enhance lethality in tunnel environments.

On 21 December 2001 Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Edward C. Aldridge officially announced that a small number of the weapons were being deployed to attack tunnels in Afghanistan. As of late January 2002, the Air Force had completed verification and validation of the technical data and operational flight clearances needed to deploy the BLU-118B warhead. Ten warheads were, as a result, immediately made available to the U.S. Air Force for deployment. These are compatible with the GBU-15, GBU-24, and Air-launched Surface-attack Guided Missile (AGM)-130 weapon systems for employment by U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft.

On or about Sunday 03 March 2002 a single 2,000-pound thermobaric bomb was used for the first time in combat against cave complexes in which al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters had taken refuge in the Gardez region of Afghanistan.

Describe gbu-141 thump-er/Gbu-144 Thumper Mk4/Gbu-142 Thumper Mk2/Gbu-143 Thumper Mk3 here.gbu-141 thump-er A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures. There are many different variants of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand held launchers such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons.

Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures. There are many different variants of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand held launchers such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons.

Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers. A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures. There are many different variants of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand held launchers such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons.

Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures. There are many different variants of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand held launchers such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons.

Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.

Describe GBU-50 crusher GBU 60 THUMP here.Most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (gunpowder, for example, contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer), whereas thermobaric weapons are almost 100% fuel, so thermobaric weapons are significantly more energetic than conventional condensed explosives of equal weight. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude, and in adverse weather. They do however cause considerably more destruction when used inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers - partly due to the sustained blast wave, and partly by consuming the available oxygen inside that confined space There are many different types of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand-held launchersTerminology

The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for "heat" and "pressure": thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic.

Other terms used for this family of weapons are high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), heat and pressure weapons, vacuum bombs, or fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX). Mechanism

In contrast to condensed explosive, where oxidation in a confined region produces a blast front from essentially a point source, a flame front accelerates to a large volume producing pressure fronts both within the mixture of fuel and oxidant and then in the surrounding air.[2]

Thermobaric explosives apply the principles underlying accidental unconfined vapor cloud explosions, which include those from dispersions of flammable dusts and droplets.[3] Previously, such explosions were most often encountered in flour mills and their storage containers, and later in coal mines; but, now, most commonly in discharged oil tankers and refineries, including an incident at Buncefield in the UK in 2005 where the blast wave woke people 150 kilometres (93 mi) from its centre.[4]

A typical weapon consists of a container packed with a fuel substance, in the center of which is a small conventional-explosive "scatter charge". Fuels are chosen on the basis of the exothermicity of their oxidation, ranging from powdered metals, such as aluminium or magnesium, or organic materials, possibly with a self-contained partial oxidant. The most recent development involves the use of nanofuels.[5][6]

A thermobaric bomb's effective yield requires the most appropriate combination of a number of factors; among these are how well the fuel is dispersed, how rapidly it mixes with the surrounding atmosphere, and the initiation of the igniter and its position relative to the container of fuel. In some cases, separate charges are used to disperse and ignite the fuel.[citation needed] In other designs, stronger cases allow the fuel to be contained long enough for the fuel to heat to well above its auto-ignition temperature, so that, even its cooling during expansion from the container, results in rapid ignition once the mixture is within conventional flammability limits.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

It is important to note that conventional upper and lower limits of flammability apply to such weapons. Close in, blast from the dispersal charge, compressing and heating the surrounding atmosphere, will have some influence on the lower limit. The upper limit has been demonstrated strongly to influence the ignition of fogs above pools of oil.[18] This weakness may be eliminated by designs where the fuel is preheated well above its ignition temperature, so that its cooling during its dispersion still results in a minimal ignition delay on mixing. The continual combustion of the outer layer of fuel molecules as they come into contact with the air, generates additional heat which maintains the temperature of the interior of the fireball, and thus sustains the detonation.[19][20][21]

In confinement, a series of reflective shock waves are generated,[22][23] which maintain the fireball and can extend its duration to between 10 and 50 ms as exothermic recombination reactions occur.[24] Further damage can result as the gases cool and pressure drops sharply, leading to a partial vacuum, powerful enough to cause physical damage to people and structures[citation needed]. This effect has given rise to the misnomer "vacuum bomb". Piston-type afterburning is also believed to occur in such structures, as flame-fronts accelerate through it.[25][26]

The overpressure within the detonation can reach 430 psi (3.0 megapascals) and the temperature can be 4,500 to 5,400 °F (2,500 to 3,000 °C). Outside the cloud, the blast wave travels at over 2 miles per second (3.2 km/s) - 7200 mph.[citation needed] Fuel-air explosive

A fuel-air explosive (FAE) device consists of a container of fuel and two separate explosive charges. After the munition is dropped or fired, the first explosive charge bursts open the container at a predetermined height and disperses the fuel in a cloud that mixes with atmospheric oxygen (the size of the cloud varies with the size of the munition). The cloud of fuel flows around objects and into structures. The second charge then detonates the cloud, creating a massive blast wave. The blast wave destroys unreinforced buildings and equipment and kills and injures people. The antipersonnel effect of the blast wave is more severe in foxholes, on people with body armor, and in enclosed spaces such as caves, buildings, and bunkers.

Fuel-air explosives were first developed, and used in Vietnam, by the United States. Soviet scientists, however, quickly developed their own FAE weapons, which were reportedly used against China in the Sino-Soviet border conflict and in Afghanistan. Since then, research and development has continued and currently Russian forces field a wide array of third-generation FAE warheads. Effect

A Human Rights Watch report of 1 February 2000[27] quotes a study made by the US Defense Intelligence Agency:

The [blast] kill mechanism against living targets is unique–and unpleasant.... What kills is the pressure wave, and more importantly, the subsequent rarefaction [vacuum], which ruptures the lungs.... If the fuel deflagrates but does not detonate, victims will be severely burned and will probably also inhale the burning fuel. Since the most common FAE fuels, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, are highly toxic, undetonated FAE should prove as lethal to personnel caught within the cloud as most chemical agents.

According to a separate U.S. Central Intelligence Agency study[citation needed], “the effect of an FAE explosion within confined spaces is immense. Those near the ignition point are obliterated. Those at the fringe are likely to suffer many internal, and thus invisible injuries, including burst eardrums and crushed inner ear organs, severe concussions, ruptured lungs and internal organs, and possibly blindness.” Another Defense Intelligence Agency document speculates that because the “shock and pressure waves cause minimal damage to brain tissue…it is possible that victims of FAEs are not rendered unconscious by the blast, but instead suffer for several seconds or minutes while they suffocate.”[28] Development history Soviet and Russian developments A RPO-A rocket and launcher.

The Soviet armed forces extensively developed FAE weapons,[29] such as the RPO-A, and used them in Chechnya.[30]

The Russian armed forces have developed thermobaric ammunition variants for several of their weapons, such as the TGB-7V thermobaric grenade with a lethality radius of 10 metres (33 ft), which can be launched from a RPG-7. The GM-94 is a 43 mm pump-action grenade launcher which is designed mainly to fire thermobaric grenades for close quarters combat. With the grenade weighing 250 grams (8.8 oz) and holding a 160 grams (5.6 oz) explosive mixture, its lethality radius is 3 metres (9.8 ft); however, due to the deliberate "fragmentation-free" design of the grenade, 4 metres (13 ft) is already considered a safe distance.[31] The RPO-A and upgraded RPO-M are infantry-portable RPGs designed to fire thermobaric rockets. The RPO-M, for instance, has a thermobaric warhead with a TNT equivalence of 5.5 kilograms (12 lb) of TNT and destructive capabilities similar to a 152 mm High explosive fragmentation artillery shell.[32][33] The RSgH-1 and the RSgH-2 are thermobaric variants of the RPG-27 and RPG-26 respectively. The RSgH-1 is the more powerful variant, with its warhead having a 10 metres (33 ft) lethality radius and producing about the same effect as 6 kg (13 lb) of TNT.[34] The RMG is a further derivative of the RPG-26 that uses a tandem-charge warhead, whereby the pre-cursor HEAT warhead blasts an opening for the main thermobaric charge to enter and detonate inside.[35] The RMG's pre-cursor HEAT warhead can penetrate 300 mm of reinforced concrete or over 100 mm of RHA, thus allowing the 105 millimetres (4.1 in) diameter thermobaric warhead to detonate inside.[36]

The other examples include the SACLOS or millimeter wave radar-guided thermobaric variants of the 9M123 Khrizantema, the 9M133F-1 thermobaric warhead variant of the 9M133 Kornet, and the 9M131F thermobaric warhead variant of the 9K115-2 Metis-M, all of which are anti-tank missiles. The Kornet has since been upgraded to the Kornet-EM, and its thermobaric variant has a maximum range of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and has the TNT equivalent of 7 kilograms (15 lb) of TNT.[37] The 300 mm 9N174 thermobaric cluster warhead rocket was built to be fired from the BM-30 Smerch MLRS. A dedicated carrier of thermobaric weapons is the purpose-built TOS-1, a 24-tube MLRS designed to fire 220 mm caliber thermobaric rockets. A full salvo from the TOS-1 will cover a rectangle 200x400 metres.[38] The Iskander-M theatre ballistic missile can also carry a 700 kilograms (1,500 lb) thermobaric warhead.[39]

Many Russian Air Force munitions also have thermobaric variants. The 80 mm S-8 rocket has the S-8DM and S-8DF thermobaric variants. The S-8's larger 122 mm brother, the S-13 rocket, has the S-13D and S-13DF thermobaric variants. The S-13DF's warhead weighs only 32 kg (71 lb) but its power is equivalent to 40 kg (88 lb) of TNT. The KAB-500-OD variant of the KAB-500KR has a 250 kg (550 lb) thermobaric warhead. The ODAB-500PM and ODAB-500PMV unguided bombs carry a 190 kg (420 lb) fuel-air explosive each. The KAB-1500S GLONASS/GPS guided 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) bomb also has a thermobaric variant. Its fireball will cover over a 150-metre (490 ft) radius and its lethality zone is a 500-metre (1,600 ft) radius.[40] The 9M120 Ataka-V and the 9K114 Shturm ATGMs both have thermobaric variants.

In September 2007 Russia exploded the largest thermobaric weapon ever made. The weapon's yield was reportedly greater than that of the smallest dial-a-yield nuclear weapons at their lowest settings.[41][42] Russia named this particular ordnance the "Father of All Bombs" in response to the United States developed "Massive Ordnance Air Blast" (MOAB) bomb whose backronym is the "Mother of All Bombs", and which previously held the accolade of the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in history.[43] The bomb contains a 14,000-pound (6,400 kg) charge of a liquid fuel such as ethylene oxide, mixed with an energetic nanoparticle such as aluminium, surrounding a high explosive burster[44] that when detonated created an explosion equivalent to 24,200-pound (11,000 kg) of TNT. US developments A BLU-72/B bomb on a USAF A-1E taking off from Nakhon Phanom, in September 1968.

Current US FAE munitions include:

BLU-73 FAE I

BLU-95 500-lb (FAE-II)

BLU-96 2,000-lb (FAE-II)

BLU-118.

CBU-55 FAE I

CBU-72 FAE I

The XM1060 40-mm grenade is a small-arms thermobaric device, which was delivered to U.S. forces in April 2003.[45] Since the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, the US Marine Corps has introduced a thermobaric 'Novel Explosive' (SMAW-NE) round for the Mk 153 SMAW rocket launcher. One team of Marines reported that they had destroyed a large one-story masonry type building with one round from 100 yards (91 m).

The AGM-114N Hellfire II, first used by U.S. forces in 2003 in Iraq, uses a Metal Augmented Charge (MAC) warhead that contains a thermobaric explosive fill using fluoridated aluminium layered between the charge casing and a PBXN-112 explosive mixture. When the PBXN-112 detonates, the aluminium mixture is dispersed and rapidly burns. The resultant sustained high pressure is extremely effective against people and structures. History Military use US Navy BLU-118B being prepared for shipping for use in Afghanistan, 5 March 2002.

The first experiments (led by Mario Zippermayr) were conducted in Germany during World War II. The German bombs used coal dust as fuel and were extensively tested in 1943 and 1944, but did not reach mass production before the war ended.

The TOS-1 system was test fired in Panjshir valley during Soviet war in Afghanistan in the early 1980s Unconfirmed reports suggest Russian military forces used ground delivered thermobaric weapons in the Battle for Grozny (first and second Chechen wars) to attack dug in Chechen fighters. The use of both TOS-1 heavy MLRS and "RPO-A Shmel" shoulder-fired rocket system in the Chechen wars is reported to have occurred.

During the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis, it is theorized that a multitude of hand-held thermobaric weapons were used by the Russian Armed Forces in their efforts to retake the school. The RPO-A and either the TGB-7V thermobaric rocket from the RPG-7 or rockets from either the RShG-1 or the RShG-2 is claimed to have been used by the Spetsnaz during the initial storming of the school.] At least 3 and as many as 9 RPO-A casings were later found at the positions of the SpetsnazThe Russian Government later admitted to the use of the RPO-A during the crisis.

According to UK Ministry of Defence, British military forces have also used thermobaric weapons in their AGM-114N Hellfire missiles (carried by Apache helicopters and UAVs) against the Taliban in the War in Afghanistan.[56]

The US military also used thermobaric weapons in Afghanistan. On 3 March 2002, a single 2,000 lb (910 kg) laser guided thermobaric bomb was used by the United States Army against cave complexes in which Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters had taken refuge in the Gardez region of Afghanistan The SMAW-NE was used by the US Marines during the First Battle of Fallujah and Second Battle of Fallujah.

Reports by the Rebel fighters of the Free Syrian Army claim the Syrian Air Force (government forces) is using such weapons against residential area targets occupied by the rebel fighters, as for instance in the Battle for Aleppo and also in Kafar Batna. A United Nations panel of human rights investigators reported that the Syrian government used thermobaric bombs against the rebellious town of Qusayr in March 2013. Non-military use

Thermobaric and fuel-air explosives have been used in guerrilla warfare since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing in Lebanon, which used a gas-enhanced explosive mechanism, probably propane, butane or acetylene. The explosive used by the bombers in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing incorporated the FAE principle, using three tanks of bottled hydrogen gas to enhance the blast. Jemaah Islamiyah bombers used a shock-dispersed solid fuel charge,based on the thermobaric principle, to attack the Sari nightclub in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Describe Hughes AGM-65 Maverick here.AGM-65 MaverickThe AGM-65 Maverick is a tactical, air-to-surface guided missile designed for close air support, interdiction and defense suppression mission. It provides stand-off capability and high probability of strike against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, transportation equipment and fuel storage facilities. Maverick was used during Operation Desert Storm and, according to the Air Force, hit 85 percent of its targets.

The Maverick has a cylindrical body, and either a rounded glass nose for electro-optical imaging, or a zinc sulfide nose for imaging infrared. It has long-chord delta wings and tail control surfaces mounted close to the trailing edge of the wing of the aircraft using it. The warhead is in the missile's center section. A cone-shaped warhead, one of two types carried by the Maverick missile, is fired by a contact fuse in the nose. The other is a delayed-fuse penetrator, a heavyweight warhead that penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is very effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-rocket motor behind the warhead.

A-10, F-15E and F-16 aircraft carry Mavericks. Since as many as six Mavericks can be carried by an aircraft, usually in three round, underwing clusters, the pilot can engage several targets on one mission. The missile also has "launch-and-leave" capability that enables a pilot to fire it and immediately take evasive action or attack another target as the missile guides itself to the target. Mavericks can be launched from high altitudes to tree-top level and can hit targets ranging from a distance of a few thousand feet to 13 nautical miles at medium altitude.

The Maverick variants include electro-optical/television (A and B), imaging infrared (D, F, and G), or laser guidance (E). The Air Force developed the Maverick, and the Navy procured the imaging infrared and the laser guided versions. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads, one with a contact fuse in the nose, the other a heavyweight warhead with a delayed fuse, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is very effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-rocket motor behind the warhead.

Maverick A has an electro-optical television guidance system. After the protective dome cover is automatically removed from the nose of the missile and its video circuitry activated, the scene viewed by the guidance system appears on a cockpit television screen. The pilot selects the target, centers cross hairs on it, locks on, then launches the missile.

The Maverick B is similar to the A model, although the television guidance system has a screen magnification capability that enables the pilot to identify and lock on smaller and more distant targets.

The Maverick D has an imaging infrared guidance system, operated much like that of the A and B models, except that infrared video overcomes the daylight-only, adverse weather limitations of the other systems. The infrared Maverick D can track heat generated by a target and provide the pilot a pictorial display of the target during darkness and hazy or inclement weather.

The Maverick E is being adopted in the AGM-65E version as the Marine corps laser Maverick weapon for use from Marine aircraft for use against fortified ground installations, armored vehicles and surface combatants. Used in conjunction with ground or airborne laser designators, the missile seeker, searches a sector 7 miles across and over 10 miles ahead. If the missile loses laser spot it goes ballistic and flies up and over target — the warhead does not explode, but becomes a dud.

The Maverick F AGM-65F (infrared targeting) used by the Navy has a larger (300 pound; 136 kg) penetrating warhead vice the 125 pound (57 kg) shaped charge used by Marine and Air Force) and infrared guidance system optimized for ship tracking.

The Maverick G model essentially has the same guidance system as the D, with some software modifications that track larger targets. The G model's major difference is its heavyweight penetrator warhead, while Maverick A, B and D models employ the shaped-charge warhead.

The Air Force accepted the first AGM-65A Maverick in August 1972. A total of 25,750 A and B Mavericks have been purchased by the Air Force. The Air Force took delivery of the first AGM-65D in October 1983, with initial operational capability in February 1986. Delivery of operational AGM-65G missiles took place in 1989. AGM-65 missiles were employed by F-16s and A-10s in 1991 to attack armored targets in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Mavericks played a large part in the destruction of Iraq's significant military force.

TV Mavericks have been experiencing declining reliability and maintainability since exceeding their 10 year shelf life over 10 years ago. The Depot purchased a lifetime buy of all spare parts for TV Mavericks in FY88 and those parts are running out. Due to funding shortfalls, the Depot has ceased to repair AGM-65A Maverick missiles and concentrates on maintaining AGM-65B, AGM-65D, and AGM-65G Maverick missiles. AGM-65K

The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon have worked out an intricate arrangement to upgrade electro-optically-guided AGM-65 air-to-ground Maverick missiles through reuse of hardware on older Mavericks. The upgrade is intended to extend the service life of the AGM-65 through the use of a charge coupled device (CCD) seeker. Operational benefits of the CCD include greater reliability and the ability to operate in lower light levels.

The AF put together a plan to buy about 2,500 missiles but was unable to fund the program. As a result, it scaled back its procurement plans to about 1,200. Also, Raytheon proposed an exchange program in which it reuses parts of older Mavericks to reduce the cost of the improved Mavericks. The two-part agreement calls for Raytheon to buy old missiles and guidance and control sections from the AF.

The main portion of the program calls for Raytheon to buy back guidance and control sections of some of the 5,300 IR-guided AGM-65Gs the AF bought after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The IR seekers have six cards that are common with the CCD and are reused. The CCDs then are mated with the center aft section of the missiles that were earlier stripped of their IR seeker. The new missile will be known as the AGM-65K.

The AF first considered a CCD upgrade using AGM-65Bs to make AGM-65Hs. Those missiles have a 125-pound warhead. But the conversion program taking AGM-65Gs - which have a more powerful 300-pound warhead - and making them into AGM-65Ks will be lower cost. Raytheon will use IR seeker parts not needed by the CCD for foreign military sales customers. Although some of the IR seeker would have to be newly built, the reuse of some hardware will make the total seeker less expensive than it would have been otherwise.

The second part of the AGM-65K program involves Raytheon's procurement of up to 1,000 of about 7,000 AGM-65As that have been in cold storage. This became necessary because Raytheon's Maverick airframe supplier was getting out of the business, even though Raytheon still receives foreign orders for new missiles.

After detailed analysis and disassembly of six missiles, the cold storage AGM-65As were deemed to be as good as the day they were built. The missiles are corrosion coated inside and out, and not just on the outside like newer Mavericks. The arrangement calls for the US Government to receive about $2,150 per missile. Raytheon takes the missile apart and returns those items that need to be demilitarized, such as the warhead, to the government. The government pays disposal costs which would have been incurred anyway. Because Raytheon disassembles the missile, the government saves about $500 to $1,000 per unit. The approximately $2.1 million the government will receive will go towards the AGM-65 upgrade.

One of the advantages for foreign military sales customers is stable pricing for the airframe. In the past a small Maverick order could result in high airframe costs. That will no longer be the case. Only pristine missiles are being accepted. Raytheon is refusing any missiles that have been out of cold storage, such as captive-carry missiles. Some consideration is even being given to reuse some parts of the AGM-65A. In addition to its combat missiles the AF will also receive upgraded training missiles. Although the Raytheon/AF agreement allows the AF to move forward with the CCD upgrade, the scope of the program is much smaller than first planned. The AF was hoping to upgrade about 2,500 missiles, about 50% of the requirement Air Combat Command has articulated.

Specifications Primary Function: Air-to-surface guided missile Contractors: Hughes Aircraft Co., Raytheon Co. Power Plant: Thiokol TX-481 solid-propellant rocket motor Autopilot Proportional Navigation Stabilizer Wings/Flippers Propulsion Boost Sustain Variant AGM-65A/B AGM-65D AGM-65G AGM-65E AGM-65F Service Air Force Marine Corps Navy Launch Weight: 462 lbs (207.90 kg) 485 lbs (218.25 kg) 670 lbs (301.50 kg) 630 lbs (286 kg) 670 lbs (301.50 kg) Diameter: 1 foot (30.48 centimeters) Wingspan: 2 feet, 4 inches (71.12 centimeters) Range: 17+ miles (12 nautical miles/27 km) Speed: 1150 km/h Guidance System: electro-optical television imaging infrared Laser infrared homing Warhead: 125 pounds (56.25 kilograms) cone shaped 300 pounds (135 kilograms) delayed-fuse penetrator, heavyweight 125 pounds (56.25 kilograms) cone shaped 300 pounds (135 kilograms) delayed-fuse penetrator, heavyweight Explosive 86 lbs. Comp B 80 lbs. PBX(AF)-108 Fuse Contact FMU-135/B COSTS Air Force AGM-65D/G Navy AGM-65E/F Development cost $168 million $25.5 million Production cost $2,895.5 million $627.5 million Total acquisition $3,063.5 million $653 million Acquisition unit cost $129,322 $158,688 Production unit cost $17,000 $122,230 $152,491 Date Deployed: August 1972 February 1986 1989 Quantity 12,559 23,689 4,115 Aircraft: A-10, F-15E and F-16 F/A-18 F/A-18 and AV-8B

Describe AGM-65 Maverick here.The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities The AGM-65F (infrared targeting) used by the U.S. Navy has an infrared guidance system optimized for ship tracking and a larger penetrating warhead than the shaped charge warhead used by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force (300 pounds/140 kilograms vs. 125 pounds/57 kilograms). The infrared TV camera enables the pilot to lock-on to targets through light fog where the conventional TV seeker's view would be just as limited as the pilot's. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads; one has a contact fuze in the nose, and the other has a heavyweight warhead with a delayed fuze, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before detonating. The latter is most effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-fuel rocket motor behind the warhead.

The Maverick missile is unable to lock onto targets on its own; it has to be given input by the pilot or Weapon Systems Officer (WSO). In an A-10, for example, the video feed from the seeker head is relayed to a screen in the cockpit, where the pilot can check the locked target of the missile before launch. A crosshair on the head-up display (HUD) is shifted by the pilot to set the approximate target while the missile will then automatically recognize and lock on to the target. Once the missile is launched, it requires no further assistance from the launch vehicle and tracks its target automatically. This makes it a fire-and-forget weapon.

AGM-65 missiles were employed by F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 to attack armored targets. Mavericks played an important part in the destruction of Iraq's military force.

