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90-749: The Naval Air Warfare Center consists of both the NAS Point Mugu airfield and a rocket launching site for the U.S. Navy . The center has been an active development and test facility for the Navy since the late 1940s. Among the missiles developed and tested there include the Sparrow family and the Phoenix , and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and the Regulus surface-to-surface missile in addition to numerous prototypes of military rockets and sounding rockets . It

180-479: A solid state version that could operate with the F-15's new pulse-doppler radar. The guidance system was much smaller, which allowed the warhead to be moved from its former rear-mounted position to one in front of the mid-mounted wings, and increased in weight to 86 lb (39 kg). Moving it forward also allowed the rocket engine to be enlarged, so it was replaced by a new dual-thrust engine that quickly accelerated

270-558: A better hit ratio and easier targeting of enemies at low altitude with ground-clutter confusion. It also received a new and more powerful engine and new control surfaces. These control surfaces were each independent of the others, giving the missile greatly improved maneuverability over the AIM-7E and the English Skyflash that still used dependent control surfaces. The PL-11 and HQ-6 are a family of Chinese missiles developed by

360-418: A high first-attempt kill probability - there would be little time for a second attempt. The US Army faced a similar problem defending against attacks by high-speed jet-powered attack aircraft . In this case the local horizon was generally even more limited, blocked by trees and hills, and engagement times could be measured in seconds. They concluded that a gun-based system was simply unusable in this role; by

450-402: A higher-altitude aircraft at a target otherwise masked by the ground. The new model also included a completely computerized guidance system that could be updated in the field, as well as further reducing weight for yet another warhead upgrade. The computerized guidance system also included a simple autopilot that allowed the missile to continue flying toward the last known target location even with

540-627: A larger warhead. Even this version had room for improvement, leading British Aerospace and the Italian firm Alenia to develop advanced versions of Sparrow with better performance and improved electronics as the BAe Skyflash and Alenia Aspide , respectively. The most common version of the Sparrow today, the AIM-7M , entered service in 1982 and featured a new inverse monopulse seeker (matching

630-451: A long pointed nose. Sparrow I was a limited and rather primitive weapon. The limitations of beam-riding guidance (which was slaved to an optical sight on single-seater fighters and to radar on night fighters) restricted the missile to attacks against targets flying a straight course and made it essentially useless against a maneuvering target. Only about 2,000 rounds were produced to this standard. As early as 1950, Douglas examined equipping

720-475: A new seeker and a launch system suitable for vertical launch from modern warships. Fifty years after its development, the Sea Sparrow remains an important part of a layered air defense system, providing a short/medium-range component especially useful against sea-skimming missiles. High-speed jet aircraft flying at low altitudes presented a serious threat to naval forces in the late 1950s. Approaching under

810-785: A pair of missile failures during testing as well as the failure of a related AIM-7 in the same exercises. In January 2023, the United States announced it would transfer Sea Sparrow missiles to Ukraine as part of a military aid package during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . The Sea Sparrows are fired from Soviet-era 9K37 Buk missile launchers modified by Ukraine to accept them, to counter attacks from cruise missiles and drones. The system, dubbed " FrankenSAM ", utilizes three different air defense missiles—RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, plus Patriot missiles and Patriot sensor elements —in combination air defense systems based on older Ukrainian tracked vehicles and

900-477: A portion of the illuminating signal via rearward-pointing waveguides . The comparison of these two signals enabled logic circuits to determine the true target reflection signal, even if the target were to eject radar-reflecting chaff . Related development RIM-7 Sea Sparrow The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a U.S. ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles . The system

990-477: A protracted development cycle the initial AAM-N-2 Sparrow entered limited operational service in 1954 with specially modified Douglas F3D Skyknight all-weather carrier night fighters. In 1956, they were joined by the McDonnell F3H-2M Demon and Vought F7U Cutlass fighter aircraft . Compared to the modern versions, the Sparrow I was more streamlined and featured a bullet-shaped airframe with

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1080-420: A shorter burning time. Another problem is that the Sparrow is steered with its mid-mounted maneuvering wings. These were used on the Sparrow because they required less energy for basic maneuvers during cruise, but this made the missile less maneuverable overall, which was not well suited to the quick-reaction weapon. Additionally, the powered wings meant that they could not easily be adapted to fold, and therefore

