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AGM-65 Maverick |
| AGM-65 Maverick | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Air-to-surface guided missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | August 1972- present |
| Used by | See users |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Hughes Aircraft Corporation; Raytheon Corporation |
| Unit cost | Up to US$160,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 462–670 lb (208–302 kg) |
| Length | 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)1 |
| Diameter | 12 in (305 mm)1 |
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| Warhead | 125 lb (57 kg) hollow charge with contact fuze in A, B, D and H models; 300 lb (135 kg) high explosive penetrator with delayed fuze in E, F, G, J and K models |
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| Engine | Thiokol TX-481 dual-thrust solid propellant rocket motor |
| Wingspan | 2 ft 4 in (710 mm) |
| Operational range |
15 nm (17 mi; 27 km) |
| Speed | Mach 0.93 |
| Guidance system |
Electro-optical in A, B, H, J and K models; infrared imaging in D, F and G models; laser guided in E models |
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 used by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force (300 pounds (136 kg) vs. 125 pounds (57 kg)). The infrared TV camera enables the pilot to lock onto 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.1
Contents |
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 a large part in the destruction of Iraq's military force.
LAU-117 Maverick launchers have also been used on American Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps aircraft:
Canadian Forces Air Command CF-18 Hornet - using the AGM-65G Maverick
Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 MLU
Hellenic Air Force F-16 Block 30, F-16 Block 50, F-16 Block 52+ and F-4 Phantom II
Israel Air Force- F-16 Fighting Falcon
Polish Air Force- F-16 Block 50/52 Plus
Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) F-16A/B Block 20
Republic of Korea Air Force- A-50
Swedish Air Force- JAS 39 Gripen
Hungarian Air Force- JAS 39 Gripen
Royal Air Force- Harrier GR7
Royal New Zealand Navy- Kaman SH-2G Seasprite and Royal New Zealand Air Force- A-4K Skyhawk (after being upgraded in the late 80's under Project Kahu, retired 2001)
Serbian Air Force- Soko J-22 Orao and Soko/Lola Utva G-4M Super Galeb
Indonesian Air Force- F-16A/B Block 15 OCU
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Royal Malaysian Air Force- F/A-18D Hornet, BAE Hawk 208 and Mikoyan MIG-29N Fulcrum
Republic of Singapore Air Force- F-16C/D Block 52
Royal Thai Air Force- F-16A/B Block 15 OCU and JAS-39 Gripen
Portuguese Air Force- F-16A/B Block 15 OCU, F-16AM/BM MLU
Turkish Air Force- F-16 Block 50/52 Plus
Italian Navy- AV-8B Harrier
Spanish Air Force- EF-18 and Spanish Navy AV-8B Harrier
Chile
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