LAU-117 Maverick launchers have been used on American Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps aircraft:

Specifications Primary Function: Air-to-surface guided missile Contractors: Hughes Aircraft Co., Raytheon Co. Power Plant: Thiokol TX-481 solid-propellant rocket motor Autopilot Proportional Navigation Stabilizer Wings/Flippers Propulsion Boost Sustain Variant AGM-65A/B AGM-65D AGM-65G AGM-65E AGM-65F Service Air Force Marine Corps Navy Launch Weight: 462 lbs (207.90 kg) 485 lbs (218.25 kg) 670 lbs (301.50 kg) 630 lbs (286 kg) 670 lbs (301.50 kg) Diameter: 1 foot (30.48 centimeters) Wingspan: 2 feet, 4 inches (71.12 centimeters) Range: 17+ miles (12 nautical miles/27 km) Speed: 1150 km/h Guidance System: electro-optical television imaging infrared Laser infrared homing Warhead: 125 pounds (56.25 kilograms) cone shaped 300 pounds (135 kilograms) delayed-fuse penetrator, heavyweight 125 pounds (56.25 kilograms) cone shaped 300 pounds (135 kilograms) delayed-fuse penetrator, heavyweight Explosive 86 lbs. Comp B 80 lbs. PBX(AF)-108 Fuse Contact FMU-135/B COSTS Air Force AGM-65D/G Navy AGM-65E/F Development cost $168 million $25.5 million Production cost $2,895.5 million $627.5 million Total acquisition $3,063.5 million $653 million Acquisition unit cost $129,322 $158,688 Production unit cost $17,000 $122,230 $152,491 Date Deployed: August 1972 February 1986 1989 Quantity 12,559 23,689 4,115 Aircraft: A-10, F-15E and F-16 F/A-18 F/A-18 and AV-8B

Describe Lockheed Martin AGM-169 Joint Common Missile/AGM-169 Joint Common Missile here.The AGM-169 Joint Common Missile (JCM) was a tactical air-to-surface missile developed by the Lockheed Martin corporation from the United States Overview

The missile was designed to replace the AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-65 Maverick. Its seeker head used a combination of semi-active laser, millimeter wave, and IR guidance similar to that found on the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile. This allows the missile to have a greater fire and forget capability and to operate off all current air platforms. The missile has longer range, a more potent warhead, and a "safing" system, allowing naval aircraft to return to ship without jettisoning the munitions.

This missile also shares similarities to the MBDA Brimstone missile. Development

The development of the missile was first halted in December 2004. The program was on schedule and within its budget at that time, according to Lockheed Martin. However, due to the constraints of the war in Iraq, funding was cut. In 2005 and 2006, Congress began looking into reviving the program when it was found that modernizing the Hellfire would yield higher costs and reduced capability.

The JCM is the first missile to reach milestone B decision without a live test.[citation needed]

The JCM has been test flown on the AH-64D in a captive test configuration.

In May 2007 the U.S. Army formally brought the program to a close and requested that Lockheed Martin cease all development work. It is expected that a follow on program, the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) will be opened to competitive tender. Program status

December 2004 - Pentagon announces cancellation of JCM.

March 2005 - Congressional lobbying to keep the program alive.

September 2005 - Captive JCM test package flown on AH-64D Apache.

January 2006 - Congress restores $30 million to keep the program in mothballs.

September 2006 - U.S. Army includes $150 million for JCM in FY-08 budget request.

May 2007 - The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command formally instructs Lockheed Martin to cease work on the program and close out the contract by June 15, 2007. AGM-169 Joint Common Missile hell hound

The AGM-169 Joint Common Missile (JCM) was a tactical air-to-surface missile developed by the Lockheed Martin corporation from the United States.

Overview

The missile was designed to replace the AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-65 Maverick. Its seeker head used a revolutionary combination of semi-active laser guidance, millimeter wave guidance, and IR guidance similar to that found on the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile. This allows the missile to have a greater fire and forget capability, and to operate off all current air platforms. In addition to this, the missile has longer range, a more potent warhead, and a "safing" system which allows naval aircraft to return to ship without jettisoning the munitions.

This missile also shares similarities to the MBDA Brimstone missile.

Development

The development of the missile was first halted in December 2004. The program was on schedule and within its budget at that time, according to Lockheed Martin. However, due to the constraints of the war in Iraq, funding was cut. In 2005 and 2006, Congress began looking into reviving the program when it was found that modernizing the Hellfire would yield higher costs and reduced capability.

The JCM is the first missile to reach milestone B decision without a live test. The JCM has been test flown on the AH-64D in a captive test configuration.

In May 2007 the U.S. Army formally brought the program to a close and requested that Lockheed Martin cease all development work. It is expected that a follow on program, the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) will be opened to competitive tender

Describe AGM-114 Hellfire here.The AGM-114 Hellfire is a multi-platform, multi-target United States modular missile system. The name comes from the fact that it was originally intended to be a helicopter-launched fire-and-forget weapon (HELicopter FIRE-and-forget). Initial problems with the TV-based guidance system forced designers to consider a laser-tracking system.Description

The development of the Hellfire Missile System began in 1974 with the U.S. Army requirement for a "tank-buster", launched from helicopters to defeat armoured fighting vehicles.[2][3] Production of the AGM-114A started in 1982. The Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) launch phase of the AGM-114B took place in 1984. The DT&E on the AGM-114K was completed in Fiscal Year (FY)93 and FY94. AGM-114M did not require a DT&E because it is the same as the AGM-114K except for the warhead. The early variants were laser guided with recent variants being radar guided. The Hellfire has matured into a comprehensive weapon system, one that can be deployed from rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, naval assets, and land-based systems against a variety of targets.

Hellfire II, developed in the early 1990s is a modular missile system with several variants for maximum battlefield flexibility. Hellfire II's semi-active laser variants—AGM-114K high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), AGM-114KII with external blast frag sleeve, AGM-114M (blast fragmentation), and AGM-114N metal augmented charge (MAC)—achieve pinpoint accuracy by homing in on a reflected laser beam aimed at the target from the launching platform. Predator and Reaper UCAVs carry the Hellfire II, but the most common platform is the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship, which can carry up to sixteen of the missiles at once. The AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, is a fire-and-forget weapon: equipped with a millimeter wave (MMW) radar seeker, it requires no further guidance after launch and can hit its target without the launcher being in line of sight of the target. It also provides capability in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants. Each Hellfire weighs 47 kg / 106 pounds, including the 9 kg / 20 pound warhead, and has a range of 8,000 meters. As of late 2007, some 21,000 Hellfire IIs have been built since 1990, at a cost of about $68,000 each.

The Joint Common Missile (JCM) was to replace Hellfire II (along with the AGM-65 Maverick) by around 2011. The JCM was developed with a tri-mode seeker and a multi-purpose warhead that would combine the capabilities of the several Hellfire variants. In the budget for FY2006, the U.S. Department of Defense canceled a number of projects that they felt no longer warranted continuation based on their cost effectiveness, including the JCM, although some military and industry sources have produced data showing JCM is the most cost-effective way of adding performance on a timely basis across multiple platforms to meet projected threat growth. A possible new procurement for a JCM successor called the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) is under consideration. Due to the U.S. military's continuing need for a proven precision-strike aviation weapon in the interim until a successor to the JCM is fielded, as well as extensive foreign sales, it is likely the Hellfire will continue to remain in service for many years to come.

[edit] Combat history

Since being fielded, Hellfire missiles have proven their effectiveness in combat in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Storm in Gulf, Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and most recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom—where they have been fired successfully from Apache and Cobra attack helicopters, Kiowa scout helicopters, and Predator unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs). The Israeli Defence Forces have used them extensively against Palestinian suspected terrorist targets.

Between 2001 and 2007, the U.S. has fired over 6,000 Hellfires in combat. The US military has found the missile effective in urban areas as the relatively small warhead reduces the risk of civilian casualties. The laser guidance allows a skilled operator to put a missile through the window of a building.

On March 22, 2004, an Israeli helicopter fired a Hellfire missile to assassinate Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin.

In 2008 the usage of the AGM-114N variant caused controversy in the United Kingdom when it was found out that these thermobaric munitions were added to the Royal Air Force (RAF) arsenal in secrecy. Thermobaric weapons have been condemned as "brutal" by human rights groups. The British Ministry of Defence circumvents this by calling the AGM-114N an "enhanced blast weapon".[4]

[edit] Launch vehicles and systems Hellfire loaded onto the rails of a United States Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra at Balad Air Base in Iraq in 2005.

AH-1W SuperCobra AH-1Z Viper AH-64 Apache Agusta A129 Mangusta Eurocopter Tiger ARH Combat Boat 90 SH-60 / MH-60R / MH-60S Seahawk OH-58D Kiowa Warrior RAH-66 Comanche MQ-1B Predator MQ-9 Reaper UH-60 Blackhawk Westland WAH-64 Apache Cessna 208[5] MQ-1C Warrior The system has been tested for use on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) and the Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV). Test shots have also been fired from a C-130 Hercules (see photos below). Sweden and Norway use the Hellfire for coastal defense, and Norway has conducted tests with Hellfire launchers on Protector M151 remotely-controlled weapon systems mounted on the Stridsbåt 90 coastal assault boat[6].

[edit] Operators

Australia Egypt France Greece Iraq Israel Italy Japan Kuwait Lebanon [7] Netherlands Norway Republic of China (Taiwan) Singapore Sweden Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States [edit] Variants

[edit] AGM-114A Basic Hellfire

Target: Tanks, armored vehicles. Range: 8,000 m (8,750 yd) Guidance: Semi-active laser homing (SALH). Warhead: 8 kg (18 lb) shaped charge HEAT. Length: 163 cm (64 in) Weight: 45 kg (99 lb) [edit] AGM-114B/C Basic Hellfire

M120E1 low smoke motor. AGM-114B has electronic SAD (Safe/Arming Device) for safe shipboard use. Unit cost: $25,000 [edit] AGM-114D/E Basic Hellfire

Proposed upgrade of AGM-114B/C with digital autopilot—not built. [edit] AGM-114F Interim Hellfire

Target: Tanks, armored vehicles. Range: 7,000 m (7,650 yd) Guidance: Semi-active laser homing. Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge HEAT. Length: 180 cm (71 in) Weight: 48.5 kg (107 lb) [edit] AGM-114G Interim Hellfire

Proposed version of AGM-114F with SAD—not built. [edit] AGM-114H Interim Hellfire

Proposed upgrade of AGM-114F with digital autopilot—not built. [edit] AGM-114J Hellfire II

Proposed version of AGM-114F with lighter components, shorter airframe, and increased range—not built. [edit] AGM-114K Hellfire II A Hellfire II cross-sectioned.

Target: All armored threats Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd) Guidance: o Semi-active laser homing o Digital autopilot o Electro-optical countermeasures hardening o Target reacquisition after lost laser lock New electronic SAD Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge HEAT Length: 163 cm (64 in) Weight: 45.4 kg (100 lb) Unit cost: $65,000 Essentially the proposed AGM-114J w/ SAD [edit] AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire

Target: All armored threats Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd) Guidance: o Fire and forget o Capability in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants o Inertial guidance o Millimeter wave radar seeker o Home-on-jam anti-radiation mode Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) Length: 176 cm (69.2 in) Weight: 49 kg (108 lb) [edit] AGM-114M Hellfire II

Target: Bunkers, light vehicles, urban (soft) targets and caves Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd) Guidance: o Semi-active laser homing Warhead: Blast fragmentation/incendiary Weight: 48.2 kg (106 lb) Length: 163 cm (64 in) [edit] AGM-114N Hellfire II

Target: Enclosures, ships, urban targets, air defense units Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd) Guidance: o Semi-active laser homing Warhead: Metal augmented charge (MAC) (Thermobaric) Weight: 48 kg (105lb) Length: 163 cm (64 in) [edit] AGM-114P Hellfire II

Version of AGM-114K optimized for use from UCAVs flying at high altitude. [edit] Rocket motor Cross section diagram of Hellfire rocket motor, showing the rod and tube grain design.

Contractor: Alliant Techsystems Designation: o M120E3 (Army) o M120E4 (Navy) Main features: o Qualified minimum smoke propellant o Rod and tube grain design o Neoprene bondline system Performance: o Operating temperature: −43 °C to 63 °C (−45 °F to 145 °F) o Storage temperature: −43 °C to 71 °C (−45 °F to 160 °F) o Service life: 20+ years (estimated) Technical data: o Weight: 14.2 kg (31.3 lb) o Length: 59.3 cm (23.35 in) o Diameter: 18 cm (7.0 in) o Case: 7075-T73 aluminum o Insulator: R-181 aramid fiber-filled EPDM o Nozzle: Cellulose phenolic o Propellant: Minimum smoke cross linked double based (XLDB)

Describe Rockwell International GBU-15 here.Guided Bomb Unit 15 is an unpowered, glide weapon used to destroy high-value enemy targets. It was designed for use with F-15E Strike Eagle, F-111 'Aardvark' and F-4 Phantom II aircraft, but the United States Air Force is currently only deploying it from the F-15E. The GBU-15 has long-range maritime anti-ship capability with the B-52 Stratofortress.Rockwell International is the prime contractor for this weapon system.The weapon consists of modular components that are attached to either a general purpose Mark 84 bomb or a penetrating-warhead BLU-109 bomb. Each weapon has five components—a forward guidance section, warhead adapter section, control module, airfoil components, and a weapon data link.

The guidance section is attached to the nose of the weapon and contains either a television guidance system for daytime or an imaging infrared system for night or limited, adverse weather operations. A data link in the tail section sends guidance updates to the control aircraft that enables the weapon systems operator to guide the bomb by remote control to its target.

An external electrical conduit extends the length of the warhead which attaches the guidance adapter and control unit. The conduit carries electrical signals between the guidance and control sections. The umbilical receptacle passes guidance and control data between cockpit control systems of the launching aircraft and the weapon prior to launch.

The rear control section consists of four wings that are in an "X"-like arrangement with trailing edge flap control surfaces for flight maneuvering. The control module contains the autopilot, which collects steering data from the guidance section and converts the information into signals that move the wing control surfaces to change the weapon's flight path.

The GBU-15 may be used in either a direct or an indirect attack. In a direct attack, the pilot selects a target before launch, locks the weapon guidance system onto it and launches the weapon. The weapon automatically guides itself to the target, enabling the pilot to leave the area. In an indirect attack, the weapon is guided by remote control after launch. The pilot releases the weapon and, via remote control, searches for the target. Once the target is acquired, the weapon can be locked to the target or manually guided via the Hughes Aircraft AN/AXQ-14 data-link system.

This highly maneuverable weapon has an optimal, low-to-medium altitude delivery capability with pinpoint accuracy. It also has a standoff capability. During Desert Storm, all 71 GBU-15 modular glide bombs used were dropped from F-111F aircraft. Most notably, EGBU-15s were the munitions used for destroying the oil manifolds on the storage tanks to stop oil from spilling into the Gulf. These EGBU-15s sealed flaming oil pipeline manifolds sabotaged by Saddam Hussein's troops.

The Air Force Development Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, began developing the GBU-15 in 1974. The Air Force originally asked for the missile designations AGM-112A and AGM-112B for two versions of the system. This was declined because the weapon was an unpowered glide bomb and GBU designation was allotted instead. The M-112 designation remains unassigned as a result.

It was a product improvement of the early guided bomb used during the Vietnam War called the GBU-8 HOBOS. The GBU-8 could not be controlled after the bomb was released. Instead, the aircraft was forced to fly very close to the target so the WSO could acquire it. Once locked on, the weapon could be released and the aircraft could return to base. A 3rd TFW F-4E dropping a GBU-15, in 1985.

Flight testing of the weapon began in 1975. The GBU-15 with television guidance, completed full-scale operational test and evaluation in November 1983. In February 1985, initial operational test and evaluation was completed on the imaging infrared guidance seeker.

In December 1987, the program management responsibility for the GBU-15 weapon system transferred from the Air Force Systems Command to the Air Force Logistics Command. The commands merged to become the Air Force Materiel Command in 1992. Eight of these weapons were also deployed against Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981 to halt its nuclear production as well.

During the integrated weapons system management process, AGM-130 and GBU-15 were determined to be a family of weapons because of the commonality of the two systems. The Precision Strike Program Office at Eglin AFB became the single manager for the GBU-15, with the Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah providing sustainment support.

GBU-15 Primary function: 2,000-pound unpowered, television or infrared guided weapon Length: 12 ft 10 in (3.9 m) Diameter: 18 in (457 mm) Wingspan: 4 ft 11 in (1.5 m) Range: 5 to 15 nautical miles (9 to 28 km)

Describe Massive Ordnance Penetrator here.Massive Ordnance Penetrator GBU-57ABThe Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) GBU-57A/B is a project by the U.S. Air Force to develop a massive, precision-guided, 30,000-pound (13,608 kg) "bunker buster" bomb.[1] This is substantially larger than the deepest penetrating bunker buster presently available, the 5,000-pound (2,268 kg) GBU-28.

Development

In 2002, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin were working on the development of a 30,000-lb earth-penetrating weapon, said to be known as "Big BLU", although funding and technical difficulties resulted in the development work being abandoned. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, analysis of sites that had been targeted with bunker-buster bombs revealed poor penetration and inadequate levels of destruction.[citation needed] This renewed interest in the development of a super-large bunker-buster, and the MOP project was initiated.

The U.S. Air Force has no specific military requirement for an ultra-large bomb, but it does have a concept for a collection of massively sized penetrator and blast weapons, the so-called "Big BLU" collection, which includes the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Burst) bomb. Development of the MOP is now underway at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Design and testing work is also being performed by Boeing. It is intended that the bomb will be deployed on the B-2 bomber[2] or B-1 bombers, and will be guided by the use of GPS.

Northrop Grumman announced a $2.5-million stealth-bomber refit contract on July 19, 2007. An undisclosed number of the U.S. Air Force's 20 B-2s will be able to carry two 15-metric-ton MOPs.

\ Specifications

Length: 20.5 feet (6.2 m) [5] Diameter: 31.5 inches (0.8 m) [5] Weight: 30,000 pounds (14 metric tons) Warhead: 5,300 pounds (2.4 metric tons) high explosive Penetration: o 200 ft (61 m) of 5,000 psi (34 MPa) reinforced concrete o 26 ft (7.9 m) of 10,000 psi (69 MPa) reinforced concrete o 130 ft (40 m) of moderately hard rock [edit] Program status

The initial explosive test of MOP took place on March 14, 2007 in a tunnel belonging to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The exact location of the tunnel was not announced, but comparison of a photograph of the site with aerial photography suggests it was at the DTRA Capitol Peak Tunnel Complex in the vicinity of 33°26′24″N 106°27′18″W﻿ / ﻿33.440°N 106.455°W﻿ / 33.440; -106.455.

On October 6, 2009, ABC News reported that the Pentagon had requested and obtained permission from the U.S. Congress to shift funding in order to accelerate the project. It was later announced by the U.S. military that funding delays and enhancements to the planned test schedule "meant the bomb would not be deployable until December 2010, six months later than the original availability date.

The project has had at least one successful Flight Test MOP launch.

Describe BLU-82B daisy cutter here.The BLU-82B/C-130 weapon system, known under program "Commando Vault" and nicknamed "daisy cutter" in Vietnam and in Afghanistan, is a 15,000 pound (6,800 kg) conventional bomb, delivered from either a C-130 or an MC-130 transport aircraft. 225 were constructed.Overview

Originally designed to create an instant clearing in the jungles of Vietnam, it was test-dropped there from a CH-54 Tarhe "Flying crane" helicopter. Later it has been used in Afghanistan as an anti-personnel weapon and as an intimidation weapon because of its very large lethal radius (variously reported as 300 to 900 feet/100 to 300 meters) combined with a visible flash and audible sound at long distances. It is one of the largest conventional weapons ever to be used, outweighed only by a few earth quake bombs, thermobaric bombs, and demolition (bunker buster) bombs. Some of these include the Grand Slam and T12 earthquake bombs of late WWII, and more currently, the USAF GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, and the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. [edit] Specifications

The BLU-82 uses conventional explosive ammonium nitrate and aluminum, incorporating both agent and oxidizer.[2] In contrast, fuel-air explosives (FAE) consist only of an agent and a dispersing mechanism, and take their oxidizers from the oxygen in the air. FAEs generally run between 500 and 2,000 pounds (225 and 900 kg); making an FAE the size of a daisy cutter would be difficult because the correct uniform mixture of agent with ambient air would be difficult to maintain if the agent were so widely dispersed. Thus, the conventional explosive of a daisy cutter is more reliable than that of an FAE, particularly if there is significant wind or thermal gradient. [edit] Guidance

This system depends upon the accurate positioning of the aircraft by either a fixed ground radar or on-board navigation equipment. The ground radar controller, or aircrew navigator if applicable, is responsible for positioning the aircraft prior to final countdown and release. Primary aircrew considerations include accurate ballistic and wind computations provided by the navigator, and precision instrument flying with strict adherence to controller instructions. The minimum altitude for release due to blast effects of the weapon is 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above ground level (AGL). The warhead contains 12,600 pounds (5,700 kg) of low-cost GSX slurry (ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder and polystyrene) and is detonated just above ground level by a 38-inch (965 mm) fuse extender, optimized for destruction at ground level without digging a crater. The weapon produces an overpressure of 1,000 pounds per square inch (psi) (7 MPa) near ground zero, tapering off as distance increases. [edit] Operations

The BLU-82 was originally designed to clear helicopter landing zones and artillery emplacements in Vietnam. South Vietnamese VNAF aircraft dropped BLU-82 bombs on NVA positions in desperation to support ARVN troops in the Battle of Xuan Loc in the last days of the Vietnam War.

Eleven BLU-82Bs were palletized and dropped in five night missions during the 1991 Gulf War, all from Special Operations MC-130 Combat Talons.[citation needed] The initial drop tested the ability of the bomb to clear or breach mine fields;[3] however, no reliable assessments of mine clearing effectiveness are publicly available. Later, bombs were dropped as much for their psychological effect as for their anti-personnel effects.[4]

The US Air Force dropped several BLU-82s during the campaign to destroy Taliban and al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan to attack and demoralize personnel and to destroy underground and cave complexes.[citation needed] On 15 July 2008, airmen from the Duke Field 711th Special Operations Squadron, 919th Special Operations Wing dropped the last operational BLU-82 at the Utah Test and Training Range.[5] It is since been replaced by the MOAB.

Describe GBU-43B MOAB here.GBU-43B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb MOABThe GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) (colloquially known as the The Mother Of All Bombs) is a large-yield conventional bomb developed for the United States military by Albert L. Weimorts Jr. At the time of development, it was touted as the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed.[citation needed] The bomb was designed to be delivered by a C-130.

Since then, Russia has tested their "Father of All Bombs" which is claimed to be four times more powerful than the MOAB.

Development

The MOAB is an Air Force Research Laboratory technology project that began in fiscal year 2002, as a descendant of the BLU-82 "Daisy cutter". It underwent a successful field test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on 11 March 2003 and another on 21 November. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has said a larger version of the MOAB exists, weighing thirteen tons.[2] [edit] Description

MOAB length is 30 feet, 1.75 inches (9.17 m), diameter is 40.5 inches (102.9 cm), weight is 22,600 lb. (10.3 tonnes), of which 18,700 lb. (8.5 tonnes) are high explosives. Blast radius is 450 feet (137.61m, 150 yards), though the massive shockwave created by the air burst is said to be able to destroy an area as large as nine city blocks. Due to its large size and weight, it must be dropped out of the back of a cargo aircraft, usually a C-130. It is guided by global positioning technology and uses a parachute to pull it out of the cargo door, so it can be dropped from a higher altitude and with higher accuracy than its predecessor, the BLU-82. It is the first U.S. weapon to use Russian-style lattice control surfaces (referred to as "Belotserkovskiy grid fins"),[3] like those used on the R-400 Oka and Vympel R-77. It is larger than the Grand Slam bomb of World War II.

The MOAB uses 18,700 pounds of H6 as its explosive filler.[4] At 1.35 times the power of TNT, H6 is one of the more powerful explosives used by the U.S. military. H6 is an explosive combination of RDX (Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine), TNT, and aluminium. H6 is typically employed by the military for general purpose bombs, and is an explosive composition which is produced in Australia. H6 is a widely used main blast charge filling for underwater weapons such as mines, depth charges, torpedoes and mine disposal charges. HBX compositions (HBX-1, HBX-3, and H6) are aluminized (powdered aluminium) explosives mainly used as a replacement for the now obsolete explosive, known as torpex.[5] HBX-3 and H6 have lower sensitivity to impact and much higher explosion test temperatures than torpex. The warhead is designated the BLU-120/B, Blast.

Although its effect has often been compared to that of a nuclear weapon, it is only about one thousandth the power of the atomic bomb used against Hiroshima: it is equivalent to around 11 tons of TNT, whereas the Hiroshima blast was equivalent to 13,000 tons of TNT and modern nuclear missiles are far more powerful than the atomic bomb used against Hiroshima. However, the MOAB bomb's yield is comparable to the smallest of nuclear devices, such as the M-388 Davy Crockett.