1170-568: Is 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter instead of the previous 8 inches, which allows for a much more powerful motor. It also eliminates the mid-mounted wings entirely, replacing them with long fins similar to those on the Standard missile (and practically every other Navy missile since the 1950s) and moves guidance control to the rear fins. The tail-fin based steering of the ESSM uses up more energy but offers considerably higher maneuverability while

1260-893: Is also home to deployable units, including the Pacific Seabees and the West Coast E-2C Hawkeyes. Additionally, the base is home to the construction battalions that are used to create targets and facilities for the range. The Island of San Nicolas was transferred from the Naval Air Warfare Center to the base in 2004. Walleye , SLAM-ER , standoff land-attack missile , laser-guided bombs , Joint Stand-Off Weapon , Hellfire , Maverick , low-collateral-damage bomb, AGM-84A, High-Speed Antiradiation Missile, general-purpose bombs , Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missile Sidewinder , Sparrow , Phoenix , Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile The range

1350-402: Is also suitable for cruising in thin air at high altitudes, but at low altitudes it does not produce enough power to overcome drag and dramatically decreases range; some estimates indicate that the Sea Sparrow may be effective only to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), about one quarter of the range of the air-launched Sparrow. An engine of much higher power would greatly improve performance, in spite of

1440-529: Is launched from Naval Air Station Point Mugu and also from San Nicolas Island. These can be used to simulate enemy targets and are capable of emitting different radar cross section to simulate different aircraft. They also offer the QF-4 Phantom II for testing and evaluation of live and dummy missiles. The range also offers smaller boats for testing and evaluation of weapons. These are all remote controlled so that live weapons can be used. The range offers

1530-453: Is similar in most ways to the M versions, and was primarily an upgrade for existing M-series missiles. Changes were mainly to the software, improving low-level performance. A follow-on Block II upgrade added a new rear receiver allowing the missile to receive mid-course correction from the launching aircraft. Plans initially called for all M versions to be upgraded, but currently P's are being issued as required to replace M's lost or removed from

1620-766: Is used to test and develop high energy weapons used to destroy Land and Air targets. The range is permitted to use up to 1 Megawatt weapons. The Range has tested and evaluated high energy weapons on both land and sea targets. They have tested high energy lasers to disable small boats. The laser was located on another ship. Standard Missile , Rolling Airframe Missile , RGM-84A surface-launched, Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Titanic ICBMs , Tomahawk , Vertical Launch Asroc , Trident Pogo Hi, Asp, Loki Dart, Coyote, Nike Cajun, Nike Asp, R-17, Polaris TV, Aerobee 100, Arcas, Loki, Nike Zeus, Kiva/Hopi, Sparoair II, Clean Sweep III, Tomahawk, Sparrow Arcas, Judi-Dart, Sparoair III, Rocketsonde, Terrier LEAP, SR19 1999 Sparo Air I VX-30 uses

1710-812: Is where most of the aircraft are launched for testing on the range. It is home to the test squadron and also other groups including the Air National Guard. This was also the airfield that US President Ronald Reagan flew into when he came to visit his ranch in Santa Barbara. NBVC supports approximately 80 tenant commands with a base population of more than 19,000 personnel. Tenant commands encompass an extremely diverse set of specialties that support both Fleet and Fighter, including three warfare centers: Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division and Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center. NBVC

1800-525: The 70-centimeter band . 34°06′54″N 119°06′25″W  /  34.115°N 119.107°W  / 34.115; -119.107 AIM-7 Sparrow The AIM-7 Sparrow (Air Intercept Missile ) is an American medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force , United States Navy , United States Marine Corps , and various other air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were

1890-721: The AIM-7A and AIM-7B , despite both being out of service. The -6, -6a, and -6b became the AIM-7C , AIM-7D , and AIM-7E respectively. 25,000 AIM-7Es were produced and saw extensive use during the Vietnam War , where its performance was considered disappointing. The mixed results were a combination of reliability problems (exacerbated by the tropical climate), limited pilot training in fighter-to-fighter combat, and restrictive rules of engagement that generally prohibited BVR (beyond visual range) engagements. The P k (kill probability) of