It was first tested with the explosive tritonal on 11 March 2003, on Range 70 located at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Aside from two test articles, the only known production is of 15 units at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since none of those are known to have been used as of early 2007, the U.S. inventory of GBU-43/B presumably remains at approximately 15. [edit] Evaluations Al Weimorts (left), the creator of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, and Joseph Fellenz, lead model maker, look over the prototype before it was painted and tested. Prototype MOAB an instant before impact on Eglin AFB's Range 70.

The basic design bears some similarity to the BLU-82 Daisy Cutter, which was used in the Vietnam War and in Afghanistan — mostly for clearing of heavily wooded areas in the former theater, and for attacking hardened targets in the latter. Unlike the Daisy Cutter, the MOAB is primarily intended for employment against deep and hardened targets. Further, the Daisy Cutter is unguided, parachute stabilized and requires a relatively low drop altitude, whereas the MOAB is a GPS guided free-fall weapon with significantly greater stand-off capability.

Pentagon officials had suggested their intention to use MOAB as an anti-personnel weapon, as part of the "shock and awe" strategy integral to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[6]

The MOAB is not a penetrator weapon and is primarily intended for soft to medium surface targets covering extended areas, and targets in a contained environment such as a deep canyon or within a cave system. However, multiple strikes with lower yield ordnance may be more effective and can be delivered by fighter/bombers such as the F-16 with greater stand-off capability than the C-130 and C-17. High altitude carpet-bombing with much smaller 2,000 or 1,000 pound bombs delivered via B-52s is also highly effective at covering large areas.

Specifications

Dimensions: Diameter 1,030 mm, Length 9.1 m

Weights: Max Weight 9,850 kg (21,715 lb), Warhead 8,500 kg (18,739 lb)

Describe Fat Man and Little Boy here.The United States was fully engaged in war in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the summer of 1942. In the Atlantic, German U-boats sank an average of 100 ships a month in 1942, losing only 21 submarines in the process. In the Pacific, U.S. forces first engaged the Japanese in the Solomon Islands at Guadalcanal in August, setting off a bitter six-month campaign. The outcome of both conflicts was uncertain. With the prospect of a long war, a group of theorists under the direction of J. Robert Oppenheimer met at Berkeley during the summer of 1942 to develop preliminary plans for designing and building a nuclear weapon.Crucial questions remained, however, about the properties of fast neutrons. John Manley, a physicist at the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory, was assigned to help Oppenheimer find answers to these questions by coordinating several experimental physics groups scattered across the country.

Keep in mind that an explosive nuclear chain reaction occurs when a sufficient quantity of nuclear fuel, such as uranium or plutonium, is brought together to form a critical mass. This is the minimum amount of fissionable material needed to start a chain reaction. The chain reaction starts when neutrons strike the heavy uranium or plutonium nucleus which splits releasing a tremendous amount of energy along with two or more neutrons which, in turn split more nuclei, and so on. In this gun-type device, the critical mass is achieved when a uranium projectile which is sub-critical is fired through a gun barrel at a uranium target which is also sub-critical. The resulting uranium mass comprised of both projectile and target becomes critical and the chain reaction begins.

The Little Boy Bomb:

Dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, it was the first nuclear weapon used in a war. Following are some approximate statistics for Little Boy. If you require more extensive information on this weapon, please contact us:

Weight: 9,700 lbs

Length: 10 ft.; Diameter: 28 in.

Fuel: Highly enriched uranium; "Oralloy"

Uranium Fuel: approx. 140 lbs; target - 85 lbs and projectile - 55 lbs

Target case, barrel, uranium projectile, and other main parts ferried to Tinian Island via USS Indianapolis

Uranium target component ferried to Tinian via C-54 aircraft of the 509th Composite Group

Efficiency of weapon: poor

Approx. 1.38% of the uranium fuel actually fissioned

Explosive force: 15,000 tons of TNT equivalent

Use: Dropped on Japanese city of Hiroshima; August 6, 1945

Delivery: B-29 Enola Gay piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets

The Fat Man Bomb:

Dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, it was the second nuclear weapon used in a war. Following are some approximate statistics for Fat Man.

Weight: 10,800 lbs

Length: 10 ft 8 in.; Diameter: 60 in.

Fuel: Highly enriched plutonium 239

Plutonium Fuel: approx. 13.6 lbs; approx. size of a softball

Plutonium core surrounded by 5,300 lbs of high explosives; plutonium core reduced to size of tennis ball

Bomb Initiator: Beryllium - Polonium

All components of Fat Man ferried to Tinian Island aboard B-29's of the 509th CG

Efficiency of weapon: 10 times that of Little Boy

Approx 1.176 grams of plutonium converted to energy

Explosive force: 21,000 tons of TNT equivalent

Use: Dropped on Japanese city of Nagasaki; August 9, 1945

Nuclear Weaponeer: Cdr. Frederick Ashworth

Delivery: B-29 Bockscar piloted by Maj. Charles Sweeney

Describe Lockheed Martin AGM.158 JASSM here.Lockheed Martin AGM.158 JASSMThe AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is a low observable standoff cruise missile developed in the United States. It is a large, semi-stealthy long-range weapon of the 2,000 pounds (910 kg) class. The missile began development in 1995, however a number of problems during its testing delayed its introduction into service until 2009. The JASSM is now entering service with a number of foreign nations as well, including Australia, the Netherlands and South Korea.

Origins

The JASSM project began in 1995 after the cancellation of the AGM-137 TSSAM project. The TSSAM was designed as a high precision stealthy missile for use at stand-off ranges, but poor management of the project resulted in rising costs. Since the requirement for such weapons still existed, the military quickly announced a follow-up project with similar goals. Initial contracts for two competing designs were awarded to Lockheed Martin and McDonnell Douglas in 1996, and the missile designations AGM-158A and AGM-159A were allocated to the two weapons. Lockheed Martin's AGM-158A won and a contract for further development was awarded in 1998.

The AGM-158A is powered by a Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet. While carried the wings are folded to reduce size, flipping out on launch. There is a single vertical tail. Guidance is via inertial navigation with updating from a global positioning system. Target recognition and terminal homing is via an imaging infrared seeker. A data link allows the missile to transmit its location and status during flight, allowing improved bomb damage assessment. Reliability has been questionable and the program has been over funded resulting in considerations to drop the program entirely. The warhead is a WDU-42/B 450 kg (1000 lb) penetrator. The JASSM will be carried by a wide range of aircraft, including: the F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, F-35, B-1B, B-2 and B-52 are all intended to carry the weapon. [edit] Problematic development

In 1999, powered flight tests of the missile began. These were successful, and production of the JASSM began in December 2001. The weapon began operational testing and evaluation in 2002. Late that year, two missiles failed tests and the project was delayed for three months before completing development in April 2003. Two more launches failed, this time as a result of launcher and engine problems. In July 2007, a $68 million program to improve JASSM reliability and recertify the missile was approved by The Pentagon.[1] A decision on whether to continue with the program was deferred until Spring 2008.[2] Lockheed has agreed to fix the missiles at its own cost and has tightened up its manufacturing processes.[3]

On 27 August 2009, David Van Buren, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, said that there would be a production gap for the JASSM while further tests were held.[4] Further tests in 2009 were more successful however, with 15 out of 16 rounds hitting the intended target, well above the 75% benchmark set for the test. As such JASSM is now cleared for service entry.[5] The United States Air Force plans to acquire up to 3,700 AGM-158 missiles.[citation needed] Meanwhile, the United States Navy had originally planned to acquire 450 AGM-158 missiles but pulled out of the program in favor of employing the proven SLAM-ER.[6] [edit] Foreign sales

In 2006 the Australian government announced the selection of the Lockheed Martin JASSM to equip the Royal Australian Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet fighters.[7] This announcement came as part of a program to phase out the RAAFs F-111 strike aircraft, replacing the AGM-142 Popeye stand off missile and providing a long-range strike capability to the Hornets. JASSM was selected over the SLAM-ER and the European Taurus KEPD 350 and as of mid-2010 the JASSM in production for Australia and will soon enter service.[5]

In late 2007, the Dutch government announced that it was going to evaluate the JASSM before deciding to equip the Royal Netherlands Air Force's F-16 fighters with the JASSM.[citation needed] The Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) of South Korea has announced that it is planning to purchase and equip ROKAF's fleet of F-15K Slam Eagles with JASSM by 2010 to 2011.[8][9]

Finland had also previously planned to purchase JASSM missiles for the Finnish Air Force as part of modernization plans of its F/A-18 Hornet fleet. However in February 2007 the United States declined to sell the missiles, while agreeing to proceed as planned with other modernization efforts (the so-called Mid-Life Update 2, or MLU2). This episode led to speculation in the Finnish media on the state of Finnish - American diplomatic relations.[10] [edit] Improvements

The US Air Force is studying various improvements to the AGM-158. Mooted improvements include a submunition dispenser warhead, new types of homing head, and a new engine giving ranges in excess of 1,000 km (600 mi). The JASSM-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) received the designation AGM-158B in 2002. Using a more efficient engine and larger fuel volume in an airframe with the same external dimensions as the JASSM, the JASSM-ER is intended to have a range of over 500 nautical miles (930 km) as compared to the JASSM's range of about 200 nautical miles (370 km). The first flight test of the JASSM-ER occurred on May 18, 2006 when a missile was launched from a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. As of 2006, JASSM-ER was scheduled for introduction into the operational inventory in 2009. [edit] Operators A mock-up display at Dutch Air Force Base Leeuwarden 2008

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force Republic of Korea Republic of Korea Air Force Netherlands Royal Netherlands Air Force United States United States Air Force [edit] Specifications

Length : 4.27 m (14 ft) Wingspan : 2.4 m (7 ft 11 in) Weight : 975 kg (2,150 lb) Speed : Subsonic Range : 370 km+ (230 mi+) Propulsion : Teledyne CAE J402-CA-100 turbojet; thrust 3.0 kN (680 lbf) Warhead : 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-42/B penetrator Production unit cost : $700,000 Total program cost : $3,000,000,000

Describe AGM-154 JSOW here.AGM-154 Joint Standoff WeaponThe AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is the product of a joint venture between the United States Navy and Air Force to deploy a standardized medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of defended targets from outside the range of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby increasing aircraft survivability and minimizing friendly losses.

Development information

The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon or JSOW is currently in the fleet and in use by the US Navy. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases have been signed with Poland and Turkey for use with their F-16 fighters. Finland, Greece and Singapore are pursuing FMS cases at this time.[1][2] The AGM-154 is intended to provide a low cost, highly lethal glide weapon with a standoff capability. The JSOW family of air-to-surface glide weapons are 1,000 lb (450 kg) class weapons that provide standoff capabilities from 15 nautical miles (28 km) low altitude launch and up to 60 nautical miles (111 km) high altitude launch. The JSOW can be used against a variety of land targets and operates from ranges outside enemy point defenses. The JSOW is a launch and leave weapon that employs a tightly coupled Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS), and is capable of day/night and adverse weather operations. The AGM-154A (JSOW A) uses GPS/INS for terminal guidance, while the AGM-154C (JSOW C) uses an infra-red seeker for terminal guidance.

The JSOW is just over 160 inches (4.1 m) in length and weighs about 1,000 pounds (483 kg). The JSOW was originally to be delivered in three variants, each of which uses a common air vehicle, or truck, while substituting various payloads. The AGM-154A (JSOW-A) entered service in 1999. The US Navy and Air Force developed the AGM-154B (JSOW B) up until Multi-Service Operational Test & Evaluation (MOT&E) but the Navy decided not to procure the weapon when the Air Force left the program. The AGM-154C (JSOW BROACH) entered service in February 2005.

During the 1990s JSOW was considered to be one of the most successful development programs in DOD history. The system was introduced to operational use a year ahead of schedule. Unlike most guided weapons and aircraft, the system never had a weight management problem, and was deployed at its target weight. The system introduced a new type of fuse, but was able to obtain authority from an independent safety review in record time. Many observers credited these accomplishments to the management style chosen by the DOD and Texas Instruments. After a competitive selection, the program staff was organized into integrated product teams with members from the government, the prime Texas Instruments and subcontractors. In one case, the prime determined that the best-in-class supplier for a design service was the government, and gave part of its funding back. JSOW was recognized in 1996 with a Laurels Award from Aviation Week & Space Technology. It is notable for a guided weapon to receive this award, which is normally reserved for much larger systems. Because of this history, JSOW has been used as a case study for development programs, and for Integrated Product Teams, and is sometimes cited in academic research on program management.

AGM-154A (baseline JSOW)

The warhead of the AGM-154A consists of 145 BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb (CEB) submunitions. These bomblets have a shaped charge for armor defeating capability, a fragmenting case for materiel destruction, and a zirconium ring for incendiary effects.

AGM-154B (anti-armor)

The warhead for the AGM-154B is the BLU-108/B from the Air Force's Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW) program. The JSOW B was to carry six BLU-108/B submunitions. Each submunition releases four projectiles (total of 24 per weapon) that use infrared sensors to detect targets. Upon detection, the projectile detonates, creating an explosively formed shaped charge capable of penetrating reinforced armor targets. This program concluded development but the Navy decided not to procure the weapon when the Air Force left the program. AGM-154C (unitary variant)

The AGM-154C uses an Imaging Infrared (IIR) terminal seeker with autonomous guidance. The AGM-154C carries the BROACH warhead. This two stage warhead is made up from a WDU-44 shaped augmenting warhead and a WDU-45 follow through bomb. The weapon is designed to attack hardened targets. It entered service with the US Navy in February 2005.

Production and upgrades

Full rate production started on December 29, 1999. In June 2000 Raytheon was contracted to develop an enhanced electronics package for the JSOW to prevent electronic spoofing of GPS signals. This ultimately resulted in the JSOW Block II weapon, incorporating multiple cost reduction initiatives in addition to the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) capability. JSOW Block II was scheduled to begin production in March 2007.

The JSOW contains a modular control and deployment interface that allows future enhancement and additional configurations since it is likely that additional variants will emerge. The basic airframe is advertised as a "truck" and the JSOW-as-a-truck capability is widely advertised. Raytheon has placed a tremendous investment in the JSOW program and will certainly try to extend the Department of Defense contracts for as long as possible with system upgrades and repackagings for new missions and targets.

JSOW Block III (JSOW-C1)

Raytheon was as of 2005 under contract to develop the JSOW Block III, which adds a Link-16 weapon data link and moving maritime target capability to the AGM-154C. It is scheduled to be produced in 2009.[3]

AGM-154A-1 (JSOW-A1)

In addition, the AGM-154A-1 configuration is under development by Raytheon for FMS sales. This version replaces the submunition payload of the AGM-154A with a BLU-111 warhead to enhance blast-fragmentation effects without the unexploded ordnance (UXO) concerns with the BLU-97/B payload.

Powered JSOW

A Hamilton-Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet engine for a powered JSOW is being tested. The powered variant name is JSOW-ER, where "ER" is for "extended range". JSOW-ER will increase range from 70 miles (110 km) out to 300 miles (480 km).[4][5][6]

Combat history

The AGM-154A was the first variant to be used in combat. The AGM-154A traditionally gets used for SEAD missions. Initial deployment testing occurred aboard USS Nimitz and later aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first combat deployment of the JSOW occurred over southern Iraq on January 25, 1999 when launched by a single F/A-18 from Carrier Air Wing 11 embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson. The glide range of the JSOW allowed the weapon to strike a target located in the southern suburbs of Baghdad. This weapon enjoyed success since its early use. One adverse event: In February 2001, when a strike of F/A-18s from the USS Harry S. Truman battle group launched a massive attack on Iraqi air-defense sites, nearly every weapon missed the target. The cause of the miss was reported as a software problem. This problem was solved soon afterward.[7] Since 1999, at least 400 of the JSOW weapons have been used in the following conflicts: Operation Southern Watch, NATO Operation Allied Force, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.[8]

Operators

Australia[9] Canada[citation needed] Greece[10] Finland (operational approximately in 2015)[11] Poland Singapore Turkey United States Netherlands The Dutch government announced on 7 Nov 2007 that it is starting an evaluation before equipping its F-16's with the JSOW.

Side notes

USAF terminated production of JSOW in FY 2005, leaving the USN and USMC as the only U.S. services obtaining new JSOWs.[12] According to a test report conducted by the United States Navy's Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board (WSESRB) established in the wake of the tragic 1967 USS Forrestal fire, the cooking off time for a JSOW is approximately 2 minutes 11 seconds. [edit] General characteristics Outline drawing of the AGM-154A JSOW

Primary Function: Air-to-surface Standoff from Point Defense (SOPD) weapon, for use against a variety of targets. Contractor: Raytheon Co. Guidance: GPS/INS (Global Position/Inertial), Terminal IR Seeker (unique to 'C' model) Length: 160 inches (4.1 m) Diameter: box shaped 13 inches (330 mm) on a side / other source 40.6 x 51.9 cm Weight: From 1,065 pounds (483 kg) to 1,095 pounds (497 kg) Wingspan: 106 inches (2.69 m) Aircraft Compatibility: o Navy: F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F o Air Force: F-16 Block 40/50, B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, F-15E, F-35A Range: o Low altitude launch - 12 nautical miles (22 km) o High altitude launch - 70 nautical miles (120 km) Warhead(s): o BLU-97/B - Combined Effects Bomblets (JSOW A) o BLU-108 - Sensor fused weapon (JSOW B - now cancelled) o BROACH multi-stage warhead (JSOW C) Unit Cost: o AUPP AGM-154A, $282,000. Total program cost: $3,327,000. o AGM-154B, $484,167. Total program cost: $2,033,500. o AGM-154C, $719,012. Total program cost: $5,608,000. Date Deployed: January 1999[13]

Describe Boeing X-51 here.Boeing X-51X-51A WaveRider Description and Purpose: The X-51A WaveRider program is a consortium of the U.S. Air Force, DARPA, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and Boeing to demonstrate hypersonic flight capability. The X-51A will demonstrate a scalable, robust endothermic hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet propulsion system in flight, high temperature materials, airframe/engine integration and other key technologies within the hypersonic Mach 4.5 to 6.5 range. During its first flight test in May 2010, after being dropped from a B-52, the solid rocket ATACMS booster ignited and took the X-51A WaveRider to approximately Mach 4.5 at which point the scramjet engine took-over and accelerated the vehicle to a flight speed of approximately Mach 5.0 for approximately 200 seconds. The test was the longest of its kind, beating the previous record of 10 seconds set by the X-41. Three additional test flights are planned for the X-51A demonstration program in the future. The X-51A WaveRider is setting the foundation for several hypersonic applications, including access to space, reconnaissance-strike, global reach and commercial transportation. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is the propulsion system provider. Vehicle integration is performed by Boeing Advanced Network and Space Systems, headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Crew: Not applicable

Length: 26 ft in (7.9 m)

Empty weight: 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)

Maximum speed: Mach 7+

Describe Douglas GAM-87A Skybolt here.The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1962 Tri-service system) was an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), equipped with a nuclear warhead, developed by the United States during the late 1950s. The UK joined the program in 1960, intending to use it on their V bomber force. A series of test failures and the development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) eventually led to its cancellation in December 1962.[1] The UK had decided to base its entire 1960s deterrent force on Skybolt, and its cancellation led to a major confrontation between the UK and US, known today as the "Skybolt Crisis". This was solved during a series of meetings that led to the Royal Navy gaining the UGM-27 Polaris missile and construction of the Resolution class submarines to launch them. Nuclear weapons theorists had speculated about how to integrate the flexibility of the manned bomber with the invulnerability (in the attack) of the ballistic missile. The introduction of useful surface-to-air missiles in the 1950s rendered flight over enemy territory much more dangerous and had greatly reduced the effective deterrent power of a bomber force. Yet the Air Force and military planners were, in the mid-1950s, reluctant to simply hand over the nuclear strike capability to missiles. After launch, missiles were no longer under positive control, could not be recalled or redirected, and would reach their targets within a matter of minutes after the order to fire. Bombers, in comparison, could be re-directed in flight, and their longer flight times offered greater chance of a negotiated settlement during the attack.

Furthermore the missiles of the day were all required to be loaded with their fuels immediately prior to launch, and they could only be launched from above ground after long pre-launch checkouts. This made them vulnerable to attack from the air while they prepared - the first ICBMs, Atlas 1 and Titan 1 were of this type. In contrast, a bomber could be ordered into the air long in advance of an attack, rendering them effectively invulnerable to attack while they "loitered" awaiting orders. With in-air refuelling, the loiter times were on the order of a day if need be.

In addition, the inaccuracy of missiles in the 1950s made them useless as precision strike weapons. They could attack area targets like cities, but could not reliably and accurately attack precision strike targets like enemy bomber bases, hardened command and control centers, naval bases, or weapons storage areas. Initially, western ballistic missiles could not even reach such targets, which would be located deep within interior of the Sino-Soviet land mass in Asia. Therefore the potential integration of aircraft with the invulnerability of the ballistic missile was an intriguing prospect to 1950s military planners. ALBMs

Basing the strike package on aircraft offered a flexibility that missiles could not match. For instance, the bombers could stand off from the targets and wait for instructions from secure command centers to attack targets that were missed in an initial strike. Additionally, the bombers could use long-range weapons to strike known air defenses, and then overfly them to deliver precision strikes with freefall nuclear bombs.

Secondly, and most importantly, this mode of deployment meant that the strike force was rendered almost invulnerable. The bombers could fly to staging areas well outside the range of even the longest-legged defenses, and strike with impunity. This allowed for gradual escalation and a possible backing down through diplomacy. A ground-based missile cannot be used in the same fashion; it is either launched or not. If threatened with a nuclear strike, this presents their owners with the 'use them or lose them' predicament.

For the British, their dilemma was a matter of geography and financial resources. No fixed land-based missile system could be credibly installed in the British Isles; they were well within the range of Soviet air strikes. The limited land mass available meant it would be relatively easy for missile sites to be spotted no matter what security measures were taken. Suitable locations for construction also carried a social and political cost. Fixed land based ballistic missile sites need many thousands of acres per squadron (typically ten missiles); and the squadrons need to be apportioned over many thousands of square miles, so that no single attack could conceivably destroy them all in one strike. Development

In 1958 several American contractors demonstrated that large ballistic missiles could be launched from strategic bombers at high altitude. The use of astronavigation systems for mid-flight corrections of an inertial guidance platform, similar to that of the US Navy's SLBM systems, led to an accuracy similar to that of their existing ground-based missiles.

The US Air Force was interested and began accepting bids for development systems in early 1959. Douglas Aircraft received the prime contract in May, and in turn subcontracted to Northrop for the guidance system, Aerojet for the propulsion system, and General Electric for the reentry vehicle. The system was initially known as WS-138A and was given the official name GAM-87 Skybolt in 1960. Skybolt at RAF Museum Cosford Showing the RAF roundel and the manufacturer (Douglas Aircraft) logo

At the same time the Royal Air Force was having problems with their IRBM missile project, the Blue Streak, which was long overdue. At the same time, they faced the same problems with the dwindling survivability of their existing nuclear deterrent, the V bomber fleet. The long-range Skybolt would eliminate the need for both the Blue Streak and the Blue Steel II standoff missile, then under development. The Blue Steel II was cancelled in December 1959 and the British cabinet had decided in February 1960 to cancel the Blue Streak.

Prime Minister Macmillan met President Eisenhower in March 1960 and agreed to purchase 144 Skybolts for the RAF. By agreement, British funding for research and development was limited to that required to modify the V bombers to take the missile, but the British were allowed to fit their own warheads and the Americans were given nuclear submarine basing facilities in Scotland.[2] Following the agreement the Blue Streak programme was formally cancelled in April 1960 and in May 1960 an agreement for an initial order of 100 Skybolts was concluded.[2]

Avro were made an associate contractor to manage the Skybolt programme for the United Kingdom and four different schemes were submitted to find a platform for the missile.[2] A number of different aircraft platforms were considered including a variant of the Vickers VC10 airliner and two of the current V bombers, the Avro Vulcan and Handley Page Victor.[2] It was decided to use the Vulcan to initially carry two missiles each on hardpoints outboard of the main landing gear.[2] Tests

By 1961, several test articles were ready for testing from USAF B-52 bombers, with drop-tests starting in January. In January 1961 a Vulcan visited the Douglas plant at Santa Monica to make sure the modifications to the aircraft were electrically compatible with the missile. In Britain, compatibility trials with mockups started on the Vulcan.[2] Powered tests started in April 1962, but the test series went badly, with the first five trials ending in failure of one sort or another. The first fully successful flight occurred on December 19, 1962. Cancellation

By this point the value of the Skybolt system had been seriously eroded. The US Navy's Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile had recently gone into service, with overall capabilities similar to Skybolt, but with "loiter" times on the order of months instead of hours. Additionally, the US Air Force itself was well into the process of developing the Minuteman missile, whose improved accuracy reduced the need for any bomber attacks. Robert McNamara was particularly opposed to the bomber force and repeatedly stated he felt that the combination of SLBMs and ICBMs would render them useless. He pressed for the cancellation of Skybolt as an unnecessary program.

The British, on the other hand, had cancelled all other projects to concentrate fully on Skybolt. When McNamara informed them that they were considering cancelling the program in November 1962, a firestorm of protest broke out in the House of Commons. Jo Grimond noted "Does not this mark the absolute failure of the policy of the independent deterrent? Is it not the case that everybody else in the world knew this, except the Conservative Party in this country?"[3] President Kennedy officially cancelled the program on December 22, 1962.[1] As the political row grew into a major crisis, an emergency meeting between parties from the US and UK was called, leading to the Nassau agreement.

Over the next few days a new plan was hammered out that saw the UK purchase the Polaris SLBM, but equipped with British warheads that lacked the dual-key system. The UK would thus retain its independent deterrent force, although its control passed from the RAF largely to the Royal Navy. The Polaris, a much better weapon system for the UK, was a major "scoop" and has been referred to as “almost the bargain of the century”[4] The RAF kept a tactical nuclear capability with the WE.177 which armed V bombers and later the Panavia Tornado force. The "Skybolt Crisis" was a major event in the eventual downfall of the Macmillan government.

A B-52G launched last XGAM-87A missile down the Atlantic Missile Range a day after the program was cancelled.[5] In June 1963, the XGAM-87A was redesignated as XAGM-48A.[citation needed] Description

The GAM-87 was powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor. Each B-52 was to carry four missiles, two under each wing on side-by-side pylons, while the Avro Vulcan carried one each on smaller pylons. The missile was fitted with a tailcone to reduce drag while on the pylon, which was ejected shortly after being dropped from the plane. After first stage burnout, the Skybolt coasted for a while before the second stage ignited. First stage control was by eight movable tail fins, while the second stage was equipped with a gimballed nozzle.

Guidance was entirely by inertial platform. The current position was constantly updated from the host aircraft though accurate fixes, meaning that the accuracy of the platform inside the missile was not as critical. Survivors

RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire

National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio

Specifications Length 11.66 m (38 ft 3 in) Finspan 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Diameter 89 cm (35 in) Weight 5000 kg (11000 lb) Speed 15300 km/h (9500 mph) Ceiling 480+ km (300+ miles) Range 1850 km (1150 miles) Propulsion Aerojet Genaral two-stage solid-fueled rocket Warhead W-59 thermonuclear (1.2 MT)

Describe B61 nuclear bomb here.The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear weapon in the U.S. Enduring Stockpile following the end of the Cold War. It is an intermediate yield strategic and tactical nuclear weapon featuring a two-stage radiation implosion design Development

The B61, originally known (before 1968) as the TX-61, was designed in 1963. It was designed and built by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. It began from a program for a lightweight, streamlined weapon launched in 1961. Production engineering began in 1965, with full production beginning in 1968 following a series of development problems.

Total production of all versions was approximately 3,155, of which approximately 1,925 remain in service as of 2002[update], and some 1,265 are considered to be operational.[citation needed] The warhead has changed little over the years, although early versions have been upgraded to improve the safety features.[citation needed]

Nine versions (or 'Mods') of the B61 have been produced. Each shares the same 'physics package,' with different yield options.

The newest variant is the B61 Mod 11, deployed in 1997, which is a ground-penetrating bunker buster.

The B61 unguided bomb should not be confused with the MGM-1 Matador cruise missile, which originally was developed under the bomber designation B-61.

When the B61 was still classified, aircrew were not allowed to use the term "B61". Instead, it was referred to as a "shape", "silver bullet", or even "external delivery". [edit] Deployment B61 bomb in various stages of assembly. The nuclear component is the smaller silver cylinder behind the nose cone.

The B61 has been deployed by a very wide variety of U.S. military aircraft. Aircraft cleared for its use have included the B-58 Hustler, B-1, B-2, B-52, and FB-111 strategic bomber aircraft; the F-100 Super Sabre, F-104 Starfighter, F-105 Thunderchief, F-111 and F-4 Phantom II fighter bombers; the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, and A-7 Corsair II attack aircraft; the F-15 Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagle; F22 Raptor; British, German and Italian Panavia Tornado IDS aircraft. USAF, Belgian and Dutch F-16 Fighting Falcon can also carry the B61. Though exact numbers are hard to establish, research done by the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests approximately 480 are deployed with United States Air Force units in various European

The B61 is a variable yield bomb designed for carriage by high-speed aircraft. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight speeds. The weapon is 11 ft 8 in (3.58 m) long, with a diameter of about 13 in (33 cm). Basic weight is about 700 lb (320 kg), although the weights of individual weapons may vary depending on version and fuze/retardation configuration.

The newest variant is the B61 Mod 11, a hardened penetration bomb with a reinforced casing (according to some sources, containing depleted uranium) and a delayed-action fuze, allowing it to penetrate several metres into the ground before detonating, damaging fortified structures further underground.[3] The Mod 11 weighs about 1,200 lb (540 kg). Developed from 1994, the Mod 11 went into service in 1997 replacing the older megaton-yield B53 bomb, a limited number of which had been retained for anti-fortification use. About 50 Mod 11 bombs have been produced, their warheads converted from Mod 7 bombs. At present, the primary carrier for the B61 Mod 11 is the B-2 Spirit.

Most versions of the B61 are equipped with a parachute retarder (currently a 24-ft (7.3 m) diameter nylon/Kevlar chute) to slow the weapon in its descent. This offers the aircraft a chance to escape the blast, or allows the weapon to survive impact with the ground in laydown mode. The B61 can be set for airburst, ground burst, or laydown detonation, and can be released at speeds up to Mach 2 and altitudes as low as 50 feet (15 m). Fusing for most versions is by radar.

The B61 is a variable yield, kiloton-range weapon called "Full Fuzing Option"(FUFO) or "Dial-a-yield" by many service personnel. Tactical versions (Mods 3, 4, and 10) can be set to 0.3, 1.5, 5, 10, 60, 80, or 170 kiloton explosive yield (depending on version). The strategic version (B61 Mod 7) has four yield options, with a maximum of 340 kilotons. Sources conflict on the yield of the earth-penetrating Mod 11; the physics package or bomb core components of the Mod 11 are apparently unchanged from the earlier strategic Mod 7; however, the declassified 2001 Nuclear Posture Review [4] states that the B-61-11 has only a single yield; some sources indicate 10 kt, others suggest the 340 kiloton maximum yield as the Mod-7.

The early Mods 0, 1, 2, and 5 have been retired (Mods 6, 8, and 9 were cancelled before production), and the Mod 10 has been moved to the inactive stockpile, leaving the Mods 3, 4, 7, and 11 as the only variants in active service.

The U.S. intended to refurbish the B61 bombs under its Life Extension Program with the intention that the weapons should remain operational until at least 2025.[5]

However, the United States Congress ordered that this work be stopped pending reports from the National Academy of Sciences and JASON defense advisory panel.[6]

In May 2010 the National Nuclear Security Administration asked Congress for $40 million to enable the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to carry the weapon by 2017.[

Describe General Dynamics AGM-129 ACM here.MissionThe AGM-129A advanced cruise missile is a stealth, nuclear-capable cruise missile used exclusively by B-52H bombers.

Features The AGM-129A is a subsonic, turbofan-powered, air-launched cruise missile. It is harder to detect, and has greater range and accuracy than the AGM-86 air-launched cruise missile. The ACM achieves maximum range through its highly efficient engine, aerodynamics and fuel loading. B-52H bombers can carry up to six AGM-129A missiles on each of two external pylons for a total of 12 per aircraft. When the threat is deep and heavily defended, the AGM-129 delivers the proven effectiveness of a cruise missile enhanced by stealth technology. Launched in quantities against enemy targets, the ACM's difficulty to detect, flight characteristics and range result in high probability that enemy targets will be eliminated.

The AGM-129A's external shape is optimized for low observables characteristics and includes forward swept wings and control surfaces, a flush air intake and a flat exhaust. These, combined with radar-absorbing material and several other features, result in a missile that is virtually impossible to detect on radar.

The AGM-129A offers improved flexibility in target selection over other cruise missiles. Missiles are guided using a combination of inertial navigation and terrain contour matching enhanced with highly accurate speed updates provided by a laser Doppler velocimeter. These, combined with small size, low-altitude flight capability and a highly efficient fuel control system, give the United States a lethal deterrent capability well into the 21st century.

Background In 1982 the Air Force began studies for a new cruise missile with stealth characteristics after it became clear that the AGM-86B would soon be too easy to detect by future air defense systems. In 1983 General Dynamics was awarded a contract to develop the new AGM-129A ACM. The first test missile flew in 1985; the first missiles were delivered to the Air Force in mid-1990.

Plans called for an initial production of approximately 1,500 missiles. The end of the Cold War and subsequent budget cuts led the Air Force to cease production after 460 missiles, with the final delivery in 1993. Several corporate changes during production resulted in Raytheon Missile Systems as the final production firm.

General Characteristics Primary Function: Air-to-ground strategic cruise missile Contractor: Raytheon Missile Systems Power Plant: Williams International Corp. F-112-WR-100 turbofan engine Thrust: More than 700 pounds Length: 20 feet, 10 inches Weight: More than 3,500 pounds Diameter: 29 inches Wingspan: 10 feet, 2 inches Range: More than 2,000 miles Guidance System: Inertial navigation with terrain contour matching and laser Doppler velocimeter updates Warhead: Nuclear capable Date Deployed: 1990 Inventory: Active force, approximately 460

Describe General Dynamics AGM-129A here.The AGM-129A advanced cruise missileThe AGM-129A advanced cruise missile is a stealth, nuclear-capable cruise missile used exclusively by B-52H bombers. The B-52, currently the United States�s only cruise missile carrier aircraft, is useful as a point of comparison in determining host aircraft requirements for ALCMs from transport aircraft. It can carry up to 20 AGM-86B/C or AGM-129A/B missiles Eight carried internally on the common strategic rotary launcher, and six on each wing pylon

The AGM-129A is a subsonic, turbofan-powered, air-launched cruise missile. It is harder to detect, and has greater range and accuracy than the AGM-86 air-launched cruise missile. The ACM achieves maximum range through its highly efficient engine, aerodynamics and fuel loading. B-52H bombers can carry up to six AGM-129A missiles on each of two external pylons for a total of 12 per aircraft.

When the threat is deep and heavily defended, the AGM-129 delivers the proven effectiveness of a cruise missile enhanced by stealth technology. Launched in quantities against enemy targets, the ACM's difficulty to detect, flight characteristics and range result in high probability that enemy targets will be eliminated.

The AGM-129A's external shape is optimized for low observables characteristics and includes forward swept wings and control surfaces, a flush air intake and a flat exhaust. These, combined with radar-absorbing material and several other features, result in a missile that is virtually impossible to detect on radar.

The AGM-129A offers improved flexibility in target selection over other cruise missiles. Missiles are guided using a combination of inertial navigation and terrain contour matching enhanced with highly accurate speed updates provided by a laser Doppler velocimeter. These, combined with small size, low-altitude flight capability and a highly efficient fuel control system, give the United States a lethal deterrent capability well into the 21st century. Background

In 1982 the Air Force began studies for a new cruise missile with stealth characteristics after it became clear that the AGM-86B would soon be too easy to detect by future air defense systems. In 1983 General Dynamics was awarded a contract to develop the new AGM-129A ACM. The first test missile flew in 1985; the first missiles were delivered to the Air Force in mid-1990.

Plans called for an initial production of approximately 1,500 missiles. The end of the Cold War and subsequent budget cuts led the Air Force to cease production after 460 missiles, with the final delivery in 1993. Several corporate changes during production resulted in Raytheon Missile Systems as the final production firm. The ACM is anticipated to remain in service until 2030.

The AGM-129A ACM carries the W80-1 warhead. Launched from the B-52H at extended distances from enemy borders the missile can fly at either high altitude or low altitude and can follow a preprogrammed multiple-altitude profile. AGM-129A General Characteristics AGM-129A Cruise Missile Country United States United States Flag Type Air-to-ground strategic cruise missile Wing Span 3.10 meters 10.17 feet Length 6.35 meters 20.83 feet Diameter 0.74 meters 2.41 feet Weight 1,590 kilograms 3,500 pounds Range 3,220 kilometers 2,000 miles Propulsion Williams International Corp. F-112-WR-100 turbofan engine Guidance Inertial navigation with terrain contour matching and laser Doppler velocimeter updates Warhead Nuclear capable Used by Used exclusively by USAF B-52H bombers.

on a side note my birth father worked on this missile an tomahawk AGM-86

Describe Boeing AGM-69 SRAM here.The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile) was a nuclear air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog stand-off missile.The requirement for the weapon was issued by the Strategic Air Command of the USAF in 1964, and the resultant AGM-69A SRAM entered service in 1972. It was carried by the B-52, the FB-111A, and, for a very short period starting in 1986, by the B-1Bs based at Dyess AFB in Texas. SRAMs were also carried by the B-1Bs based at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota, and McConnell AFB in Kansas up until late 1993.

SRAM had an inertial navigation system as well as a radar altimeter which enabled the missile to be launched in either a semi-ballistic or terrain-following flight path. The SRAM was also capable of performing one "major maneuver" during its flight which gave the missile the capability of reversing its course and attacking targets that were behind it, sometimes called an "over-the-shoulder" launch. The missile had a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of about 1,400 ft (430 m) and a maximum range of 110 nautical miles (200 km). The SRAM used a single W69 nuclear warhead with a variable yield of 17 kilotons as a fission weapon, or 210 kilotons as a fusion weapon with Tritium boost enabled. The aircrew could turn a switch on the Class III command to select the destructive yield required.

The SRAM missile was completely coated with 2 cm of soft rubber, used to absorb radar energy and also dissipate heat during flight. The three fins on the tail were made of a phenolic material, also designed to minimize any reflected radar energy. All electronics, wiring, and several safety devices were routed along the top of the missile, inside a raceway.

On the B-52, SRAMs were carried externally on 2 wing pylons (6 missiles on each pylon) and internally on an eight-round rotary launcher mounted in the bomb bay; maximum loadout was 20 missiles. The B-1B could carry 8 missiles on up to three rotary launchers (one in each of its three stores bays) for a maximum loadout of 24 missiles. The FB-111A could carry two missiles internally and four more missiles under the aircraft's swing-wing. On the FB-111A, the externally-mounted missiles required the addition of a tailcone to reduce aerodynamic drag during supersonic flight. Upon rocket motor ignition, this tailcone was blown away by the exhaust plume.

About 1,500 missiles were built at a cost of about $592,000 each by the time production ended in 1975. The Boeing Company sub-contracted with the Lockheed Propulsion Company for the propellants, which subsequently closed with the end of the SRAM program.

An upgraded AGM-69B was proposed in the late 1970s, with an upgraded motor to be built by Thiokol and a W80 warhead, but it was cancelled (along with the B-1A) in 1978. Various plans for alternative guidance schemes, including an anti-radar seeker for use against air defense installations and even a possible air-to-air missile version, came to nothing.

A new weapon, the AGM-131 SRAM II, began development in 1981, intended to arm the resurrected B-1B, but it was cancelled in 1991 by then president George H. W. Bush along with most of the U.S. Strategic Modernization effort (including Peacekeeper Mobile (Rail) Garrison, Small ICBM and Minuteman III modernization) in an effort by the U.S. to ease nuclear pressure on the disintegrating Soviet Union.

The AGM-69A was finally retired in 1993 over growing concerns about the safety of its warhead and rocket motor. With the end of the Cold War it is unlikely to be replaced in the immediate future. There were serious concerns about the solid rocket motor, when several motors suffered cracking of the propellant, thought to occur due to the hot/cold cycling year after year. Cracks in the propellant could cause catastrophic failure once ignited.

The SRAM was effectively replaced by the AGM-86 cruise missile, which has longer range, though easier to intercept.

Service history

The number of AGM-69 missiles in service, by year:

1972 - 227

1973 - 651

1974 - 1149

1975 - 1451

1976 - 1431

1977 - 1415

1978 - 1408

1979 - 1396

1980 - 1383

1981 - 1374

1982 - 1332

1983 - 1327

1984 - 1309

1985 - 1309

1986 - 1128

1987 - 1125

1988 - 1138

1989 - 1120

1990 - 1048 (deactivated by President George H.W. Bush)

Specifications

Length: 190 in. (4.83 m) with tail fairing, 168 in. (4.27 m) without tail fairing

Diameter: 17.5 in. (445 mm)

Wing span: 30 in (760 mm)

Launch weight: 2,230 lb (1010 kg)

Maximum speed: Mach 3.5

Maximum range: 35-105 statute miles (56–169 km) depending on flight profile

Powerplant: 1 × Lockheed SR75-LP-1 two stage solid-fuel rocket motor

Guidance: General Precision/Kearfott KT-76 inertial and Stewart-Warner radar altimeter

CEP: 1,400 ft (430 m)

Warhead: W69 thermonuclear (170-200 kt of TNT)

Describe Boeing AGM-86 ALCM here.AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile [ALCM]The AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles was developed to increase the effectiveness of B-52 bombers. The small, winged AGM-86B is powered by a turbofan jet engine that propels it at sustained subsonic speeds. After launch, the missile's folded wings, tail surfaces and engine inlet deploy. It then is able to fly complicated routes to a target through use of a terrain contour-matching guidance system. During flight, this system compares surface characteristics with maps of the planned flight route stored in on-board computers to determine the missile's location. As the missile nears its target, comparisons become more specific, guiding the missile to target with pinpoint accuracy.

The B-52 and the AGM-86B increase flexibility to attack targets. AGM-86B missiles can be air-launched in large numbers by the bomber force. The B-52H bombers carry six AGM-86B missiles on each of two externally mounted pylons and have been modified with a bomb bay rotary launcher for eight additional air-launched cruise missiles.

An enemy force would have to counterattack each of the missiles, making defense against them costly and complicated. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missiles' small size and low-altitude flight capability, which makes them difficult to detect on radar.The bomber's exposure to enemy defenses is reduced due to its extended range of effectiveness. Therefore, the missile may be launched with a large uncertainty in position, will independently navigate to the target, and initiate warhead detonation with a small Circular Error Probability (CEP).

Background

The weapon's concept was over a half-century old, but inadequate technology had prevented development of an effective missile. Two technical breakthroughs in the early 1970s transformed the concept into a practical weapon system. The first breakthrough came in computer technology, specifically a dramatic reduction in the physical size of computers coupled with equally dramatic increases in computer capabilities. These achievements fostered the development of a sophisticated guidance system that enabled the missile to fly at very low altitudes, making detection difficult. The second breakthrough, advances in propulsion, allowed engineers to decrease the missile's size while increasing its capabilities. The promise of a reliable and relatively inexpensive penetrating weapon system led to President Carter's 30 June 1977 announcement that the production of a B-1 bomber would be discontinued in favor of ALCM development.

The Air Force entered into a contract with Boeing Aerospace Company in February 1974 to develop and flight test a prototype ALCM (designated AGM-86A). The first ALCM powered flight took place on 5 March 1976 over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico when a B-52G crew ejected an ALCM from a SHAM rotary launcher. On 9 September 1976, the Air Force conducted the first fully-guided ALCM flight test. During the 30-minute flight, the ALCM successfully negotiated four terrain correlation mapped areas and completed a terrain correlation update in each area. The missile used in the flight tests was an AGM-86 "A" model which was slightly smaller than the the final production version, the AGM-86B. A production order was not placed for the Boeing model and by the time President Carter made his decision to proceed with the ALCM both Boeing and General Dynamics had developed cruise missiles. Boeing won a competitive flyoff between the two missiles and on 25 March 1980 received a contract to produce the AGM-86B.

Boeing delivered the first two ALCMs to the 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffiss AFB, New York, on 11 January 1981. These missiles were used initially by the wing for environmental testing and maintenance training. The first operational missile was assigned to the wing on 23 April 1981. On 15 August 1981, the 416th BMW received the first B-52G modified to carry the ALCM. The bomber could carry six missiles under each wing and had been outfitted with the Offensive Avionics System (OAS) to improve navigation and weapon delivery. The OAS replaced older analog computers and navigation components with a solid-state, digital system, which helped align, target, and launch the missiles. The first ALCM training flight was conducted on 15 September 1981 by the 416th BMW. On 21 September 1982, the 416th became the first operational wing to conduct an ALCM operational test launch, and on 16 December, the 416th was declared the first combat-ready ALCM-equipped wing. In July 1985, the 7th Bombardment Wing at Carswell AFB, Texas, became the first unit to receive ALCM-modified B-52H model bombers. A modified B-52H bomber could carry twenty ALCM missiles, six under each wing and eight mounted internally on a rotary launcher. By 23 August 1986, 98 B-52G aircraft had completed the cruise missile modification program. Boeing completed production of the 1,715th and last ALCM on 7 October 1986.

Specifications Primary Function: Air-to-surface strategic missile Contractor: Boeing Aerospace Co. Guidance Contractors: Litton Guidance and Control Power Plant: Williams Research Corp. F-107-WR-10 turbofan engine Thrust: 600 pounds (270 kilograms) Length: 20 feet, 9 inches (6.29 meters) Weight: 3,150 pounds (1,417.5 kilograms) Diameter: 24.5 inches (62.23 centimeter) Wingspan: 12 feet (3.64 meters) Range: AGM-86B: 1,500-plus miles (1,305 nautical miles) Speed: About 550 mph (Mach 0.73) Guidance System: Litton inertial navigation element with terrain contour-matching updates Warheads: Nuclear capable Sensors: A terrain contour-matching guidance system that allows the missile to fly complicated routes to a target through use of maps of the planned flight route stored in on-board computers Unit Cost: $1 million Date Deployed: December 1982 Inventory: Active force, 1,628; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0

Describe BGM-109 Tomahawk here.BGM-109 TomahawkThe BGM-109 Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a submerged submarine. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures and acquisitions, is now made by Raytheon. Some Tomahawks were also manufactured by McDonnell Douglas.

Description

The Tomahawk missile family consists of a number of subsonic, jet engine-powered missiles for attacking a variety of surface targets. Although a number of launch platforms have been deployed or envisaged, only naval (both surface ship and submarine) launched variants are currently in service. Tomahawk has a modular design, allowing a wide variety of warhead, guidance and range capabilities. [edit] Variants

There have been several variants of the BGM-109 Tomahawk employing various types of warheads.

BGM-109A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Nuclear (TLAM-N) with a W80 nuclear warhead RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk Anti Ship Missile (TASM) - radar guided anti-shipping variant BGM-109C Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Conventional (TLAM-C) with a unitary warhead BGM-109D Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Dispenser (TLAM-D) with submunitions RGM/UGM-109E Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM Block IV) - improved version of the TLAM-C BGM-109G Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) - withdrawn from service AGM-109H/L Medium Range Air to Surface Missile (MRASM) - a shorter range, turbojet powered ASM, never entered service Ground Launch Cruise Missiles (GLCM) and their truck-like launch vehicles were destroyed to comply with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Many of the Anti-ship versions were converted into TLAMs at the end of the Cold War. The Block III TLAMs that entered service in 1993 can fly farther and use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to strike more precisely. Block IV TLAMs have a better Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator (DSMAC) system as well as improved turbofan engines. The WR-402 engine provided the new BLK III with a throttle control, allowing in-flight speed changes. This engine also provided better fuel economy. The Block IV Phase II TLAMs have better deep-strike capabilities and are equipped with a real-time targeting system for striking moving targets. [edit] Tactical Tomahawk

A major improvement to the Tomahawk is its network-centric warfare-capabilities, using data from multiple sensors (aircraft, UAVs, satellites, foot soldiers, tanks, ships) to find its target. It will also be able to send data from its sensors to these platforms. It will be a part of the networked force being implemented by the Pentagon.

”Tactical Tomahawk” equips the TLAM with a TV-camera for battlefield observation loitering that allows warfighting commanders to assess damage to the target and to redirect the missile to an alternative target. Additionally the Tactical Tomahawk is able to be reprogrammed in-flight to attack one of 16 predesignated targets with GPS coordinates stored in its memory or to any other GPS coordinates. Also, the missile can send data about its status back to the commander. It entered service with the Navy in late 2004.

On May 2009, Raytheon Missile Systems proposed an upgrade to the Tomahawk Block IV land-attack cruise missile that would allow it to kill or disable large, hardened warships at 900 nm range.[3] [edit] Launch systems Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010) Launch of a Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile from the USS Stethem.