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1980-618: The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow program, Canadair (now Bombardier ) partnered with Douglas Aircraft Company in the development of the Sparrow II (AAM-N-3/AIM-7B). After Douglas dropped out of this program, Canadair continued on with it until the termination of the Arrow project. The AAM-N-3 Sparrow II was unique in that it had a fully active radar guidance system. This combined both a radar transmitter and receiver in

2070-681: The F5D Skylancer interceptor . It was later selected, with some controversy, to be the primary weapon for the Canadian Avro Arrow supersonic interceptor, along with the new Astra fire-control system. For Canadian use and as a second source for US missiles, Canadair was selected to build the missiles in Quebec . The small size of the missile forebody and the K-band AN/APQ-64-radar limited performance, and it

2160-548: The Fritz X , and evolving into semi-autonomous cruise missiles , such as the Raduga KS-1 Komet , that relied on a combination of initial guidance from the launching aircraft and terminal guidance on the missile itself. These systems allowed the aircraft to launch their attacks from outside the range of shipboard anti-aircraft weapons, in relative safety. Only the presence of defensive fighters operating at long ranges from

2250-529: The MIM-46 Mauler , which mounted a new high-speed missile on top of the ubiquitous M113 Armored Personnel Carrier chassis, along with a medium-range search radar and a separate tracking and illumination radar. In order to deal with the quick response times needed, the fire control system was semi-automatic; operators would view targets on the search radar and prioritize them, the fire control system would select ones within attack range and automatically slew

2340-578: The RIM-2 Terrier . Contemporary improvements being made to the Sparrow for the air-to-air role led to similar improvements in the Sea Sparrow through the 1970s and 80s. After that point the air-to-air role passed to the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the Sea Sparrow underwent a series of upgrades strictly for the naval role. It now resembles the AIM-7 only in general form; it is larger, faster and includes

2430-631: The Royal Air Force (RAF) on their Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 in 1978, and later on the Tornado F3 . Skyflash was also exported to Sweden for use on their Viggen fighters. An upgraded version with active radar seeker, called Active Sky Flash , was proposed by BAe and Thomson-CSF , but did not receive funding because the RAF opted for other missiles. The Sparrow has four major sections: guidance section, warhead , control, and rocket motor (currently

2520-594: The "Basic Point Defense Missile System", BPDMS, the then-current AIM-7E from the F-4 Phantom was adapted to shipboard use with surprising speed. The main developments were the new Mark 25 trainable launcher developed from the ASROC launcher, and the Mark 115 manually aimed radar illuminator that looked like two large searchlights . Operation was extremely simple; the operator would be cued to targets via voice commands from

2610-519: The "Improved Basic Point Defense Missile System" (IBPDMS) program started even while the original version was being deployed. IBPDMS emerged as the RIM-7H, which was essentially the RIM-7A with the mid-mounted wings modified to be able to fold. This was done in a fashion similar to carrier-based aircraft; the wings were hinged at a point about 50% along the span, with the outer portions rotated back toward

2700-516: The AAM-N-6a being capable of firing on only targets with 300 ft/sec closing velocity, and AAM-N-6b being capable of firing on targets with a 300 knot opening velocity (-300 knot closing velocity or higher). During this year the Air Force and Navy agreed on standardized naming conventions for their missiles. The Sparrows became the AIM-7 series. The original Sparrow I and aborted Sparrow II became

2790-515: The AIM-7E was less than 10%; US fighter pilots shot down 59 aircraft out of the 612 Sparrows fired. Of the 612 AIM-7D/E/E-2 missiles fired, 97 (or 15.8%) hit their targets, resulting in 56 (or 9.2%) kills. Two kills were obtained beyond visual range. In 1969, an improved version, the E-2, was introduced with clipped wings and various changes to the fuzing. Considered a "dogfight Sparrow", the AIM-7E-2

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2880-604: The Buk missile system. FrankenSAM was confirmed to be in use in December 2023, and was first used successfully in combat to bring down a Russian Shahed drone on 17 January 2024 from 9 km distance. Although the Navy and Air Force initially planned additional upgrades for the Sparrow, notably the AIM-7R with a combination radar/infrared seeker, these were canceled in favor of the much more advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM in December 1996. With

2970-495: The HSMST, QST, FACT, and MST. These are capable of testing weapons that are air launched and also ones from land. The island is used as live munitions testing range. It supplies a realistic marine environment, Remote and Fixed telemetry sites, 50,000 pound missile rail( located at 33.264278,-119.539), target launcher, Inert Missile impact area, 10,000 foot airfield for c-5 and c-17 and dedicated ordnance and range staff. This gives them