Each missile is stored and launched from a pressurized canister that protects it during transportation and storage and acts as a launch tube. These canisters are racked in Armored Box Launchers (ABL), as on the battleship Missouri, Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) in other surface ships, Capsule Launch Systems (CLS) in the later Los Angeles class submarines, and in submarines' torpedo tubes. All ABL equipped ships have been decommissioned.

For submarine-launched missiles (called UGM-109s), after being ejected by gas pressure (vertically via the VLS) or by water impulse (horizontally via the torpedo tube), the missile exits the water and a solid-fuel booster is ignited for the first few seconds of airborne flight until transition to cruise. After achieving flight, the missile's wings are unfolded for lift, the airscoop is exposed and the turbofan engine is employed for cruise flight. Over water, the Tomahawk uses inertial guidance or GPS to follow a preset course; once over land, the missile's guidance system is aided by Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM). Terminal guidance is provided by the Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system or GPS, producing a claimed accuracy of about 10 meters. The USS Missouri launching a Tomahawk missile.

The Tomahawk Weapon System consists of the missile, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System, and either the Tomahawk Weapon Control System (on surface ships) or Combat Control System (for submarines).

Several versions of control systems have been used, including:

v2 TWCS - Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1983), also known as "green screens," was based on an old tank computing system. v3 ATWCS - Advanced Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1994), first Commercial Off the Shelf, uses HP-UX. v4 TTWCS - Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System, (2003). v5 TTWCS - Next Generation Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System. (2006) [edit] Other details

The TLAM-D contains 166 sub-munitions in 24 canisters; 22 canisters of seven each, and two canisters of six each to conform to the dimensions of the airframe. The sub-munitions are the same type of Combined Effects Munition bomblet used in large quantities by the U.S. Air Force. The sub-munitions canisters are dispensed two at a time, one per side. The missile can perform up to five separate target segments which enables it to attack multiple targets. However in order to achieve a sufficient density of coverage typically all 24 canisters are dispensed sequentially from back to front.

TERCOM - Terrain Contour Matching. A digital representation of an area of terrain is mapped based on digital terrain elevation data or stereo imagery. This map is then inserted into a TLAM mission which is then loaded on to the missile. When the missile is in flight it compares the stored map data with radar altimeter data collected as the missile overflies the map. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.

DSMAC - Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation. A digitized image of an area is mapped and then inserted into a TLAM mission. During the flight the missile will verify that the images that it has stored correlates with the image it sees below itself. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.

Total program cost: $US11,210,000,000[4] [edit] Operators [edit] United States Navy

In the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict, 288 Tomahawks were launched. The first salvo was fired by the cruiser USS San Jacinto on January 17, 1991. The attack submarines USS Pittsburgh and USS Louisville followed. The Louisville Slugger company gave the crew of the latter special-edition baseball bats emblazoned with an image of the submarine conducting a Tomahawk launch. The honor was repeated during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The United States Navy has a stockpile of around 3,500 Tomahawk cruise missiles of all variants. [edit] Royal Navy

The United States agreed to sell more than 60 Tomahawks to the United Kingdom in 1995 for use with Royal Navy nuclear submarines. The first missiles were acquired and test-fired in 1998.

It is (as of 2005[update]) in use with the Swiftsure class and Trafalgar class attack submarines. It is planned that all Royal Navy submarines will be Tomahawk capable by 2008, including the future Astute class attack submarine.

In 2004, the UK and US governments reached an agreement for the British to buy 64 of the new generation of Tomahawk missile – the Block IV or TacTom missile. The SYLVER vertical launch system to be fitted to the new Type 45 destroyer is claimed by its manufacturers to have the capability to fire the Tomahawk. Therefore it would appear that Tomahawk is a candidate to be fitted to the Type 45 if required. France, which also uses the SYLVER launcher, is developing a version of the Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missile capable of launch from the SYLVER system, which would give a similar land attack capability.

The Kosovo War in 1999 saw HMS Splendid become the first British submarine to fire the Tomahawk in combat. It has been reported that seventeen of the twenty Tomahawks fired by the British during that conflict hit their targets accurately. The Royal Navy later used them in the 2001 Afghanistan War and Operation Telic, the British contribution to the 2003 Iraq War.

The Royal Navy has recently purchased the Block IV tomahawk which entered service as of the 27th March 2008, three months ahead of schedule.[5] [edit] Spanish Navy

In July 2006, the United States Congress authorized the Spanish Navy to buy Tomahawk missiles. The number of missiles to be purchased was 24. The missiles were to be used in the AEGIS Álvaro de Bazán Class Frigates and in the new S80 submarines. The missiles were to have been delivered between 2008 and 2012.

In October 2009 the Spanish Government informed the United States Department of Defense that Spain will not go ahead with the purchase of the Tomahawk missiles due to current budget restrictions.

Describe Rods of gods here.Kinetic bombardmentA kinetic bombardment is the act of attacking a planetary surface with an inert projectile, where the destructive force comes from the kinetic energy of the projectile impacting at very high velocities. The concept is encountered in science fiction and is thought to have originated during the Cold War.

Non-orbital bombardments with kinetic projectiles, such as lobbing stones with siege engines such as catapults or trebuchets are considered siege warfare, not kinetic bombardment.

Project Thor

Project Thor is an idea for a weapons system that launches kinetic projectiles from Earth orbit to damage targets on the ground. Jerry Pournelle originated the concept while working in operations research at Boeing in the 1950s before becoming a science-fiction writer.[1][2]

The most described system is "an orbiting tungsten telephone pole with small fins and a computer in the back for guidance". The weapon can be down-scaled, an orbiting "crowbar" rather than a pole.[citation needed] The system described in the 2003 United States Air Force (USAF) report was that of 20-foot-long (6.1 m), 1-foot-diameter (0.30 m) tungsten rods, that are satellite controlled, and have global strike capability, with impact speeds of Mach 10.[3][4][5]

The time between deorbiting and impact would only be a few minutes, and depending on the orbits and positions in the orbits, the system would have a world-wide range.[citation needed] There is no requirement to deploy missiles, aircraft or other vehicles. Although the SALT II (1979) prohibited the deployment of orbital weapons of mass destruction, it did not prohibit the deployment of conventional weapons. The system is not prohibited by either the Outer Space Treaty nor the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.[4][6]

The idea is that the weapon would inflict damage because it moves at orbital velocities, at least 9 kilometers per second. Smaller weapons can deliver measured amounts of energy as small as a 225 kg conventional bomb.[citation needed] Some systems are quoted as having the yield of a small tactical nuclear bomb.[5] These designs are envisioned as a bunker buster.[4][7]

In the case of the system mentioned in the 2003 USAF report above, a 6.1m x 0.3m tungsten cylinder impacting at Mach 10 has a kinetic energy equivalent to approximately 11.5 tons of TNT (or 7.2 tons of dynamite). The mass of such a cylinder is itself over 8 tons, so it is clear that the practical applications of such a system are limited to those situations where its other characteristics provide a decisive advantage - a conventional bomb/warhead of similar weight to the tungsten rod, delivered by conventional means, provides similar destructive capability and is a far more practical method.

The highly elongated shape and high density are to enhance sectional density and therefore minimize kinetic energy loss due to air friction and maximize penetration of hard or buried targets. The larger device is expected to be quite good at penetrating deeply buried bunkers and other command and control targets.[8] The smaller "crowbar" size might be employed for anti-armor, anti-aircraft, anti-satellite and possibly anti-personnel use.

The weapon would be very hard to defend against. It has a very high closing velocity and a small radar cross-section. Launch is difficult to detect. Any infra-red launch signature occurs in orbit, at no fixed position. The infra-red launch signature also has a small magnitude compared to a ballistic missile launch. One drawback of the system is that the weapon's sensors would almost certainly be blind during atmospheric reentry due to the plasma sheath that would develop ahead of it, so a mobile target could be difficult to hit if it performed any unexpected maneuvering. The system would also have to cope with atmospheric heating from re-entry, which could melt the weapon.[9]

While the larger version might be individually launched, the smaller versions would be launched from "pods" or "carriers" that contained several missiles

Describe EMP-RE122 here.EMP-RE122Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse

Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) is an electromagnetic pulse generated without use of nuclear weapons. There are a number of devices that can achieve this objective, ranging from a large low-inductance capacitor bank discharged into a single-loop antenna or a microwave generator to an explosively pumped flux compression generator. To achieve the frequency characteristics of the pulse needed for optimal coupling into the target, wave-shaping circuits and/or microwave generators are added between the pulse source and the antenna. A vacuum tube particularly suitable for microwave conversion of high energy pulses is the vircator.[36]

NNEMP generators can be carried as a payload of bombs, cruise missiles and drones, allowing construction of electromagnetic bombs with diminished mechanical, thermal and ionizing radiation effects and without the political consequences of deploying nuclear weapons.

The range of NNEMP weapons (non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse bombs) is severely limited compared to nuclear EMP. This is because nearly all NNEMP devices used as weapons require chemical explosives as their initial energy source, but nuclear explosives have an energy yield on the order of one million times that of chemical explosives of similar weight. In addition to the large difference in the energy density of the initial energy source, the electromagnetic pulse from NNEMP weapons must come from within the weapon itself, while nuclear weapons generate EMP as a secondary effect, often at great distances from the detonation. These facts severely limit the range of NNEMP weapons as compared to their nuclear counterparts, but allow for more surgical target discrimination. The effect of small e-bombs has proven to be sufficient for certain terrorist or military operations. Examples of such operations include the destruction of certain fragile electronic control systems of the type critical to the operation of many ground vehicles and aircraft.[38] A right front view of a Boeing E-4 National Airborne Operations Center aircraft on the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) simulator (HAGII-C) for testing. USS Estocin (FFG-15) moored near the Electro Magnetic Pulse Radiation Environmental Simulator for Ships I (EMPRESS I) facility (antennae at top of image).

Information about the EMP simulators used by the United States during the latter part of the Cold War, along with more general information about electromagnetic pulse, are now in papers under the care of the SUMMA Foundation, which is now hosted at the University of New Mexico.

The SUMMA Foundation web site includes documentation about the huge wooden ATLAS-I simulator (better known as TRESTLE, or "The Sandia Trestle") at Sandia National Labs, New Mexico, which was the world's largest EMP simulator.[40] Nearly all of these large EMP simulators used a specialized version of a Marx generator.[3][4] The SUMMA Foundation now has a 44-minute documentary movie on its web site called "TRESTLE: Landmark of the Cold War".

Many large EMP simulators were also built in the Soviet Union, as well as in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy.

Describe MIM-14 Nike-Hercules here.MIM-14 Nike-HerculesNike Hercules (SAM-N-25)

As the Nike Ajax system underwent testing during the early 1950s, the Army became concerned that the missile was incapable of stopping a massed Soviet air attack. To enhance the missile’s capabilities, the Army explored the feasibility of equipping Ajax with a nuclear warhead, but when that proved impractical, in July 1953 the service authorized development of a second generation surface-to-air missile, the Nike Hercules. As with Nike Ajax, Western Electric was the primary contractor with Bell Telephone Laboratories providing the guidance systems and Douglas Aircraft serving as the major subcontractor for the airframe.

In 1958, 5 years after the Army received approval to design and build the system. Nike Hercules stood ready to deploy from converted Nike Ajax batteries located in the New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago defense areas. However, as Nike Hercules batteries became operational, the bitter feud between the Army and Air Force over control of the nation’s air defense missile force flared anew. The Air Force opposed Nike Hercules, claiming that the Army missile duplicated the capabilities of the soon-to-be-deployed BOMARC. Eventually, both of the competing missiles systems were deployed, but the Nike Hercules would be fielded in far greater numbers over the next 6 years. System Operation Nike Hercules was designed to use the supporting components of the Nike Ajax system. To engage hostile targets, crews followed procedures similar to those used with the Nike Ajax. Because of the increased capability of the system, there were some additions to the ground equipment. For example, a High-Powered Acquisition Radar (HIPAR) was installed to track targets at greater range. Alternate Battery Radars (ABARs) were also installed as backup units. In addition, a Target Ranging Radar was added to counter enemy radar jamming attempts.

In March 1952, due to limitations of the soon-to-be-deployed Nike Ajax system (including the inability to discern individual bombers within a densely-packed flying formation), the Bureau of Ordnance recommended a study of the feasibility of equipping Nike Ajax with a nuclear warhead. Two months later, the Chief of Ordnance asked Bell Telephone Laboratories (BTL) to examine the feasibility of a nuclear Nike Ajax using the current ground system. After consulting with Picatinny Arsenal and Sandia Laboratories, BTL recommended either fitting an XW-9 warhead into the Nike Ajax or building a wider missile to carry the more potent XW-7 warhead.

In August, the Chief of Ordnance approved an engineering study to investigate the latter option with the objective of fielding a weapon quickly at minimum cost. As a result of this study, in December the Deputy Chief of Plans and Research approved plans for the follow-on project. Two months later, in February 1953, the Army asked BTL to develop detailed proposals for a Nike "B" or Hercules. A month later, Bell and Douglas Aircraft Company representatives outlined three ground guidance systems for missile designs varying in range from 25 to 50 miles. Longer range missiles would require major revisions to facilities currently being constructed for the Nike Ajax. Soon thereafter, Nike "B" received approval from the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a 1A priority. On July 16, 1953, the Secretary of the Army formally established the Nike "B" program with the objective of obtaining a weapon that could intercept aircraft flying at 1.000 miles per hour, at an altitude of 60,000 feet, and a horizontal range of 50,000 yards.

Western Electric, BTL, and Douglas began the research and development phase and by 1955 began conducting test firings at White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico. To build the new missile, the Nike Hercules design team simply took the components of the Ajax missile and multiplied by four. Four solid booster rockets were strapped together to push the missile into flight. Once the booster rockets fell away, four liquid-propellant driven engines would carry the warhead to the target. Unfortunately, this design, dependent on multiple systems, hindered reliability. Of the first 20 flights, 12 had to be terminated due to malfunctions. On September 30, 1955, tragedy struck at White Sands when a liquid-fueled engine undergoing static testing exploded with such force that the protective bunker sustained damage. This explosion killed one worker and injured five others. This incident convinced designers to consider a solid propellant engine for the sustainer missile. October 31, 1956, marked the first successful Nike Hercules intercept of a drone aircraft. On March 13, 1957, the first flight test using the new solid propellant sustainer engine was conducted at White Sands. During the following summer, a test called Operation Snodgrass conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, demonstrated the ability of the missile to single out a target within a formation of aircraft. By this time, the first of several Nike Ajax sites had been converted to accept the new missile.

Meanwhile, work was well under way to improve acquisition and tracking radar capabilities that would further exploit the capabilities of the Nike Hercules. The Army pushed ahead with development of a system dubbed the "Improved Hercules" that incorporated three significant improvements. First, the Improved Hercules sites were to receive the HIPAR L-band acquisition radar to detect high-speed, non-ballistic targets. The other two improvements included improving the existing Target Tracking Radar and adding a Target Ranging Radar operating on a wide-ranging frequency band designed to foil attempts at electronic counter-measures.

The potential of the Improved Hercules was demonstrated on June 3. 1960, when a Nike Hercules missile scored a direct hit on a Corporal missile in the sky over White Sands. Beginning in June 1961, Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) began phasing in Improved Hercules to selected batteries. Deployment

During the course of the Cold War, the Army deployed 145 Nike Hercules batteries. Of that number, 35 were built exclusively for the new missile and 110 were converted Nike Ajax installations. With the exception of batteries in Alaska and Florida that stayed active until the late 1970s, by 1975 all Nike Hercules sites had been deactivated.

Nike Hercules was designed to use existing Nike Ajax facilities. With the greater range of the Nike Hercules allowing for wider area coverage, several Nike Ajax batteries could be permanently deactivated. In retrospect, air defense planners lamented the backfitting of Nike Hercules missiles into existing sites close to areas that were vulnerable to the new threat of Soviet ICBMs. In addition, sites located further away from target areas were desirable due to the nuclear warheads carried by the missile.

In the late 1950s early 1960s, surface-to-air missile batteries were placed for the first time around such cities as St. Louis and Kansas City and around several Strategic Air Command (SAC) bomber bases. Unlike the older sites, these batteries were placed in locations that optimized the missiles’ range and minimized the warhead damage. Nike Hercules batteries at SAC bases and in Hawaii were installed in an outdoor configuration. In Alaska, a unique above-ground shelter configuration was provided for batteries guarding Anchorage and Fairbanks. Local Corps of Engineer Districts supervised the conversion of Nike Ajax batteries and the construction of new Nike Hercules batteries.

Nike Hercules first entered service on June 30, 1958, at batteries located near New York. Philadelphia, and Chicago. The missiles remained deployed around strategically important areas within the continental United States until 1974. The Alaskan sites were deactivated in 1978 and Florida sites stood down during the following year. Although the missile left the U.S. inventory, other nations maintained the missiles in their inventories into the early 1990s and sent their soldiers to the United States to conduct live-fire exercises at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Converted sites received new radars and underwent modifications so the new missiles could be serviced and stored. Because of the larger size of the Nike Hercules, an underground magazine’s capacity was reduced to eight missiles. Thus, storage racks, launcher rails, and elevators underwent modification to accept the larger missiles. Two additional features that readily distinguished newly converted sites were the double fence and the kennels housing dogs that patrolled the perimeter between the two fences. New sites, located away from populated areas did not have to be confined in acreage. Consequently, these batteries were all above ground with missile storage and maintenance facilities located behind earthen berms. Not all sites received the complete Improved Hercules package. HIPAR radars were denied to some sites due to geographical constraints and/or to avoid duplication of radars located at adjacent sites.

Specifications Length 41 feet Diameter 31.5 inches Wingspan 6 feet, 2 inches Weight 10.710 pounds Booster fuel Solid propellant Missile fuel Solid propellant Range Over 75 miles Speed Mach 3.65 2,707 mph Altitude Up to 150,000 feet Guidance Command by electronic computer and radar Warhead High-Explosive fragmentation or nuclear
 * 1) Contractors Airframe: Douglas Aircraft Company Santa Monica, California
 * 2) Propulsion: Booster: Hercules Powder Company Radford Arsenal, Virginia
 * 3) Sustainer: Thiokol Chemical Corporation Longhorn Division, Marshall, Texas
 * 4) Guidance: Western Electric Company New York

Describe Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk here.Raytheon SAM-A-18/M3/MIM-23 HawkThe Hawk was the first mobile medium-range guided anti-aircraft missile deployed by the U.S. Army, and was the oldest SAM system still in use by U.S. armed forces in the late 1990s.

Development studies for a semi-active radar homing medium-range surface-to-air missile system were begun by the U.S. Army in 1952 under the designation SAM-A-18 Hawk (Homing All the Way Killer). In July 1954, development contracts were awarded to Raytheon for the missile, and to Northrop for launcher, radars, and fire-control system. The first launch of an XSAM-A-18 test missile occurred in June 1956, and the initial development phase was completed in July 1957. By that time, the Hawk had been redesignated as Guided Missile, Aerial Intercept, XM3 (and XM3E1). Initial Operational Capability of the M3 Hawk was achieved with the U.S. Army in August 1959, and in 1960 the M3 was also fielded by U.S. Marine Corps units. The Hawk system was used by many NATO and other countries, and the missile was license-built in Western Europe and Japan. There were two training versions of the original Hawk missile, designated XM16 and XM18.

The M3 Hawk surface-to-air missile is powered by an Aerojet General M22E8 dual-thrust (boost/sustain) solid-propellant rocket motor, and is controlled in flight by its large triangular fins with trailing-edge control surfaces. It is armed with a 54 kg (119 lb) high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead, which is equipped with both impact and radar proximity fuzes. The missile is guided by an X-band CW (Continuous Wave) monopulse semi-active radar seeker, and has an effective engagement range of 2-25 km (1.25-15 miles). A Hawk unit uses several different ground radars and control systems. The radar systems include the AN/MPQ-35 C-band PAR (Pulse Acquisition Radar) for high/medium-altitude threat detection, the AN/MPQ-34 CWAR (Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar) for low-level threat detection, the AN/MPQ-33 (or -39) HPI (High-Power Illuminator) which tracks designated targets and provides target illumination for the missile's seeker, and the AN/MPQ-37 ROR (Range Only Radar) which is a K-band pulse radar to provide ranging data when the other radars are jammed by countermeasures (the ROR reduces jamming vulnerability by transmitting only when designated). Photo: U.S. Army MIM-23A

The Hawk missiles are transported on and launched from M192 triple-missile towed launchers. In 1967, the U.S. Army tested a self-propelled Hawk ("SP-HAWK") system, which mounted the launchers on tracked M727 (modified M548 transports) vehicles. The first Hawk units were equipped with SP-HAWK in 1969, but the system is no longer in service. Photo: U.S. Army MIM-23A (on M727)

In June 1963, all Hawk missiles were redesignated in the MIM-23 series as follows: Old Designation New Designation XM3 XMIM-23A M3 MIM-23A XM16 XMTM-23B XM18 XMTM-23C

The XMTM-23B/C designations were short-lived, however, and the B/C suffix letters were later reused for improved Hawk missiles.

To counter advanced low-altitude threats, the Army began a Hawk Improvement Program (HAWK/HIP) in 1964. This involved numerous upgrades to the Hawk system, including the addition of a digital data processing central information coordinator for target processing, threat ordering, and intercept evaluation. The AN/MPQ-35 PAR, AN/MPQ-34 CWAR, AN/MPQ-33/39 HPI, and AN/MPQ-37 ROR were replaced by upgraded variants designated AN/MPQ-50, AN/MPQ-48, AN/MPQ-46, and AN/MPQ-51, respectively. The Hawk missile itself was upgraded to MIM-23B I-HAWK (Improved Hawk) configuration. The MIM-23B had a larger 74 kg (163 lb) blast-fragmentation warhead, a smaller and improved guidance package, and a new M112 rocket motor. The I-HAWK system was declared operational in 1971, and by 1978 all U.S. Hawk units had converted to the new standard. The effective range envelope of the MIM-23B is extended to 1.5-40 km (5000 ft - 25 miles) at high altitude (2.5-20 km (8200 ft - 12.4 miles) at low altitude), and minimum engagement altitude is 60 m (200 ft). There is also a training version of the I-HAWK designated MTM-23B. The XMEM-23B is a variant with a full telemetry equipment for test and evaluation purposes. Photo: U.S. Army MIM-23 (exact model unknown)

Beginning in 1977, the U.S. Army started an extensive multi-phase Hawk PIP (Product Improvement Plan), mainly intended to improve and upgrade the ground equipment. PIP Phase I involved replacement of the CWAR with the AN/MPQ-55 Improved CWAR (ICWAR), and the upgrade of the AN/MPQ-50 PAR to Improved PAR (IPAR) configuration by the addition of a digital MTI (Moving Target Indicator). The first PIP Phase I systems were fielded in 1979. PIP Phase II, developed from 1978 and fielded between 1983 and 1986, upgraded the AN/MPQ-46 HPI to AN/MPQ-57 standard by replacing some tube electronics with modern solid-state circuits, and added a TAS (Tracking Adjunct System). The TAS, designated OD-179/TVY, is an electro-optical (TV) tracking system to increase Hawk operability and survivability in a high-ECM environment. The PIP Phase III development was started in 1983, and was first fielded by U.S. forces in 1989. Phase III is a major upgrade which significantly enhanced computer hard- and software for most components (new CWAR is designated AN/MPQ-62), added single-scan target detection capability, and upgraded the HPI to AN/MPQ-61 standard by addition of a Low-Altitude Simultaneous Hawk Engagement (LASHE) system. LASHE allows the Hawk system to counter saturation attacks by simultaneously intercepting multiple low-level targets. The ROR is no longer used by Phase III Hawk units.

The following table summarizes the designations of the main radars of the Hawk air-defense system: System Configuration PAR CWAR HPI ROR Basic Hawk AN/MPQ-35 AN/MPQ-34 AN/MPQ-33/39 AN/MPQ-37 Improved Hawk AN/MPQ-50 AN/MPQ-48 AN/MPQ-46 AN/MPQ-51 PIP Phase I AN/MPQ-55 PIP Phase II AN/MPQ-57 PIP Phase III AN/MPQ-62 AN/MPQ-61 (n/a)

The MIM-23B Hawk missile was improved in parallel with the PIP upgrades. The MIM-23C, introduced around 1982, has improved ECCM capabilities. The MIM-23D is similar to the MIM-23C, but I don't have any further details. The official source [5] describes it plainly as an "upgraded MIM-23C", but this is simply a standard phrase used for subsequent versions and could mean anything, including a non-tactical model used for live training. The telemetry-equipped test and evaluation model of the MIM-23C/D is designated MEM-23C.