3060-491: The Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor). It has a cylindrical body with four wings at mid-body and four tail fins. Although the external dimensions of the Sparrow remained relatively unchanged from model to model, the internal components of newer missiles represent major improvements, with vastly increased capabilities. The warhead is of the continuous-rod type. As with other semi-active radar guided missiles,

3150-496: The Mark 91 fire control system, the "Mark 23 Target Acquisition System" (TAS). TAS included a medium-range 2D radar and IFF system that fed information to a new console in the ship's combat information center . The Mark 23 automatically detected, prioritized and displayed potential targets, greatly improving reaction times of the system as a whole. The Mark 23 is also used to select targets for most other weapons systems, including gunfire and other missile systems. TAS started entering

3240-641: The Shanghai Academy of Science and Technology, largely based on the Italian Aspide version of the Sparrow missile. The Soviet Union acquired an AIM-7 in 1968 and a Vympel team started copying it as the K-25 . The missile did not enter production as the R-23 was thought to have better versatility, range, signal processing logic, and immunity to interference. K-25 work ended in 1971, but analysis of

3330-549: The Sparrow I, in 1951 Raytheon began work on a semi-active radar-homing version, the AAM-N-6 Sparrow III . The first of these weapons entered United States Navy service in 1958. The AAM-N-6a was similar to the -6, and included changes to the guidance electronics to make it effective at higher closing speeds. It was originally designed to take the Thiokol LR44-RM-2 liquid-fuel rocket motor, but

3420-742: The Sparrow was later used to inform the design of the Vympel R-27 , particularly the servomechanisms and movable wings. British Aerospace (BAe) licensed the AIM-7E2 technology in the 1970s, producing the Skyflash missile. Skyflash used a Marconi XJ521 monopulse seeker together with improvements to the electronics. It was powered by the Aerojet Mk52 mod 2 rocket engine (later by the Rocketdyne Mk38 mod 4). Skyflash entered service with

3510-414: The Sparrow with an active radar seeker, initially known as XAAM-N-2a Sparrow II , the original retroactively becoming Sparrow I . In 1952, it was given the new code AAM-N-3 . The active radar made the Sparrow II a "fire and forget" weapon, allowing several to be fired at separate targets at the same time. By 1955, Douglas proposed going ahead with development, intending it to be the primary weapon for

3600-527: The US Navy's use the new Mark 95 illuminator system was also introduced, similar to the original Mark 115 but with automatic guidance that could be used in any weather. The Mark 95 formed the basis of the highly automated Mark 91 fire control system. In 1972 Raytheon started a Sparrow upgrade program to arm the upcoming F-15 Eagle , producing the AIM-7F. The F model replaced the older analog guidance system with

3690-460: The West's principal beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile from the late 1950s until the 1990s. It remains in service, although it is being phased out in aviation applications in favor of the more advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM . The early Sparrow was intended primarily for use against larger targets, especially bombers, and had numerous operational limitations in other uses. Against smaller targets,

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3780-495: The ability to launch and control a wide variety of missiles, aerial and surface targets from a controlled secluded island. It was also one of the 8 candidates for the first detonation of the atomic bomb before White Sands Proving ground was selected for it. During WW2 there were stationed aircraft on the island Including J4F Widgeon Amphibians and TBF Avengers . In 1946 the Island became strictly used as an auxiliary landing field for

3870-591: The aircraft to launch and track munitions for the range. VX-30 have used the F-4 Phantom (retired), F-14 (retired), F-18 (retired), S-3 Viking (retired), P3 Orion (active) and C-130s (active). This squadron is dedicated to this range and can be used for tracking and acquisition of targets also. VX-30 has conducted missions not only in the range but the Reagan Test Site in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, to

3960-403: The antenna, thereby sweeping the beam in a small cone. Signal processing is applied to determine the direction of maximum illumination, thereby developing a signal to steer the antenna toward the target. The missile detects the reflected signal from the target with a high-gain antenna in a similar fashion and steers the entire missile toward closure with the target. The missile guidance also samples