The MIM-23E and MIM-23F, introduced in 1990, are developments of the MIM-23C and MIM-23D, respectively, with an improved guidance section for low-level engagements in high-clutter/multi-jamming environments. The MEM-23D is the telemetry-equipped test and evaluation model of the MIM-23E/F.

The MIM-23G and MIM-23H are variants of the MIM-23E and MIM-23F, respectively, with a new body section assembly. The corresponding test and evaluation missile is the MEM-23E. Photo: U.S. Army MIM-23 (exact model unknown)

In 1991, the USMC successfully demonstrated the use of a modified Lockheed Martin AN/TPS-59 tactical long-range radar system to search and track Theater Ballistic Missiles (TBM) in conjunction with a Hawk fire-control unit. The AN/TPS-59(V)3 radar can track targets at up to 475 km (295 miles) range and 150 km (90 miles) altitude. Although no actual firing took place, these tests prompted the USMC to upgrade its Hawk units with an anti-TBM capability. The MIM-23G/H Hawk missiles were upgraded to Enhanced Lethality Missile configuration, designated MIM-23K and MIM-23J, respectively (note "reversed" suffix letters). The MIM-23J/K has a new high-grain fragmentation warhead and new fuzing circuitry to make it effective against ballistic missiles, and in 1994, several intercepts of MGM-52 Lance short-range ballistic missiles were successful. The MIM-23L and MIM-23M missiles have the new fuzing circuits of the MIM-23K and MIM-23J, respectively, but don't have the latter's new warhead. The telemetry-equipped test and evaluation model of the MIM-23J/K/L/M missiles is designated MEM-23F.

The following table summarizes the designations of the developments of the MIM-23B I-HAWK missile, and the corresponding test and evaluation versions. Because the MEM versions use sequential suffix letters, and each MEM variant corresponds to several MIM missiles, the letters for MIM and MEM versions are "out-of-sync". Type of Missile Tactical Model T&E Model Basic I-HAWK MIM-23B XMEM-23B Improved ECCM MIM-23C MIM-23D MEM-23C Low-level/multi-jamming capability MIM-23E MIM-23F MEM-23D New body section MIM-23G MIM-23H MEM-23E New warhead + fuzing (anti-TBM) MIM-23K MIM-23J MEM-23F New fuzing only, old warhead MIM-23L MIM-23M

The U.S. Army also used the MIM-23K missile for a brief period, but not in the anti-TBM role. The last active Army Hawk unit was deactivated in 1994, and the last Army National Guard units disposed of the Hawk system in the 1996/97 time frame. The Hawk has been replaced in U.S. Army service by the MIM-104 Patriot and FIM-92 Stinger (and Stinger-based systems like Avenger) missiles for medium- and short-range air-defense, respectively.

The MIM-23K missile and AN/TPS-59(V)3 radar was operational with USMC units from 1995 onwards. Beginning in 1998/99 the USMC started to phase out the Hawk to replace it with the FIM-92 Stinger (leaving some gap in the medium-range air-defense capabilities of the USMC). There are conflicting reports as to whether the phaseout is complete at the time of this writing (late 2002).

Including foreign production, more than 40000 MIM-23 Hawk missiles of all versions were built. Specifications

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for MIM-23A/B: MIM-23A MIM-23B Length 5.08 m (16 ft 8 in) 5.03 m (16 ft 6 in) Finspan 1.19 m (3 ft 11 in) Diameter 37 cm (14.5 in) Weight 584 kg (1290 lb) 635 kg (1400 lb) Speed Mach 2.5 Ceiling 13700 m (45000 ft) 17700 m (58000 ft) Range 25 km (15 miles) 40 km (25 miles) Propulsion Aerojet M22E8 dual-thrust solid-fueled rocket Aerojet M112 dual-thrust solid-fueled rocket Warhead 54 kg (119 lb) blast-fragmentation 74 kg (163 lb) blast-fragmentation

Describe Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Sea Dart GWS30 here.Sea Dart or GWS30 was a British surface-to-air missile system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace from 1977. It was fitted to the Type 42 destroyers (UK and Argentina), Type 82 destroyers and Invincible-class aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy. The missile system has had nine confirmed successful engagements in actual combat, including six aircraft, two helicopters and a missile.History

Sea Dart began as Hawker Siddeley project "CF.299", a weapon to replace the Royal Navy's first-generation long-range surface-to-air missile, Sea Slug. It entered service in 1973 on the sole Type 82 destroyer HMS Bristol before widespread deployment on the Type 42 destroyer commencing with HMS Sheffield in 1976. The missile system was also fitted to Invincible-class aircraft carriers but was removed during refits in the 1998-2000 period to increase the area of the flight deck and below-decks stowage associated with the operation of Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 aircraft. Design

Sea Dart is a two-stage, 4.4-metre (14 ft) long missile weighing 550 kilograms (1,200 lb). It is launched using a drop-off Chow solid-fuelled booster that accelerates it to the supersonic speed necessary for the operation of the cruise motor, a Rolls-Royce [Bristol Siddeley] kerosene-fuelled Odin ramjet. This gives a cruise speed of over Mach 2.5, and unlike many rocket-powered designs the cruise engine burns for the entire flight, giving excellent terminal manoeuvrability at extreme range. It is capable of engaging targets out to at least 30 nautical miles (35 mi; 56 km) over a wide range of altitudes. It has a secondary capability against small surface vessels, tested against a Brave-class fast patrol boat, although in surface mode the warhead safety arming unit does not arm and thus damage inflicted is restricted to the physical impact of the half-ton missile body and the unspent proportion of the 46 litres (10 imp gal; 12 US gal) of kerosene fuel.

Guidance is by proportional navigation and a semi-active radar homing system using the nose intake cone and four aerials around the intake as an interferometer aerial, with targets being identified by a Type 1022 surveillance radar (originally radar Type 965) and illuminated by one of a pair of radar Type 909. This allows two targets to be engaged simultaneously in initial versions, with later variants (see below) able to engage more. Firing is from a twin-arm trainable launcher that is loaded automatically from below decks. The original launcher seen on the Bristol was significantly larger than that which appeared on the Type 42 and Invincible classes. Initial difficulties with launcher reliability have been resolved. Combat Service Falklands War Sea Dart on Cardiff in 1982 (taken after the Falklands War had ended)

Sea Dart was used during the Falklands War (1982) and is credited with seven confirmed kills (plus one British Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter downed by friendly fire). One kill was against a high-flying Learjet reconnaissance aircraft beyond the missile's stated technical envelope. In another engagement, a high-flying Argentine Canberra bomber was shot down. Other kills were made against low-flying attack aircraft.

The net effect of Sea Dart was to deny the higher altitudes to enemy aircraft. This was important because Argentine aircraft such as the Mirage had better straight line performance than the Sea Harriers, which were unlikely to successfully intercept them.

The first Sea Dart kill was an Aérospatiale Puma, on 9 May 1982 near Stanley by Coventry, with the loss of the 3 men aboard.

On 25 May 1982 an A-4C Skyhawk of Grupo 5 was shot down north of Pebble Island again by Coventry. The pilot, Capitán Hugo Angel del Valle Palaver was killed. Later, Coventry shot down another Skyhawk of Grupo 4 while it was returning from a mission to San Carlos Water. Capitán Jorge Osvaldo García successfully ejected but was not recovered. The next Argentine action that day saw the sinking of Coventry; no Sea Dart was able to engage the A-4s, although one was launched without guidance in an effort to disrupt the attack. It missed and the destroyer was struck by two iron bombs and sunk.

The same day a Super Etendard strike fighter sought to attack the British carrier group with Exocet missiles, but instead struck the cargo ship MV Atlantic Conveyor. Invincible fired 6 Sea Darts in less than 2 minutes, but all missed. A close-up of a jet in flight, the pilot is wearing a white helmet. On the nose of the plane are the Spanish words "Fuerza Aerea Argentina" and the designation code "B-108". Canberra bomber B-108 of Grupo de Bombardeo 2. This Argentine aircraft was shot down by a Sea Dart

On 30 May 1982, during the last Exocet air attacks against the British fleet, the most successful engagements with Sea Dart occurred and Exeter was credited with two Skyhawks (out of four attackers) downed, despite them flying only 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) above the sea (theoretically below Sea Dart's minimum engagement altitude of 30 metres (98 ft)). One of the two was engaged by a Type 21 frigate with her 4.5-inch (110 mm) gun[1] On June 6 Exeter downed a Learjet 35A (destroying its tail) that was being used as reconnaissance aircraft, at 12,000 metres (39,000 ft) altitude, but missed a second one.

Finally, on 13 June 1982, a Canberra Mk.62 was flying at 12,000 metres (39,000 ft). While it was en route to bomb British troops at Port Harriet House, it was destroyed by a Sea Dart fired from Cardiff.[2] Sea Dart on Invincible

In total at least eighteen missiles were launched by Type 42 destroyers, six by Invincible, and two by Bristol. Out of five missiles fired against helicopters or high flying aircraft, four were successful, but only two of nineteen fired at low level aircraft hit: just eleven percent; however a number of missiles were fired without guidance to deter low level attacks. Exeter's success can be partially attributed to being equipped with the Type 1022 radar, which was designed for the system and provided greater capability than the old Type 965 fitted to the earlier Type 42s.[3][4] The Type 965 was unable to cope with low level targets as it suffered multiple path crossings and targets became lost in radar clutter from the surface of the South Atlantic, this resulted in Sea Dart being unable to lock onto targets at distance obscured by land, or fast-moving low-level targets obscured in ground clutter or sea-returns.

The Argentine Navy was well aware of the Sea Dart's capabilities and limitations, having two Type 42s of its own. Consequently, Argentine planes, opting to fly below the Type 965 radar ("sea skimming"), frequently dropped bombs which failed to explode: The arming vane on the bomb had insufficient time to complete the number of revolutions required to arm the fuze, in which case, the fuze remained in safe mode and would not function on impact. Gulf War (1991)

In February 1991 during the Gulf War the US battleship Missouri, escorted by Gloucester (carrying Sea Dart) and USS Jarrett (equipped with Phalanx CIWS), was engaged by an Iraqi Silkworm missile (NATO reporting name "Seersucker"). The Silkworm missile was intercepted and destroyed by a Sea Dart fired from "Gloucester". During the same engagement, the "Jarrett"'s Phalanx 20 mm CIWS was placed in autoengagement mode and targeted chaff launched by the "Missouri" rather than the incoming missile.[5][6] Variants

The Sea Dart was upgraded over the years - notably its electronics - as technology advances. The following modification standards have been fielded:

Mod 0 — Basic 1960s version, used in the Falklands. Vacuum-tube technology. Range circa 40 nmi (46 mi; 74 km).

Mod 1 — Improved Sea Dart. Upgraded version 1983-1986. Updated guidance systems possibly allowing some capability against sea-skimming targets and much greater reliability.

Mod 2 — 1989-1991. Upgrade included ADIMP (Air Defence IMProvement) which saw the replacement of six old circuit cards in the guidance system with one, allowing the spare volume to be used for an autopilot. Used alongside a command datalink (sited on the Type 909 pedestal) it allows several missiles to be 'in the air' at once, re-targeted during flight etc. and allows an initial ballistic trajectory, doubling range to 80 nmi (92 mi; 150 km) with the upgraded 909(I) radar for terminal illumination only.[citation needed]

Mod 3 — Latest version with new infrared fuze. Delayed eight years from 1994 to 2002.

The Sea Dart Mark 2, GWS 31, (also known as Sea Dart II - not to be confused with Mod 2, above) development was cancelled in 1981. This was intended to allow 'off the rail' maneuvers with additional controls added to the booster. The Mark 2 was reduced to Advanced Sea Dart, then Enhanced Sea Dart and finally Improved Sea Dart.

Guardian was a proposed land-based system of radars, control stations and a box-launched version of Sea Dart proposed in the 1980s for use as a land-based air defence system for the Falkland Islands. A similar lightweight box-launched version was also proposed for small naval craft. Withdrawal HMS Edinburgh conducting the final Sea Dart missile firing at the north western Scottish range of Benbecula. The ship fired five missiles, three single missiles and a two-missile salvo at an unmanned drone target.

The Sea Dart equipped Type 42s are reaching the end of their service lives, with some vessels already retired. They will be replaced by the larger Type 45 which is armed with the Sea Viper missile system. Sea Viper is much more capable in the anti-air role but has no anti-surface capability. The first-of-class began sea trials in July 2007 and Daring entered service in 2009.

On 13 April 2012 HMS Edinburgh fired the last ever operational Sea Dart missiles after a thirty-year career. The last two remaining Type 42s, York and Edinburgh will complete their careers without the system being operational. Operators

Argentina

Argentine Navy: Purchased 60 missiles for their two Type 42 destroyers but retired them in 1987 due to lack of spares.

United Kingdom

Royal Navy

Describe US NAVY Torpedos here.Mark 48 torpedoThe Mk-48 torpedo was designed in the end of the 1960s to keep up with the advances in Soviet submarine technology. Operational since 1972, it replaced the Mk-37 and Mk-14 torpedoes as the principal weapon of U.S. Navy submarines.[2] With the entry into service of the new Soviet Alfa class submarine in 1979, the decision was made to accelerate the ADCAP program, which would bring significant modifications to the torpedo. Tests were run to ensure that the weapon could keep on with the developments and the weapon was modified with improved acoustics and electronics. The new version of the weapon, also known as Mk-48 Mod 4, was extensively tested and production started in 1985, with entry into service in 1988. From then on, various upgrades have been added to the torpedo, of which the current version is the Mk-48 Mod 6, a mod 7 version was test fired in 2008 in the Rim of Pacific Naval exercises. The inventory of the U.S. Navy is 1,046 Mk-48 torpedoes.[4] [edit] Deployment Former Royal Australian Navy ship, HMAS Torrens (DE 53), hulk target, engaged by RAN submarine HMAS Farncomb (SSG 74); 1999.

The Mk-48 torpedo is designed to be launched from submarine torpedo tubes. The weapon is carried by all U.S. Navy submarines, including Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, Seawolf, Los Angeles and Virginia class attack submarines. It is also used on Canadian, Australian and Dutch submarines. The Royal Navy elected not to buy the Mark 48, preferring to use the Spearfish instead.

Mk-48 and Mk-48 ADCAP torpedoes can be guided from a submarine by wires attached to the torpedo. They can also use their own active or passive sensors to execute programmed target searches, acquisition and attack procedures. The torpedoes are designed to detonate under the keel of a surface ship, breaking the ship's back and destroying its structural integrity. In the event of a miss, it can circle back for another attempt. ] Propulsion

The swashplate piston engine is fueled by Otto fuel II, a monopropellant that decomposes into hot gas when ignited, which drives the engine. The thrust is generated by a propulsor assembly. Sensors and improvements

The torpedo's seeker has an active electronically-steered "pinger" that helps avoid having to maneuver as it closes with the target. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the torpedo's sensors can monitor surrounding electrical and magnetic fields. This may refer to the electromagnetic coils on the warhead (at least from 1977 to 1981), used to sense the metallic mass of the ship's hull and detonate at the proper stand-off distance.

The torpedo has been the subject of continued improvement over its service lifetime. In the 1990s, a Mod 6 variant of the ADCAP provided much improved noise isolation from the engine, which makes this torpedo more difficult to detect by a potential target.

The Mk48 Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) torpedo is optimized for both the deep and littoral waters and has advanced counter-countermeasure capabilities. The MK48 ADCAP Mod 7 (CBASS) torpedo is the result of a Joint Development Program with the Royal Australian Navy and reached Initial Operational Capability in 2006.[

On July 25, 2008 a MK 48 Mod 7 CBASS torpedo fired by an Australian Collins-class submarine successfully sank a test target during the Rim of the Pacific 2008 (RIMPAC) exercises. The Mark 48 and its improved ADCAP (Advanced Capability) variant are heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes. They were designed to sink fast, deep-diving nuclear-powered submarines and high-performance surface ships.

General characteristics, Mark 46 Mod 5

Designed to attack high-performance submarines, the Mark 46 torpedo is the backbone of the U.S. Navy's lightweight ASW torpedo inventory, and is the current NATO standard. These aerial torpedoes, such as the Mark 46 Mod 5, are expected to remain in service until the year 2015. In 1989, a major upgrade program for the Mod 5 began to improve its shallow-water performance, resulting in the Mod 5A and Mod 5A

Type Heavyweight torpedo Place of origin United States Service history In service 1972–present (original),

1988–present (ADCAP)

2008-present Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) Production history Manufacturer Gould/Honeywell (original), Hughes Aircraft (ADCAP) Unit cost $894,000 (US 1978)[1] $3,500,000 (ADCAP) (1988)[2] Specifications Weight 3,434 lb (1,558 kg) (original), 3,695 lb (1,676 kg) (ADCAP) Length 19 ft (5.79 m)[3] Diameter 21 in (533 mm)[3] Effective range 23 miles[3], 38 km at 55 kt or 50 km at 40 kt (estimated)[4], officially "greater than 5 miles"[5] Warhead high explosive plus unused fuel Warhead weight 650 lb (295 kg)[3] Detonation mechanism proximity fuze

Primary Function: Air and ship-launched lightweight torpedo[1] Contractor: Alliant Techsystems Power Plant: Two-speed, reciprocating external combustion; Mono-propellant (Otto fuel II) Length: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) tube launch configuration (from ship)[2], 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m) with ASROC rocket booster[1] Weight: 508 lb (231 kg)[1] (warshot configuration) Diameter: 12.75 in (324 mm)[2] Range: 12,000 yd (11 km)[1] Depth: > 1,200 ft (365 m) Speed: > 40 knots (46 mph, 74 km/h)[1] Guidance System: Homing mode: Active or passive/active acoustic homing[2] Launch/search mode: Snake or circle search Warhead: 96.8 lb (44 kg)[1] of PBXN-103 high explosive (bulk charge) Date Deployed: 1967 (Mod 0);[1] 1979 (Mod 5) The Mark 50 torpedo is a U.S. Navy advanced lightweight torpedo for use against fast, deep-diving submarines. The Mk-50 can be launched from all ASW aircraft, and from torpedo tubes aboard surface combatant ships. The Mk-50 was intended to replace the Mk-46 as the fleet's lightweight torpedo.[1] Instead the Mark 46 will be replaced with the Mark 54 LHT.

The torpedo's Stored Chemical Energy Propulsion System (SCEPS) uses a small tank of sulfur hexafluoride gas which is sprayed over a block of solid lithium, which generates enormous quantities of heat, in turn used to generate steam from seawater. The steam propels the torpedo in a closed Rankine cycle, supplying power to a pump-jet.

Describe XM14 SUU-12 A here.* XM12/M12 and SUU-16/ADeveloped as a pod for high-speed fighter aircraft which lacked a gun, this pod was fitted with a single M61A1 20 mm cannon and 1,200 rounds of ammunition. This weapon is powered by a ram-air turbine, and fires at a fixed rate of 6,000 rpm. However, for this firing rate to be achieved the aircraft needs to fly over 300 mph (480 km/h), and the pod is designed to be optimal at speeds above 400 mph (640 km/h). Its weight, 1,650 lb (750 kg) loaded, also precludes it from many light aircraft.

The pod was designated XM12 (possibly standardized as M12) by the US Army and the same pod was designated SUU-16/A by the US Air Force.

XM13 A pod developed, likely for helicopters, fitted with a single M75 40 mm grenade launcher.[3] Some sources also mention this as a system tested on the JOV-1A Mohawk.[4]

XM14 and SUU-12/A XM14 Gun Pod

A pod developed for both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, fitted with a single M3 .50 caliber machine gun.[3] The pod carried 750 rounds of ammunition and provided a pneumatic charging system for the weapon.[5] This system was used on the JOV-1A and UH-1 series of helicopters.[6][7]

The pod was designated XM14 by the US army and the same pod was designated SUU-12/A by the US Air Force.

M18 and SUU-11/A Series Perhaps the most widely used gun pod developed by the US military, fitted with a single M134 7.62x51mm Minigun.[3] This weapon was produced in three generations, with separate designations applied by both the US Army and US Air Force.

The first was the XM18 and SUU-11/A, which featured a standard version of the weapon encased in an aerodynamic pod. This weapon was unmodified and fired at a rate of 6,000 rpm. The fact that the weapon only fed from a drum containing 1,500 rounds of ammunition meant that a slower rate of fire was desired.[8]

The second set of subvariants, designated XM18E1 (and standardized as the M18) and SUU-11A/A, featured an aircraft-to-pod electric connection, allowing aircraft internal power to be used in providing better starting torque, a de-energized solenoid allowing for better round clearing at low rates of fire, and circuitry that allowed for selectable rates of fire. The options were either 2,000 rpm or 4,000 rpm, both significantly lower than the base rate of fire.[9]

The last set of subvariants were designated M18A1 (development of the M18E1) and SUU-11B/A. These featured a slightly higher set of selectable rates of fire, either 3,000 rpm or the high 6,000 rpm.[1][10]

These pods were used on a wide array of US aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War, including the A-1 Skyraider, A-37 Dragonfly, and the T-28 Trojan. It was also tested on the ACH-47A "Guns A-Go-Go" by the US Army and on the UH-1E Iroquois by the US Marine Corps, and were part of standard armament fits for the AH-1 Cobra with both services.

XM19 A pod developed by the US Army, likely primarily for helicopters, fitted with two M60C 7.62x51mm machine guns.[3] Does not appear to have been standardized, likely in favor of the M18 series.

Of note, however, was the fact that this system was also tested with the S-2E Tracker by the US Naval Air Test Center, US Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. There is no information as to the outcome of these tests, carried out in 1966, which apparently also involved the SUU-11A/A pod mentioned earlier.[13]

XM25 and SUU-23/A Similar to the XM12/SUU-16/A, this pod featured a self-powered variant of the M61A1, designated XM130 (may have been standardized as the M130) by the US Army and GAU-4/A by the US Air Force. This modification allowed its carriage on aircraft that could not meet the speed requirement of the previous unit, and reduced drag by removing the ram-air turbine requirement. This pod was popular for use on the F-4C and F-4D Phantom II aircraft, as well as, British FG.1 and FGR.2 Phantom IIs.[2][14] The pod still has a weight restriction, weighing more than its predecessor at 1,730 lb (780 kg) loaded with 1,200 rounds of ammunition, and still has the fixed rate of 6,000 rpm.[1] GPU-2/A Gun Pod mounted on a US Navy OV-10A Bronco at China Lake NAWS

The pod was designated XM25 (possibly standardized as M25) by the US Army and the same pod was designated SUU-23/A by the US Air Force.

GPU-2/A A lightweight gun pod fitted with the M197 20 mm cannon, the unit weights only 586 lb (266 kg) loaded with 300 rounds of ammunition. It has selectable fire rates of either 700 rpm or 1,500 rpm.[15] The pod is self-contained and powered by a Ni-Cad rechargeable battery, with sufficient charge to expend three complete loads before needing to be replaced.[16] This weapon has been tested on the A-37 Dragonfly and OV-10 Bronco.[17][18]

GPU-5/A Developed on Project Pave Claw, the GPU-5/A was designed to adapt the power of the A-10 Thunderbolt II and its GAU-8/A gun to smaller aircraft. The resulting weapon used a smaller version of the GAU-8/A, designated the GAU-13/A, with only four barrels. Podded, the system weights 1,900 lb (860 kg) loaded with 353 rounds of 30 mm ammunition in two helical layers surrounding the gun (for reduction of overall size). The pod is completely self-contained with a rate of fire of 3,000 rpm.[19] Three Mk 4 Gun Pods mounted on a US Navy A-4A Skyhawk at China Lake NAWS

Mk 4 Mod 0 Developed by the US Navy, this pod is fitted with the Mk 11 Mod 5 20 mm cannon, along with 750 rounds of ammunition.[20] This pod is said to have been used on a variety of US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft including the A-4 Skyhawk, F-4 Phantom II, A-7 Corsair II,and OV-10 Bronco.[1] Approximately 1200 Mk 4 Gun Pods were manufactured by Hughes Tool Company, later Hughes Helicopter, in Culver City, California. While the system was tested and certified for use on the A-4, the A-6, the A-7, the F-4, and the OV-10, it only saw extended use on the A-4, the F-4, and the OV-10. In the case of the OV-10, the unit was used by VAL-4, a Navy squadron assigned to Binh Thuy, Vietnam, and was used extensively for close air support missions.