4050-465: The associated fleeting sighting times - applied to sea-skimming aircraft and missiles as well. The Navy intended to adapt the Mauler to shipboard use by removing its search radar and wiring it into the existing ship-borne radar systems instead. The 9-box launcher and illuminator radar would be retained in a relatively compact mount. Development started in 1960 under the "Point Defense Missile System" (PDMS),

4140-436: The body of the missile. This allowed them to be stored in tighter container tubes in the new Mark 29 launcher, and flip open automatically when they were released from the tube. The other major change was to allow the seeker to work with a variety of illumination radars, including those being used with existing European missile systems. Production of the RIM-7H began in 1973 as NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System (NSSMS) Block I. For

4230-400: The capabilities of Skyflash), active radar proximity fuse , digital controls, improved ECM resistance, and better low-altitude performance. It was used to good advantage in the 1991 Gulf War , where it scored many USAF air-to-air kills. Of 44 missiles fired, 30 (68.2%) hit their intended targets resulting in 24/26 (54.5%/59.1%) kills. 19 kills were obtained beyond visual range. The AIM-7P

4320-612: The decision was made to retain the solid fuel rocket motor. The -6a was also selected to arm the Air Force's F-110A Spectre ( F-4 Phantom ) fighters in 1962, known to them as the AIM-101 . It entered production in 1959, with 7500 being built. With an improved Rocketdyne solid-fuel motor, the AAM-N-6b started production in 1963. The new motor significantly increased the maximum range to 35 kilometres (22 mi) for head-on attacks. This new missile also improved tail-on performance, with

4410-585: The earlier generation of anti-ship missiles (ASMs), sea-skimmers approached at low level, like an attack aircraft, hiding themselves until the last moment. The missiles were relatively small and much harder to hit than an attacking aircraft. While the older defenses might be considered a credible threat to a large aircraft at low altitude or a missile approaching at higher altitudes, against a sea-skimming missile they were useless. To successfully counter this threat, ships needed new weapons able to attack these targets as soon as they appeared, accurately enough to give them

4500-415: The early 1960s their capability against modern aircraft and missiles was limited; a lack of fast-reacting mounts, gunsight radars of limited accuracy, and long settling times for the fire control systems all meant that the guns were unlikely to be able to respond effectively against high-speed aircraft. The introduction of sea-skimming missiles dramatically increased the threat against these ships. Unlike

4590-471: The fleet in 1980. The NSPO also used the M series upgrade as an opportunity to upgrade the system to allow it to be launched from a Vertical Launching System (VLS). This modification uses the "Jet Vane Control" (JVC) package that is added to the bottom of the missile. On launch, a small engine in the JVC boosts the missile up above the launching ship, then uses vanes positioned in its own exhaust to quickly slew

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4680-598: The infrared AIM-9 Sidewinder missile into the MIM-72 Chaparral . This was based on the AIM-9D, a tail-chaser, and would be useless for the Navy where its targets would be approaching head on. They required a radar-guided system, and this naturally led to the AIM-7 Sparrow. They also considered Chaparral for smaller ships due to its much smaller size, but no such fits were ever attempted. Quickly organizing

4770-515: The inventory. The final version of the missile was to have been the AIM-7R , which added an infrared homing seeker to an otherwise unchanged AIM-7P Block II. A general wind-down of the budget led to it being cancelled in 1997. The U.S. Navy planned to operate the missile through 2018. The Sparrow is now being phased out with the availability of the active-radar AIM-120 AMRAAM , but is likely to remain in service for several years. As part of

4860-559: The island. The island is now used for mostly target acquisition and live training for the US navy. They have continued to upgrade the island with new telemetry radar facilities. The range is capable of simulated GPS, radar and Active Denial Systems for weapons-survivability testing. This is used for testing of anti-radar and anti-GPS targets. The US Code of Federal Regulations specifies that amateur radio operators within 322 kilometers of PMTC must not transmit with more than 50 watts of power on

4950-425: The launcher cells were sized to the wings instead of the missile body, taking up much more room than required. Although the Sea Sparrow was meant as a small missile system that could be fit to a wide variety of ships, the launcher was relatively large and was deployed only to larger frigates, destroyers and aircraft carriers . Finally, the manually aimed illuminator was of limited use at night or in bad weather, which

5040-604: The launching aircraft, but it also had many motor failures, erratic flights, and fuzing problems. An E-3 version included additional changes to the fuzing, and the E-4 featured a modified seeker for use with the F-14 Tomcat . Improved versions of the AIM-7 were developed in the 1970s in an attempt to address the weapon's limitations. The AIM-7F , which entered service in 1976, had a dual-stage rocket motor for longer range, solid-state electronics for greatly improved reliability, and

5130-420: The launching platform via new rear-mounted antennas. For air-to-air use this allowed the missile to be "lofted" above the target and then be directed down towards it as it approached; this gives the missile greater range as it spends more time in thinner high-altitude air. In naval use, this meant it could also be directly guided against small surface targets that would otherwise not show up well on radar, allowing

5220-617: The link between the airborne and shipborne versions of the Sparrow severed, Raytheon proposed a much more extensive set of upgrades to the Sea Sparrow, the RIM-7R Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). The changes were so extensive that the project was renamed, becoming the RIM-162 ESSM . The ESSM takes the existing guidance section from the RIM-7P and fits it to an entirely new rear-section. The new missile

5310-410: The local horizon of the ships, the aircraft would suddenly appear at relatively close ranges, giving the ships only seconds to respond before the aircraft dropped their payloads and withdrew. This gave the aircraft an enormous advantage over earlier weapons such as dive bombers or torpedo bombers , whose low speed allowed them to be attacked with some effectiveness by anti-aircraft guns . The advantage

5400-453: The loss of a signal, allowing the launch platform to break lock for short periods while the missile was in flight. All of these modifications also improved performance against low-altitude sea-skimming targets as well. The M model entered US operational service in 1983. The original RIM-7E was capable to fly at about Mach 2+, between 30 and 15,000 metres (98 and 49,213 ft), with a range of 15–22 kilometres (8.1–11.9 nmi) (depending on

5490-418: The missile does not generate radar signals, but instead homes in on reflected continuous-wave signals from the launch platform's radar. The receiver also senses the guidance radar to enable comparisons that enhance the missile's resistance to passive jamming. The launching aircraft illuminates the target with its radar. In 1950s radars, these were single-target tracking devices using a nutating horn as part of

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5580-513: The missile into the proper alignment with the target, which is fed to the JVC during launch. As far as the Sea Sparrow is concerned, there is no difference between being launched directly from a trainable launcher or using JVC, in both cases the missile becomes active looking directly at the target. A final upgrade to the Sparrow was the AIM-7P, which replaced the M's guidance system with an improved model that allowed mid-course updates to be sent from

5670-544: The missile to higher speeds, and then settled to a lower thrust for cruise. The new missiles were quickly adapted for the naval role in a fashion similar to the RIM-7H, producing the RIM-7F. The new missile used the lower model designation in spite of the newer technology than the H model. Another major upgrade to the AIM-7 followed, the AIM-7M. The M included a new monopulse radar seeker that allowed it to be shot downward from

5760-560: The missile was fired it would immediately see the signal being reflected off the target. In this form the Sea Sparrow was tested on the destroyer escort USS  Bradley starting in February 1967, but this installation was removed when Bradley was sent to Vietnam later that year. Testing continued, and between 1971 and 1975 Sea Sparrow was fitted to 31 ships of the Knox class, hulls 1052 to 1069 and 1071 to 1083. The "missing ship" in

5850-462: The missile, making it unnecessary for the pilot to keep the aircraft aimed at the target after firing the missile, unlike Semi-active radar homing (SARH) missiles which require continuous radar-assisted guidance throughout flight. This allowed the aircraft that fired the AAM-N-3 to turn away, prosecute other targets, and/or escape from potential retaliatory missiles fired by the enemy aircraft during

5940-407: The missiles toward them and launch. Since the missile would be operating close to the ground in highly cluttered environments, it used a combination of beam riding along the illumination radar and an infrared seeker in the nose, which allowed tracking as long as either the path in front or in rear of the missile remained free of obstructions. These same basic engagement parameters - high-speed and

6030-521: The naval version to be known as the "RIM-46A Sea Mauler". The Navy was so confident in the Sea Mauler that they modified the design of their latest frigates , the Knox class , to incorporate a space on the rear deck for the Sea Mauler launcher. The Navy's confidence in Mauler proved misplaced; by 1963 the program had been downgraded to a pure technology development effort due to continued problems, and