Describe FIM-181 Scorpion here.FIM/AIM-181A ScorpionRole: Man-portable or air launched Surface to Air or Air to Air Missile

Price: $40,000 USD

Dimensions:

Length: 5.25 ft

Diameter: 3.34 in (85mm)

Finspan: 0.9 ft

Weight: 25 lbs

Performance:

Maximum speed: Mach 3

Range: 10 miles (Air launced)

Ceiling: 30,000 ft

G-Limits: 35g

Engine: Two stage dual thrust (Boost/Sustain) solid fuel rocket motor

1st Stage: Duration: 1 sec Range: 15 yd Thrust: 150 lbs

2nd Stage: Duration: 10 sec Range: 10 miles Thrust: 200 lbs boost, 125 lbs sustain

Warhead: 8 lb high explosive fragmentation

Control Surfaces: All-moving fins Thrust Vector Control

Seeker: Imaging IR Focal-Pane Array (IIR-FPA) Argon cooled

Describe AIM-182 ALRAAM + SRAAM here.The AIM-182 ALRAAM and AIM-182 SRAAMThe design is heavily inspired by the General Dynamics/Westinghouse AAAM missile design, mainly the two stage propulsion system and compact size. Notice it is only slightly larger than an AIM-120 AMRAAM. The missile is capable of up to Mach 4 and has a range of up to 130 miles. It is 13 ft long and weighs 360 lbs at launch. It can be fired from the same launch rails as both the AIM-9 and AIM-120. Other features include an advanced auto-pilot using GPS and an INS guidance system, with terminal radar guidance from a AESA. The missile has both LOAL (Lock On After Launch) and helmet cuing. And due to its two stage design it posses extreme agility for a much longer period of flight when compared to other long ranged missiles. The missile will also be capable of being ground, ship, and submarine launched.

The ALRAAM is the one with the larger booster, while the SRAAM is the one with the shorter booster. SRAAM has the same features as ALRAAM (it is the same airframe after all), just with a shorter range of around 40 miles.

Describe AGM-184 HSCM here.This time a hypersonic cruise missile designated AGM-184 HSCM. It is a large 20 ft (6.09 m) long, air or sea launched conventional cruise missile with a range of up to 800 NM (1,481.6 km). It has a maximum speed of Mach 5 at sea level and Mach 7 at altitude. The advanced engine starts off as an air breathing rocket like my AGM-183 SSASM, then converts to a pure scramjet once airspeed allows. Will have various types of warheads such as a 1000 lb (453.6 kg) unitary bunker buster, a Sensor Fused Weapon cluster munition, and a few other different warheads.

Describe AGM-183 SSASM here.AGM-183 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile It is a 1200 lb (544.31 kg), 15.7 ft (4.78 m) long Mach 3+ sea skimming missile powered by an air breathing rocket motor. Range will be around 100nm and can be air, ship, or sub launched. Uses radar for terminal guidance, along with GPS and data link. Can also be used to strike land targets.

The P-270 Moskit (Russian: П-270 «Москит»; English: Mosquito) is a Russian supersonic ramjet powered cruise missile. Its GRAU designation is 3M80, and its NATO reporting name is SS-N-22 Sunburn. The missile system was designed by the Raduga Design Bureau during the 1970s as a follow up to the SS-N-9 "Siren". The Moskit was originally designed to be ship launched, but variants have been adapted to be launched from land (modified trucks), underwater (submarines) and air (reportedly the Sukhoi Su-33, a naval variant of the Sukhoi Su-27). The missile can carry conventional and nuclear warheads.

The exact classification of the missile is unknown, with varying types reported; this has been due to the secrecy surrounding an active military weapon. It is one of the missiles known by the NATO codename SS-N-22 Sunburn. It reaches Mach 3 at a high altitude and its maximum low-altitude speed is M2.2, triple the speed of the subsonic American Harpoon. When such slower missiles, like the Harpoon or the French Exocet are used, the maximum theoretical response time for the defending ship is 120-150 seconds. This provides time to launch countermeasures and employ jamming before deploying "hard" defense tactics such as launching missiles and using quick-firing artillery. But the 3M82 "Mosquito" missiles are extremely fast and give the defending side a maximum theoretical response time of merely 25-30 seconds, rendering it extremely difficult to employ jamming and countermeasures, let alone fire missiles and quick-firing artillery. The Moskit was designed to be employed against smaller NATO naval groups in the Baltic Sea (Danish and German) and the Black Sea (Turkish) and non-NATO vessels in the Pacific (Japanese, South Korean, etc.), and to defend the Russian mainland against NATO amphibious assault.[1]

Variants of the missile have been designated 3M80M, 3M82 (Moskit M).[2] The P-270 designation is believed to be the initial product codename for the class of missile, with the Russian Ministry of Defense GRAU indices (starting with 3M) designating the exact variant of the missile. The 3M80 was its original model. The 3M80M model (also termed 3M80E for export) was a 1984 longer range version of the missile, with the latest version with the longest range being the 3M82 Moskit M. The ASM-MMS / Kh-41 variant is the air launched version of the missile.

The missile has been purchased by the People's Liberation Army Navy (China), and reported to be purchased by Iran.

Specifications

Launch range, km: o min 10 o max (3M-80E/3M-80E1) 120/100 Missile flight speed: 2,800 km/h Missile cruising altitude: 20 m Launch sector relative to ship’s lateral plane, ang.deg ±60 Launch readiness time, sec: o From missile power-on till first launch: 50 s o From combat-ready status: 11 s Inter-missile launch time (in a salvo), sec: 5 Launch weight: o 3M-80E missile 4,150 kg o 3M-80E1 missile 3,970 kg Warhead type penetrator Warhead weight, kg 300 Dimensions, m: o Length 9.385 o Body diameter 0.8 o Wing span 2.1 o Folded wing/empennage span, m 1.3

Development

The R-73 was developed to replace the earlier R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') weapon for short-range use by Soviet fighter aircraft. Work began in 1973, and the first missiles entered service in 1982.

The R-73 is an infrared-guided (heat-seeking) missile with a sensitive, cryogenic cooled seeker with a substantial "off-boresight" capability: the seeker can "see" targets up to 60° off the missile's centerline. It can be targeted by a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) allowing pilots to designate targets by looking at them. Minimum engagement range is about 300 meters, with maximum aerodynamic range of nearly 30 km (18.75 mi) at altitude.

The R-73 is a highly maneuverable missile and mock dogfights have indicated that the high degree of "off-boresight" capability of the R-73 would make a significant difference in combat. The missile also has a mechanically simple but effective system for thrust-vectoring. Altogether this prompted the development of the Sidewinder and other SRM successors like AIM-132 ASRAAM, IRIS-T, MICA IR, Python IV and the latest Sidewinder variant, AIM-9X, that entered squadron service in 2003.

From 1994 the R-73 has been upgraded in production to the R-73M standard, which entered CIS service in 1997. The R-73M has greater range and a wider seeker angle (to 60° off-boresight), as well as improved IRCCM (Infra-Red Counter-Counter-Measures).

An improved version of the R-73M, the R-74M features fully digital and re-programmable systems, and is intended for use on the MiG-35 or MiG-29K/M/M2 and Su-27SM, Su-30MK and Su-35BM.

The weapon is used by the MiG-29, Su-27, Su-34 and Su-35, and can be carried by newer versions of the MiG-21, MiG-23, Sukhoi Su-24, and Su-25 aircraft. India is looking to use the missile on their HAL Tejas. It can also be carried by Russian attack helicopters, including the Mil Mi-24, Mil Mi-28, and Kamov Ka-50. AA-11 Archer missile.PNG

Operational history

During Eritrean-Ethiopian War from May 1998 to June 2000, R-73 missiles were used in combat by both Ethiopian Su-27s and Eritrean MiG-29s. It was the IR-homing R-60 and the R-73 that were used in all but two of the kills (one having been scored with 30mm cannon fire, while one of the no less than 24 R-27 medium-range missiles resulted in the other).

On 21 April 2008, a Russian MIG-29 allegedly shot down a Georgian UAV with an IR guided missile, most likely an R-73. The downing was recorded by the shot down UAV itself.

Kaliningrad K-5 (NATO reporting name AA-1 Alkali

The development of the K-5 began in 1951. The first test firings were in 1955. It was tested (but not operationally carried) by the Yakovlev Yak-25. The weapon entered service as the Grushin/Tomashevich (Russian: Грушин/Томашевич) RS-2U (also known as the R-5MS or K-5MS) in 1957. The initial version was matched to the RP-2U (Izumrud-2) radar used on the MiG-17PFU, MiG-19PM. An improved variant, K-5M or RS-2US in PVO service, entered production in 1959, matched to the RP-9/RP-9U (Sapfir) radar of the Sukhoi Su-9. The People's Republic of China developed a copy under the designation PL-1, for use by their J-6B fighters.

The difficulties associated with beam-riding guidance, particularly in a single-seat fighter aircraft, were substantial, making the 'Alkali' primarily a short-range anti-bomber missile. Around 1967 the K-5 was replaced by the K-55 (R-55 in service), which replaced the beam-riding seeker with the semi-active radar homing or infrared seekers of the K-13 (AA-2 'Atoll'). The weapon was 7.8 kg (17.2 lb) heavier than the K-5, but had a smaller 9.1 kg (20.1 lb) warhead. The K-55 remained in service through about 1977, probably being retired with the last of the front-line Sukhoi Su-9 interceptors.

Specifications (RS-2US / K-5MS)

Length: 2500 mm (8 ft 2 in) Wingspan: 654 mm (2 ft 2 in) Diameter: 200 mm (7⅞ in) Launch weight: 82.7 kg (183.3 lb) Speed: 800 m/s (2,880 km/h, 1,790 mph) Range: 2-6 km (1¼-3¾ mi) Guidance: beam riding Warhead: 13.0 kg (28.7 lb) Vympel R-27 missile with the NATO reporting name AA-10 Alamo

The R-27 is manufactured in infrared-homing (R-27T), semi-active-radar-homing (R-27R), and active-radar-homing (R-27AE) versions, in both Russia and the Ukraine. The R-27 missile is carried by the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, and some of the later-model MiG-23MLD fighters have also been adapted to carry it. The R-27 missile is also license-produced in the PRC, though the production license was bought from Ukraine instead of Russia. The Chinese versions have a different active radar seeker taken from the Vympel R-77 missile, which was sold to the PRC by Russia.

Variants

R-27R AA-10 Alamo-A, semi-active radar homing. Launch range from Mach 1.4, 11km altitude: 60 km (head-on) / 21 km (tail-on). Minimum launch range under same conditions 2 km (head-on) / 0.5 to 0.6 km (tail-on). [2] Up to 80 km under optimal conditions [3] R-27T AA-10 Alamo-B, infrared homing, passive homing using the Avtomatika 9B-1032 (PRGS-27) IR seeker head. Weight 248 kg. Range is said to be 70 km under optimal conditions. The R-27T missile does not possess a data-link, which makes it useful only at much shorter ranges at head-on engagements, however. At tail-on engagements the longer physical reach can be fully utilized. R-27ER AA-10 Alamo-C, the semi-active-radar homing extended-range version, which is 70 cm longer and slightly wider. Range up to 130 km under optimal conditions Entered service 1990. R-27ET AA-10 Alamo-D, the infrared-homing extended-range version, which is 70 cm longer and slightly wider, range of 120 km under optimal conditions using the Avtomatika 9B-1032 (PRGS-27) seeker head. Weight 348 kg. Entered service in 1990. The R-27TE missile does not possess a data-link, which makes it useful only at much shorter ranges at head-on engagements, however. At tail-on engagements the longer physical reach can be fully utilized. R-27AE AA-10 Alamo-E, active-radar-homing long-range version. Range 1.0 km to 130 km[4]. Weight 349 kg. R-27EM, naval version. Semi-active-radar homing with an upgraded seeker head, enabling it to engage targets flying at three meters above the sea. Maximum range is 170 km[4] against a head-on target. R-27P, a passive anti-radiation missile, similar to the US/NATO "Shrike" missile. [edit] Operational service [edit] Iraq

Some Russian sources claim that in the Gulf War of 1990-1991 an Iraqi MIG-29 would have managed to damage an American B-52G, nicknamed "In Harm's Way" with a R-27R missile.[5] According to USAF the incident was a rather unusual case of friendly-fire: the B-52G defensive gun operator is reported to have locked onto a friendly F-4G Wild Weasel jet on his fire-control radar, suspecting it to be an Iraqi MiG. The Weasel recognized being tracked by a fire-control radar and responded by firing a HARM anti-radiation missile, which hit the B-52. This incident was also the reason the aircraft, which survived the damage, was later nicknamed "In Harm's Way".[6]. The Russian sources claiming R-27 damage to the B-52 also list Iraqi MiG kills in direct contradiction to statements by Iraqi pilots who deny such kills[7], casting considerable doubt to the veracity of the claims. [edit] Africa

In the 1999 Eritrean-Ethiopian War, Eritrean MiG-29s fought Ethiopian Su-27s piloted by Russian mercenaries[8], both sides utilizing air-to-air missiles of Russian origin, including the R-27. The missiles were highly ineffective and unreliable, particularly the R-27: while at least a small number of R-73s also scored hits, only one R-27 fired by an Ethiopian Su-27 at an Eritrean MiG-29 proximity-fuzed near enough the MiG that the damaged aircraft eventually crashed on landing. With possibly as many as 24 R-27s fired by both sides, the result of one hit that quite possibly would not have resulted in a kill had the pilot been more experienced, is far worse than even the very poor results of US Vietnam-era AIM-7Es. It is not clear from the reports whether the poor results were a result of inherent weaknesses of the missile design or manufacturing defects and quality control failures

A-Darter, also known as V3E Agile Darter, is a fifth-generation short range, air-to-air missile (SRAAM) developed in South Africa. The AAM is designed to meet the challenges which may come from conflict against future air combat fighters.

The missile system completed several successful test launches in January 2012. It entered the final qualification phase in March 2012 and is expected to be ready for production by 2013.

The missile will enter service with the South African Air Force (SAAF) and Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in 2014.

The SAAF is planning to equip the missile on its 26 Saab Gripen fighter jets and 24 Hawk Mk120 fleet. The FAB is expected to integrate it on Northrop's F-5E/F Tiger II, F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and future F-X2 fighters. Joint development programme for the A-Darter short range missile "The missile will enter service with the South African Air Force (SAAF) and Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in 2014."

South Africa began its plans to develop the A-Darter missile in 1995. A lack of funds, however, delayed the development, despite the SAAF adopting the project. In 2006, Brazil joined in the development programme. The joint development was started in March 2007.

Denel Group was contracted for the co-development of the SRAAM, in April 2007. Other collaborators involved include Denel Dynamics, Mectron, Avibrás (rocket motor) and Opto Eletrônica (seeker head).

Investment towards the missiles development was ZAR1bn ($130m), co-funded by both SAAF and FAB. The missile development programme is expected to have generated 200 technical jobs and 1,200 indirect jobs. It is expected to have an export market of ZAR2bn ($257m).

A-Darter is expected to be more economical than the Infra Red Imaging System Tail / Thrust Vector-Controlled SRAAM (IRIS-T) which was delivered to the SAAF in March 2010. The first launch test of the A-Darter was completed using a Gripen fighter, at the SAAF's test grounds at Overberg, in June 2010. Several flight tests were conducted on Gripen at missile angles of 12G and about 13,700m altitude.

Integration of the A-Darter missile and the fire testing on the SAAF Saab JAS39 Gripen was completed in July 2011. High explosive (HE) warhead and systems of the A-Darter SRAAM

The A-Darter is 2.98m (9.78ft) long and 0.16m (0.52ft) in diameter. It has four fixed delta control fins at the rear and two strakes along the sides. The missile weighs 90kg. "In 2006, Brazil joined in the development programme. The joint development was started in March 2007."

It carries a high explosive (HE) warhead and has a range of ten kilometres. It is powered by a solid propulsion system. The missile has a track rate of 120°/s and a seeker angle of 180° for countermeasure resistance. It also features lock-on after launch and memory tracking for higher range intercepts, and is compatible with Sidewinder stations.

The tail-controlled AAM is powered by a boost-sustain rocket motor and uses thrust vector flight control. Its wingless airframe and low drag enable the A-Darter to have a higher range than the traditional SRAAMs. The missile system is designed with a highly agile airframe for close combat in electronic countermeasures (ECM) environments.

It is guided by two-colour thermal imaging infrared homing with laser fuse. It features a multimode electronic counter countermeasures (ECCM) suite for higher view angles.

The SiIMU02, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) from Atlantic Inertial Systems (formerly BAE Systems), provides the mid-course guidance for the missile. Solid-state technology of the IMU provides accurate measurement of angular rate and acceleration range of up to ±9,000°/s, ±500°/s and ±500°/s in R, P and Y-axes respectively. It has a linear acceleration range of up to ±30g.

When integrated, the missile can interface with the aircraft using LAU-7 type launcher mechanical rails and MIL-STD-1760 / 1553 avionics bus system. It can be designated to a target using autonomous scan feature of the missile, helmet sight or aircraft's radar. Variations of the SAAF and FAB's V3E Agile Darter air-to-air missile

The proposed future versions of the A-Darter include the A-Darter Mk 2, A-Darter Mk 3, A-Darter Light, A-Darter anti-shipping missile (ASM) and A-Darter Extended Range.

Denel Dynamics is also developing a new radar-guided, beyond-visual-range AAM (BVRAAM) missile called B-Darter. A surface-to-air missile (SAM) version of the A-Darter AAM is expected to be developed for the Brazilian Army. The SAM version of A-Darter will, however, need a launcher system and additional booster.

Describe P-800 Yakhont SSN-X-26.com here.The P-800 Oniks (Russian: П-800 Оникс, alternatively termed Yakhont (Яхонт) for export markets; "Oniks" is onyx, and "Yakhont" is ruby or sapphire in English) is a Russian (former Soviet) supersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya as a ramjet version of P-80 Zubr. Its GRAU designation is 3M55. Development reportedly started in 1983, and by 2001 allowed the launch of the missile from land, sea, air and submarine. The missile has the NATO reporting codename SS-N-26. It is reportedly a replacement for the P-270 Moskit, but possibly also for the P-700 Granit. The P-800 was reportedly used as the basis for the joint Russian-Indian supersonic missile the PJ-10 BrahMos.Sergei Prikhodko, senior adviser to the Russia President, has said that Russia intends to deliver P-800 to Syria. However Syria lacks any aircraft that can launch this missile and any ability to track targets over the horizon for it, so will be limited to line of sight attacks from ships and ground platforms. Israel is more concerned that these missiles may be transferred to Hezbollah for a repeat of the INS Hanit incident.

Specifications Country of Origin Russia Builder Beriev Role Amphibious anti-submarine patrol aircraft Range 300 km mixed trajectory 120 km low trajectory Speed Mach 2 to 2.5 Flight altitude 5 to 15 meters, final phase Weight of warhead 200 kg [about] Guidance active-passive, radar seeker head Minimum target detection range 50 km in active mode Maximum seeker head search angle 45 degrees Launcher type underwater, surface ship, land Launch method from closed bottom launch-container Launch angle range 15 to 90 degrees Weight 3,000 kg launch 3,900 kg in launch-container Launch-container dimensions 8.9 meters length 0.7 meters diameter This missile was tested first as "P-100 Bolide", planned to arm the "Project 12300 Skorpion" Corvettes which will carry 4 of it.
 * 1) Propulsion solid propellant booster stage
 * 2) liquid-propellant ramjet sustainre motor

This missile employs similar tactics as her larger siblings, the P-500 Bazalt, P-700 Granit and P-1000 Vulkan. To enhance survivability against enemy close in weapons or missiles Oniks is equipped wth RADAR Warning Receiver and Analyzer .. that allow her to "realize" the situation and perform evasive maneuver when necessary, the missile is also coated with RADAR Absorbent material as a measure to reduce detectability on RADAR the important part of the missile is also armoured to survive blast from enemy missiles or CIWS gun .However for IR signature.. this missile will likely to have high signature due to aerodynamic heating in low altitude cruise phase, making her vulnerable for engagement by IR homing weapons

Describe Missiles here.AIM-180 Viper-CAM (Anti-Aircraft Missile)400 mile range Mach 10 top speed 10 Pearce Aerospace CAM air to air missile payload Air, truck, ship, submarine launched

AIM-180 Viper-ASAT (Anti-Satellite) 600 mile ceiling/range Mach 17+ top speed Kinetic energy kill vehicle warhead Air, truck, ship, submarine launched

AGM-184 HSCM (Hypersonic Cruise Missile) 800 nautical mile range Mach 5+ top speed Kinetic energy, high explosive, or hardened high explosive warhead Air, ship, submarine launched

AGM-183 SSASM (Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile) 100 nautical mile range Mach 3 top speed High explosive warhead Air, ship, submarine launched

AIM-182 ALRAAM (Advanced Long Range Air to Air Missile) 120 mile range Mach 6 top speed High explosive blast-fragmentation warhead Air, ship, or truck launched

AIM-182 SRAAM (Short Range Air to Air Missile) 40 mile range Mach 4 top speed High explosive blast-fragmentation warhead Air, ship, or truck launched

AGM-182 AAGM (Advanced Air to Ground Missile) 20 mile range Mach 2.5 top speed Armor piercing tandem warhead or Explosively formed penetrator warhead Air launched

AIM-181 Scorpion (Light weight anti-aircraft missile) 10 mile range Mach 3 top speed High explosive blast-fragmentation warhead Air, shoulder, or truck launched

Viper Kill Vehicle Kinetic Energy Carried by Viper ASAT

Describe Photon Torpedo here.Photon Torpedo mark VPhoton torpedoes were warp-capable tactical matter/antimatter weapons commonly deployed aboard starships and starbases by various organizations. Photon torpedoes, often abbreviated as "photons", were called Pu'DaH dak cha in Klingonese. (TNG: "The Arsenal of Freedom"

Constitution-class starships carried an inventory of Mark VI torpedoes with terminium casings in 2285, and Mark VII photon torpedoes in 2293. At least the Mark VII torpedoes could not be programmed to fire themselves without a torpedo launcher. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

In 2370, Galaxy-class ships received a weapons upgrade that increased the explosive yield of photon torpedoes by eleven percent. Later that year, photon warheads used on Deep Space 9 were labeled as "Pho-torp Mark IV components" A photon torpedo (sometimes called photon) is a projectile weapon commonly used by Starfleet starships and starbases in the 23rd and 24th centuries. Its predecessor was the photonic torpedo. Its successor was the quantum torpedo. Overview

A photon torpedo utilizes a warhead of matter and antimatter which produce a destructive explosion when combined. 24th century photon torpedoes are equipped with navigational sensors to seek and track its targets, as well as a remote self-destruct system. A Starfleet torpedo shares the same oblong casing as a Class-8 probe.

Launching photon torpedoes at short-range targets is noted to be somewhat dangerous, since the explosion can also damage the firing ship as well, and is an almost unheard-of occurrence. The USS Enterprise-D escaped damage after attacking a pursuing Borg cube in 2365 and later in 2367 when an aggressive Cytherian probe prompted the same action.

Photon torpedoes appear as red, orange, yellow or blue blobs of light when fired. While technically antiquated by the invention of the quantum torpedo in 2368, photon torpedoes remain a crucial part of Starfleet's arsenal, at least until the fabrication process for quantum torpedoes is streamlined. Tactical Deep Space 9 firing photon torpedo volleys from torpedo turrets

The Mark VI photon torpedo has a maximum explosive yield of 200 isotons, but even earlier models were capable of substantial destruction. An unshielded ship (for example, the Miranda class, USS Lantree could be obliterated with a single hit.

Torpedoes can also be programmed to fire in a set dispersal pattern when brute force would not provide optimal results. By attacking multiple key systems on an enemy vessel at once, the overall damage can possibly be increased. The Enterprise-D was able to destroy a Klingon K'vort class battle cruiser in an alternate timeline with only one volley and follow-up phaser fire.

Despite the danger of a close-range explosion damaging the firing ship, a Starfleet crew's inherent knowledge of the weapon's design means that it is possible to modify the shields to protect the ship from the

Describe quantum torpedoes here. Quantum Transphasic torpedoes mark XL Seekinghe quantum warhead relies on rapid energy extraction from zero-point vacuum. This is established from an 11-dimensional space-time membrane, twisted into a Genus-1 topology string, housed inside the ultraclean vacuum of a 1.38 meter-long teardrop shaped zero-point field reaction chamber. The detonation of a photon torpedo warhead, enriched with fluoronetic vapor, inside the torpedo powers a continuum distortion emitter. It expands the membrane and pinches it out of the background vacuum. The membrane forms into subatomic particles accompanied by a high-explosive energy release.