6120-515: The need to receive a strong reflected radar signal made it difficult to achieve lock-on at the missile's effective range. As the launching aircraft's own radar needed to be pointed at the target throughout the engagement, this meant that in fighter-vs-fighter combat the enemy fighter would often approach within the range of shorter-range infrared homing missiles while the launching aircraft had to continue flying towards its target. Additionally, early models were only effective against targets at roughly

6210-528: The program was cancelled with the cancellation of the Arrow. The Italian company Finmeccanica (now Leonardo S.p.A. ), Alenia Difesa licensed the AIM-7E Sparrow technology from the US, and produced its own version. Later in the 1980s, Alenia started to produce an improved version of the AIM-7 called the Aspide. Compared to the AIM-7E, it received an improved new monopulse guidance system that allowed for

6300-622: The same or higher altitudes, below which reflections from the ground became a problem. A number of upgraded Sparrow designs were developed to address these issues. In the early 1970s, the RAF developed the Skyflash version with an inverse monopulse seeker and improved motor, while the Italian Air Force introduced the similar Aspide . Both could be fired at targets below the launching fighter (" look-down, shoot-down "), were more resistant to countermeasures, and were much more accurate in

6390-399: The search radar operators, and he then slewed the illuminator onto the target. The relatively wide beam of the radar only needed to be in the general direction of the target, the continuous wave signal being Doppler shifted by the moving target and showing up strongly even if it was not centered in the beam. The launcher would automatically follow the motions of the illuminator, so that when

6480-484: The series, Downes (DE-1070), was instead used to test an upgraded version (see below). The Sea Sparrow was far from an ideal weapon. Its rocket engine was designed with the assumption that it would be launched at high speed from an aircraft, and therefore is optimized for a long cruise at relatively low power. In the surface-to-air role one would rather have very high acceleration in order to allow it to intercept sea-skimming targets as soon as possible. The power profile

6570-511: The ship and towing a decoy. The missile will be aimed at the decoy and the ship will try and defend the decoy. Tested weapons include the MK 57 Sea Sparrow , Rolling Airframe Missile , AN/SLQ-32 ESM and the Phalanx CIWS . The range offers both Supersonic and Subsonic targets. This includes both BQM-74E, BQM-34S, AQM-37C, GQM-163A, QRQ-2B Flycatcher. These are used for anti-Aircraft testing and

6660-564: The ship's more powerful search radars to provide guidance until the missile approached the target and the reflected signal grew stronger. This also gave the Sea Sparrow a very useful secondary anti-shipping role that allows it to attack smaller boats. Taiwan operates ground based Sea Sparrows as part of the Skyguard SHORAD system. Five hundred missiles entered service in 1991 and are deployed on trailers with four box launchers. In 2012 they were temporarily withdrawn from service following

6750-565: The ships could provide cover against these attacks, by attacking the launch aircraft before they could close on the ships. US Navy doctrine stressed long-range air cover to counter both high-speed aircraft and missiles, and development of newer short range defenses had been largely ignored. While the Navy was developing expensive long-range fighters like the Douglas F6D Missileer , most ships were left with older weapons, typically Bofors 40 mm guns or Oerlikon 20 mm cannons . By

6840-473: The target height). The RIM-7F enhanced the performances, but also the proximity fuse versus low flying targets, as the minimum altitude was reduced to 15 metres (49 ft) or less. The RIM-7M was able to strike targets at an altitude of 8 metres (26 ft), providing some capability against sea-skimming missiles such the Exocet. While the M model was being worked on, the US Navy also introduced an upgrade for

6930-534: The terminal phase. This basic concept then became part of the US Sparrows in the M model (for monopulse) and some of these were later updated as the P model, the last to be produced in the US. Aspides sold to China resulted in the locally produced PL-11 . The Japan Self-Defense Forces also employ the Sparrow missile, though it is being phased out and replaced by the Mitsubishi AAM-4 . The Sparrow

7020-584: The time it took for the Sparrow to reach its target. Despite the significant advantages of this design over SARH guidance, all subsequent models of the Sparrow use semi-active radar homing . To accommodate the active radar guidance system, the AAM-N-3 Sparrow II had a much greater volume than its predecessor. Its size would subsequently set the precedent for all future Sparrow variants. In 1959, Canadair had completed five missiles based on airframes from Douglas, and built two models from scratch, when

7110-450: The time the radar had locked-on and the gunsight calculated proper "lead" there would be no time to shoot at the target while it was within a gun's relatively short range. Missiles, on the other hand, could progressively tune their approach while they were flying toward the target, and their proximity fuses meant they only needed to get "close enough". In 1959 the Army started development of

7200-726: The waters off the Florida coast, supporting the Missile Defense Agency And the National Aeronautics And Space Administration. The squadron is also testing and evaluation for the US Navy. This ship is owned by the US Navy and is the refurbished USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964). This ship is a remote controlled, fully functioning ship. Being unmanned it avoids safety constraints, meaning it can be a weapons test platform for live missiles. Testing features an anti-missile platform on

7290-467: Was also used as the basis for a surface-to-air missile , the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow , used by a number of navies for air defense. Fired at low altitude and flying directly at its target, though, the range of the missile in this role is greatly reduced because of the higher air density of the lower atmosphere. With the retirement of the Sparrow in the air-to-air role, a new version of the Sea Sparrow

7380-513: Was canceled outright in 1965. All three of the stakeholders, the US Army, US Navy and British Army , started looking for a replacement. While the British took a longer-term approach and developed the new Rapier missile , the US Army and Navy scrambled to find a system that could be deployed as quickly as possible. Facing the problem of guidance in a cluttered environment, the Army decided to adapt

7470-542: Was developed in the early 1960s from the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile as a lightweight " point-defense " weapon that could be retrofitted to existing ships as quickly as possible, often in place of existing gun-based anti-aircraft weapons. In this incarnation, it was a very simple system guided by a manually aimed radar illuminator. After its introduction, the system underwent significant development into an automated system similar to other US Navy missiles like

7560-490: Was hardly encouraging for a ship-borne weapon where fog was a common occurrence. In 1968, Denmark, Italy, and Norway signed an agreement with the US Navy to use the Sea Sparrow on their ships, and collaborate on improved versions. Over the next few years a number of other countries joined the NATO SEASPARROW Project Office (NSPO), and today it includes 12 member nations. Under this umbrella group,

7650-533: Was initially dubbed KAS-1 , then AAM-2 , and — from 1948 on — AAM-N-2 . The airframe was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company . The diameter of the HVAR proved to be inadequate for the electronics, leading Douglas to expand the missile's airframe to 8-inch (203 mm) diameter. The prototype weapon began unpowered flight tests in 1947, and made its first aerial interception in 1952. After

7740-421: Was intended to be used at shorter ranges where the missile was still travelling at high speeds, and in the head-on aspect, making it much more useful in the visual limitations imposed on the engagements. Even so, its kill rate was only 13% in combat, leading to a practice of ripple-firing all four at once in hopes of increasing kill probability. Its worst tendency was to detonate prematurely about 1,000 feet ahead of

7830-459: Was never able to work in testing. After considerable development and test firings in the U.S. and Canada, Douglas abandoned development in 1956. Canadair continued development until the Arrow was cancelled in 1959. A subvariant of the Sparrow I armed with the same nuclear warhead as the MB-1 Genie was proposed in 1958 but was cancelled shortly thereafter. Concurrently with the development of

7920-536: Was originally built for anti-aircraft training during World War II. The base later shifted from traditional anti-aircraft munitions training to become a test center for anti-aircraft missiles. Most of the missiles developed during the 1950s and 1960s were designed and tested at the base. This includes the Aim-7 Sparrow , Aim 54 Phoenix , Regulus Surface to the surface and the AGM-12 Bullpup . This base

8010-401: Was produced to address this concern, producing the larger and more capable RIM-162 ESSM . The Sparrow emerged from a late-1940s United States Navy program to develop a guided rocket weapon for air-to-air use. In 1947 the Navy contracted Sperry to build a beam-riding version of a standard 5-inch (127 mm) HVAR , the standard unguided aerial rocket, under Project Hotshot . The weapon

8100-603: Was so great that when the Royal Navy was faced by the threat of the new Soviet Sverdlov -class cruiser , they responded in a non-linear fashion by introducing the Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft to attack them. Further improving the capabilities of aircraft against ships were a variety of precision-guided weapons . Early designs were first used in World War II with manually controlled weapons such as

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