The statement of quantum warheads and enriched photon warheads seems to contradict the canonical account that quantum torpedoes contain a plasma warhead, from DS9: "For the Uniform". The Isoton figures given in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual are much smaller than the ones stated on-screen, in VOY: "Scorpion, Part II" etc. The enriched photon warhead for example is rated only at 21.8 isotons and the membrane energy potential upon detonation is rated to be only at least 50 isotons in the Manual, while basic class-6 photon warheads were rated at 200 isotons on-screen.

Propulsion system of the quantum torpedo is a warp sustainer engine and four microfusion thrusters. The engine coils of the warp sustainer grab and hold a hand-off warp field from the torpedo launcher tube's sequential field induction coils. A miniature matter/antimatter fuel cell adds power to the hand-off field. When launched in warp flight, torpedo will continue to travel at warp, when launched at sublight, torpedo will travel at a high sublight speed, but will not cross the warp threshold. The quantum torpedo uses a bio-neural gel processor for flight control, and a thoron web to block countermeasure radiation.

Deep Space 9 was armed later on with quantum torpedoes. Class-8 and class-9 probe variants also use the quantum torpedo casing. There are apparently also micro quantum torpedoes. (pg. 77, 82, 85, 86, 130 and Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual pg. 129)

The warhead technology of the torpedoes was also revealed in the novel. It is based on generating a destructive subspace compression pulse. Upon detonation the torpedo delivers the pulse in an asymmetric superposition of multiple phase states. Shields can only block one subcomponent of the pulse. The other subcomponents deliver the majority of the pulse to the target. Every torpedo has a different transphasic configuration, generated randomly by a dissonant feedback effect to prevent the Borg from predicting the configuration of the phase states.

In the novel Lost Souls, set in 2381, during a Borg invasion, the Borg finally adapted to the transphasic torpedoes when Starfleet was forced to send the torpedo specs to the entire fleet following a mass incursion of Borg cubes. According to Gods of Night, set in the same year, the transphasic technology of the torpedoes could be applied in deflector shields also to create transphasic shielding and to phaser technology as well, although the phaser application was not powerful enough to be effective. quantum torpedo MARK 1 The quantum torpedo is Starfleet Â’s replacement for the standard photon torpedo aboard starships.The quantum torpedo is Starfleet Â’s replacement for the standard photon torpedo aboard starships.

The quantum torpedo operates through super string theory, specifically zero point energy, where an eleven dimensional membrane is created and twisted into a form of a Genus 1 then pinched off from the background vacuum energy. This act calls into existence a large number of new sub-atomic particles and freeing energy used to power the warhead. This process is similar to the event that created the universe in the big bang.

Testing of the quantum torpedo first took place on 2355 under the surface of an abandon moon. The energ y output of the device was calculated to be 52.3 isotons, more than twice the theoretical maximum output of a standard photon torpedo.

The design of the quantum torpedo consists of the zero-point field reaction chamber with an EM initiator attached to one end of the chamber along with an EM recti fier, waveguide bundle, subspace field generator, and continuum distortion emitter. The zero point reaction is powered by an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The energy of the antimatter detonation is funneled into the initiator where the membrane reaction occurs.

The quantum torpedo is currently only being used aboard Defiant and Sovereign class vessels due to the difficult in manufacturing each torpedo. Quantum Torpedoes:Quantum Flux Torpedo XXVDeveloped to improve upon and, eventually, replace the photon torpedo, the quantum torpedo uses an energetic release of a zero-point energy field to obtain basic yields of up to 52.3 isotons- twice as powerful as the most common photon torpedoes. More advanced versions similarly surpass the higher-grade of photon torpedoes, but to this point, are restricted to high-yield launchers only.

Introduced in the late 2360s, the quantum torpedo was part of the range of projects which formed Starfleet’s response to the threats represented by the Borg and renewed activity by the Romulans. Although there is no theoretical upper limit on the size of a matter/antimatter torpedo warhead - the Cardassian ‘Dreadnought’ type heavy penetrator carries a two thousand kilogram m/am warhead for example - warheads beyond the 25 isoton range tend to be too large and heavy for use as truly effective anti-ship weapons. Starfleet wanted to develop a warhead which offered firepower in the 50+ isoton range without penalizing the agility of the weapon.

Starfleet R&D quickly decided to focus on a zero point energy system. Initial testing yielded a negative energy balance – it took more energy to initiate the zero point reaction than that reaction generated in turn. This problem was eventually surmounted and a 52.3 isoton quantum warhead was detonated at the Groombridge 273-2A facility.

The device works by generating an eleven dimensional space time membrane which is twisted into a string similar in structure to a super string. This process calls large numbers of subatomic particles into existence, liberating correspondingly large amounts of energy in the form of an explosion.

The production torpedo is of similar size to the standard photon torpedo and is made of a shell of densified Tritanium and Duranium foam coated in an ablative layer and an anti radiation polymer coating. Great attention has been paid to making the weapon stealthy in operation by minimizing the number of penetrations through the casing and by treating those which have been made.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Type

Damage

High-Yield?

Available?

Mark I

400

No

Yes

Mark II

450

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark III

500

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark IV

600

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark V

800

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark VI

1000

Yes (1)

No (2)

1: Indicates a high-yield torpedo, which requires a high-yield launcher if a ship wants to use it to its full effect

2: Theoretical advances not yet in production

Flux Torpedoes:

Although the Treaty of Algeron prohibits the development of cloaking technology by Starfleet, it has not kept them from pursuing phase technology. Shortly after the recovery of the Pegasus device, the phasing properties used in its design were seen as an ideal delivery system for torpedoes. Since Borg ships were almost impenetrable by Starfleet weapons of the past, it made sense to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers that, if a torpedo could phase itself and enters the body of a Borg cube, it could then detonate, causing devastating damage. Thus the idea for the ‘phase’ torpedo was born, often called by its codename ‘Flux’ torpedo.

However, reducing the phasing coils used to accomplish and intangible state to a torpedo size proved difficult. In addition, the anti-matter within the warhead casing caused destabilizing effects on the phasing coils. Through advents in nano-technology provided by ASDB, allowed class 10 warheads to be used as warheads while using the phasing coils adjusted to high-end meta-phasic subspace flux levels. This allowed for the torpedo to pass through most types of known subspace energy shielding including that of the Borg’s, but not through matter. The prototype Mark I Flux Torpedo was created in 2377 by ASDB’s and DevTech subdivision under the watchful and detailed eyes of Captain Jasen Roland, and deployed to several Starfleet vessels for testing. After engaging several threat species with the new Phase Torpedo, Starfleet tactical planners and officers were impressed by its performance, allowing torpedoes to strike the hull of a starship directly causing immense damage to a threat vessel. The Mark I was than further modularized with the ability to be used with basic Type II Torpedo launchers, allowing the weapon to be deployed to any Starfleet vessel with the standard torpedo launcher type. A year later, the Mark II Flux torpedo came into production as a strictly high-yield warhead, increasing the weapons destructive yield.

Though the dream of a full phase torpedo was not abandoned by ASDB, which led to the creation of the Mark III Flux Torpedo. To allow the weapon to achieve full phase through energy –and- matter, Starfleet adopted principles behind the first observed Romulan Plasma Weapons. The installation of a high-energy infuser would allow the torpedo casing to be filled with a warhead tube charged with high-energy plasma from the ships warp EPS or TPS plasma distribution networks. Warp plasma, either in the normal electro-plasma form used on most Starfleet vessels, to advanced Tetryon Warp Plasma used on Starfleet’s most advanced designs is considered highly unstable and easily detonated. Until recently, it was considered on undeliverable medium that could not be controlled in a conventional torpedo casing. However, filling the specialized tube with plasma, and using an advanced nanite controlled trigger for reactant release now allows vessels to deliver high-energy plasma warhead payload within a Mark III Quantum Torpedo casing.

Initial tests with standard Warp plasma revealed the warhead incapable of maneuverability, and were essentially a ‘dumb-fire’ weapon. However, with tetryon plasma natural tendencies to disrupt subspace, allowed the proto-type Mark III Flux Torpedo the same liberties of other standard torpedo ordinance, as well as allowing full phase to explode inside a targets hull, casing massive damage and advanced radiation poisoning of life inside the vessel. The weapon has shown true promise, and the Tetryon plasma version of the Mark III Flux Torpedo has been official sanctioned for field testing onboard several vessels, most notably the USS Ascendant.

Type

Damage

High-Yield?

Available?

Mark I

400

No

Yes

Mark II

500

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark III

600 + (50 x 1d6)(3)

Yes (1)

No (2)

1: Indicates a high-yield torpedo, which requires a high-yield launcher if a ship wants to use it to its full effect

2: Theoretical advances not yet in production

3: Collateral Internal Damage roll

Quantum Flux Torpedo XXI SeekingDeveloped to improve upon and, eventually, replace the photon torpedo, the quantum torpedo uses an energetic release of a zero-point energy field to obtain basic yields of up to 52.3 isotons- twice as powerful as the most common photon torpedoes. More advanced versions similarly surpass the higher-grade of photon torpedoes, but to this point, are restricted to high-yield launchers only.

Introduced in the late 2360s, the quantum torpedo was part of the range of projects which formed Starfleet’s response to the threats represented by the Borg and renewed activity by the Romulans. Although there is no theoretical upper limit on the size of a matter/antimatter torpedo warhead - the Cardassian ‘Dreadnought’ type heavy penetrator carries a two thousand kilogram m/am warhead for example - warheads beyond the 25 isoton range tend to be too large and heavy for use as truly effective anti-ship weapons. Starfleet wanted to develop a warhead which offered firepower in the 50+ isoton range without penalizing the agility of the weapon.

Starfleet R&D quickly decided to focus on a zero point energy system. Initial testing yielded a negative energy balance – it took more energy to initiate the zero point reaction than that reaction generated in turn. This problem was eventually surmounted and a 52.3 isoton quantum warhead was detonated at the Groombridge 273-2A facility.

The device works by generating an eleven dimensional space time membrane which is twisted into a string similar in structure to a super string. This process calls large numbers of subatomic particles into existence, liberating correspondingly large amounts of energy in the form of an explosion.

The production torpedo is of similar size to the standard photon torpedo and is made of a shell of densified Tritanium and Duranium foam coated in an ablative layer and an anti radiation polymer coating. Great attention has been paid to making the weapon stealthy in operation by minimizing the number of penetrations through the casing and by treating those which have been made.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Type

Damage

High-Yield?

Available?

Mark I

400

No

Yes

Mark II

450

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark III

500

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark IV

600

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark V

800

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark VI

1000

Yes (1)

No (2)

1: Indicates a high-yield torpedo, which requires a high-yield launcher if a ship wants to use it to its full effect

2: Theoretical advances not yet in production

Flux Torpedoes:

Although the Treaty of Algeron prohibits the development of cloaking technology by Starfleet, it has not kept them from pursuing phase technology. Shortly after the recovery of the Pegasus device, the phasing properties used in its design were seen as an ideal delivery system for torpedoes. Since Borg ships were almost impenetrable by Starfleet weapons of the past, it made sense to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers that, if a torpedo could phase itself and enters the body of a Borg cube, it could then detonate, causing devastating damage. Thus the idea for the ‘phase’ torpedo was born, often called by its codename ‘Flux’ torpedo.

However, reducing the phasing coils used to accomplish and intangible state to a torpedo size proved difficult. In addition, the anti-matter within the warhead casing caused destabilizing effects on the phasing coils. Through advents in nano-technology provided by ASDB, allowed class 10 warheads to be used as warheads while using the phasing coils adjusted to high-end meta-phasic subspace flux levels. This allowed for the torpedo to pass through most types of known subspace energy shielding including that of the Borg’s, but not through matter. The prototype Mark I Flux Torpedo was created in 2377 by ASDB’s and DevTech subdivision under the watchful and detailed eyes of Captain Jasen Roland, and deployed to several Starfleet vessels for testing. After engaging several threat species with the new Phase Torpedo, Starfleet tactical planners and officers were impressed by its performance, allowing torpedoes to strike the hull of a starship directly causing immense damage to a threat vessel. The Mark I was than further modularized with the ability to be used with basic Type II Torpedo launchers, allowing the weapon to be deployed to any Starfleet vessel with the standard torpedo launcher type. A year later, the Mark II Flux torpedo came into production as a strictly high-yield warhead, increasing the weapons destructive yield.

Though the dream of a full phase torpedo was not abandoned by ASDB, which led to the creation of the Mark III Flux Torpedo. To allow the weapon to achieve full phase through energy –and- matter, Starfleet adopted principles behind the first observed Romulan Plasma Weapons. The installation of a high-energy infuser would allow the torpedo casing to be filled with a warhead tube charged with high-energy plasma from the ships warp EPS or TPS plasma distribution networks. Warp plasma, either in the normal electro-plasma form used on most Starfleet vessels, to advanced Tetryon Warp Plasma used on Starfleet’s most advanced designs is considered highly unstable and easily detonated. Until recently, it was considered on undeliverable medium that could not be controlled in a conventional torpedo casing. However, filling the specialized tube with plasma, and using an advanced nanite controlled trigger for reactant release now allows vessels to deliver high-energy plasma warhead payload within a Mark III Quantum Torpedo casing.

Initial tests with standard Warp plasma revealed the warhead incapable of maneuverability, and were essentially a ‘dumb-fire’ weapon. However, with tetryon plasma natural tendencies to disrupt subspace, allowed the proto-type Mark III Flux Torpedo the same liberties of other standard torpedo ordinance, as well as allowing full phase to explode inside a targets hull, casing massive damage and advanced radiation poisoning of life inside the vessel. The weapon has shown true promise, and the Tetryon plasma version of the Mark III Flux Torpedo has been official sanctioned for field testing onboard several vessels, most notably the USS Ascendant.

Type

Damage

High-Yield?

Available?

Mark I

400

No

Yes

Mark II

500

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark III

600 + (50 x 1d6)(3)

Yes (1)

No (2)

1: Indicates a high-yield torpedo, which requires a high-yield launcher if a ship wants to use it to its full effect

2: Theoretical advances not yet in production

3: Collateral Internal Damage roll

The quantum torpedo operates through super string theory, specifically zero point energy, where an eleven dimensional membrane is created and twisted into a form of a Genus 1 then pinched off from the background vacuum energy. This act calls into existence a large number of new sub-atomic particles and freeing energy used to power the warhead. This process is similar to the event that created the universe in the big bang.

Testing of the quantum torpedo first took place on 2355 under the surface of an abandon moon. The energ y output of the device was calculated to be 52.3 isotons, more than twice the theoretical maximum output of a standard photon torpedo.

The design of the quantum torpedo consists of the zero-point field reaction chamber with an EM initiator attached to one end of the chamber along with an EM recti fier, waveguide bundle, subspace field generator, and continuum distortion emitter. The zero point reaction is powered by an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The energy of the antimatter detonation is funneled into the initiator where the membrane reaction occurs.

The quantum torpedo is currently only being used aboard Defiant and Sovereign class vessels due to the difficult in manufacturing each torpedo. Quantum Flux Torpedo Mark XXIVDeveloped to improve upon and, eventually, replace the photon torpedo, the quantum torpedo uses an energetic release of a zero-point energy field to obtain basic yields of up to 52.3 isotons- twice as powerful as the most common photon torpedoes. More advanced versions similarly surpass the higher-grade of photon torpedoes, but to this point, are restricted to high-yield launchers only.

Introduced in the late 2360s, the quantum torpedo was part of the range of projects which formed Starfleet’s response to the threats represented by the Borg and renewed activity by the Romulans. Although there is no theoretical upper limit on the size of a matter/antimatter torpedo warhead - the Cardassian ‘Dreadnought’ type heavy penetrator carries a two thousand kilogram m/am warhead for example - warheads beyond the 25 isoton range tend to be too large and heavy for use as truly effective anti-ship weapons. Starfleet wanted to develop a warhead which offered firepower in the 50+ isoton range without penalizing the agility of the weapon.

Starfleet R&D quickly decided to focus on a zero point energy system. Initial testing yielded a negative energy balance – it took more energy to initiate the zero point reaction than that reaction generated in turn. This problem was eventually surmounted and a 52.3 isoton quantum warhead was detonated at the Groombridge 273-2A facility.

The device works by generating an eleven dimensional space time membrane which is twisted into a string similar in structure to a super string. This process calls large numbers of subatomic particles into existence, liberating correspondingly large amounts of energy in the form of an explosion.

The production torpedo is of similar size to the standard photon torpedo and is made of a shell of densified Tritanium and Duranium foam coated in an ablative layer and an anti radiation polymer coating. Great attention has been paid to making the weapon stealthy in operation by minimizing the number of penetrations through the casing and by treating those which have been made.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Type

Damage

High-Yield?

Available?

Mark I

400

No

Yes

Mark II

450

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark III

500

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark IV

600

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark V

800

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark VI

1000

Yes (1)

No (2)

1: Indicates a high-yield torpedo, which requires a high-yield launcher if a ship wants to use it to its full effect

2: Theoretical advances not yet in production

Flux Torpedoes:

Although the Treaty of Algeron prohibits the development of cloaking technology by Starfleet, it has not kept them from pursuing phase technology. Shortly after the recovery of the Pegasus device, the phasing properties used in its design were seen as an ideal delivery system for torpedoes. Since Borg ships were almost impenetrable by Starfleet weapons of the past, it made sense to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers that, if a torpedo could phase itself and enters the body of a Borg cube, it could then detonate, causing devastating damage. Thus the idea for the ‘phase’ torpedo was born, often called by its codename ‘Flux’ torpedo.

However, reducing the phasing coils used to accomplish and intangible state to a torpedo size proved difficult. In addition, the anti-matter within the warhead casing caused destabilizing effects on the phasing coils. Through advents in nano-technology provided by ASDB, allowed class 10 warheads to be used as warheads while using the phasing coils adjusted to high-end meta-phasic subspace flux levels. This allowed for the torpedo to pass through most types of known subspace energy shielding including that of the Borg’s, but not through matter. The prototype Mark I Flux Torpedo was created in 2377 by ASDB’s and DevTech subdivision under the watchful and detailed eyes of Captain Jasen Roland, and deployed to several Starfleet vessels for testing. After engaging several threat species with the new Phase Torpedo, Starfleet tactical planners and officers were impressed by its performance, allowing torpedoes to strike the hull of a starship directly causing immense damage to a threat vessel. The Mark I was than further modularized with the ability to be used with basic Type II Torpedo launchers, allowing the weapon to be deployed to any Starfleet vessel with the standard torpedo launcher type. A year later, the Mark II Flux torpedo came into production as a strictly high-yield warhead, increasing the weapons destructive yield.

Though the dream of a full phase torpedo was not abandoned by ASDB, which led to the creation of the Mark III Flux Torpedo. To allow the weapon to achieve full phase through energy –and- matter, Starfleet adopted principles behind the first observed Romulan Plasma Weapons. The installation of a high-energy infuser would allow the torpedo casing to be filled with a warhead tube charged with high-energy plasma from the ships warp EPS or TPS plasma distribution networks. Warp plasma, either in the normal electro-plasma form used on most Starfleet vessels, to advanced Tetryon Warp Plasma used on Starfleet’s most advanced designs is considered highly unstable and easily detonated. Until recently, it was considered on undeliverable medium that could not be controlled in a conventional torpedo casing. However, filling the specialized tube with plasma, and using an advanced nanite controlled trigger for reactant release now allows vessels to deliver high-energy plasma warhead payload within a Mark III Quantum Torpedo casing.

Initial tests with standard Warp plasma revealed the warhead incapable of maneuverability, and were essentially a ‘dumb-fire’ weapon. However, with tetryon plasma natural tendencies to disrupt subspace, allowed the proto-type Mark III Flux Torpedo the same liberties of other standard torpedo ordinance, as well as allowing full phase to explode inside a targets hull, casing massive damage and advanced radiation poisoning of life inside the vessel. The weapon has shown true promise, and the Tetryon plasma version of the Mark III Flux Torpedo has been official sanctioned for field testing onboard several vessels, most notably the USS Ascendant.

Type

Damage

High-Yield?

Available?

Mark I

400

No

Yes

Mark II

500

Yes (1)

Yes

Mark III

600 + (50 x 1d6)(3)

Yes (1)

No (2)

1: Indicates a high-yield torpedo, which requires a high-yield launcher if a ship wants to use it to its full effect

2: Theoretical advances not yet in production

3: Collateral Internal Damage roll

Quantum Composition Zero-point MASS SHELL Is a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of amodified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ballshield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Romulus Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Quantum composition Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK X MASS Shells Atlantis most powerful makes a wave in subspace on impact acting as shaped change most of its systems are classified because it in theory it can imploded a star or make a nova crew likes to call them nova bombs CRITICAL MASS CANNONS

C.M.C Is a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of a modified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ball shield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Elnor Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

24% mass shot rapid fire low power damaging round 50% mass half mass shot grazing damage on outer hauling star ships but vessel impacted is crippled or destroyed. 75 % mass is a large load and can go straight throw a Hell ken carrier 100% mass will destroy a 95 percent of a borg cube the Atlantis has to fire all c.m.c to do fall power shot it most power is use to fire 100% power

Shell Types Stiletto c-1 Haller c-2 Tri cobalt round c-3 Quantum round c-4 Shaker round c-5 Dart round c-6 Knights shot c-7 Archer tracking round c-9 Grape shot ball barring or C-10 Heavy barrel cd-1

Quantum Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK IX Is a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of amodified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ballshield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Romulus Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Quantum composition Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK X MASS Shells Atlantis most powerful makes a wave in subspace on impact acting as shaped change most of its systems are classified because it in theory it can imploded a star or make a nova crew likes to call them nova bombs

Quantum Composition Zero-point MASS SHELLIs a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of amodified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ballshield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Romulus Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Quantum composition Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK X MASS Shells Atlantis most powerful makes a wave in subspace on impact acting as shaped change most of its systems are classified because it in theory it can imploded a star or make a nova crew likes to call them nova bombs

Quantum Composition Zero-point MASS SHELL MARK XIIs a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of amodified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ballshield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Romulus Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Quantum composition Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK X MASS Shells Atlantis most powerful makes a wave in subspace on impact acting as shaped change most of its systems are classified because it in theory it can imploded a star or make a nova crew likes to call them nova bombs

C.M.C Is a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of amodified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ballshield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Romulus Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Quantum composition Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK X MASS Shells Atlantis most powerful makes a wave in subspace on impact acting as shaped change most of its systems are classified because it in theory it can imploded a star or make a nova crew likes to call them nova bombsIs a weapon that fires a round of depleted uranium 235 to the speed of?Light C+ causing a fusion reaction in the uranium pack. A punch round is charged then fired out of amodified field coil. To sling the shell out of the barrel to C+ and then is adjusted to target by a magnetic ballshield, but will not stop C.M.C stiletto it will go through shields and throw all most any Mattel expedite for a Romulus Mattel use for their warp core. now systems can not be put on smaller ships, they take up two decks and are power hungry.

The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic Neutronium and Dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.

The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons. is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.

The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around Bioneural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.

Quantum composition Zero-point CRITICAL MASS SHELL MARK X MASS Shells Atlantis most powerful makes a wave in subspace on impact acting as shaped change most of its systems are classified because it in theory it can imploded a star or make a nova crew likes to call them nova bombs

<p id="l32" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">In the Mk 80 series bomb bodies is also used in the following weapons: <p id="l37" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Paveway II p1230135.jpg Smart bomb kits<p id="l40" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Dumb Mk 80 bombs could be smart bombs with attached kits: <p id="l49" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;">Snake Eye
 * <p id="l34" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">BDU-50 A practice (no explosive) version of the Mk 82 bomb body
 * <p id="l35" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">BDU-56 A practice (no explosive) version of the Mk 84 bomb body
 * <p id="l42" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">GBU-12D Paveway II (Mk 82) laser guided.
 * <p id="l43" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">GBU-16B Paveway II (Mk 83) laser guided.
 * <p id="l44" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">GBU-24B Paveway III (Mk 84) laser guided.
 * <p id="l45" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">GBU-38 JDAM (Mk 82) INS/GPS guided.
 * <p id="l46" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">GBU-32 JDAM (Mk 83) INS/GPS guided.
 * <p id="l47" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84) INS/GPS guided.

Retarded versions
 * <p id="l52" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mk 82 Snake Eye was a standard Mk 82 with folded, retarding petals.
 * <p id="l53" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mk 82 Retarded was a standard Mk 82 with a ballute.
 * <p id="l54" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mk 83 Retarded was a standard Mk 83 with a ballute.
 * <p id="l55" style="margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em;">Mk 84 Retarded was a standard Mk 84 with a ballute.