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■mum range has been doubled by use of a two-level, solid-propellent *<« motor in AIM-7F. (Raytheon
Sfres could only be obtained in ideal
Mark He-wish
The AIM-7E2 variant of the Ray- t^'eon Sparrow air-to-air missile arms U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom and F-14 0fncat fighters and, additionally, ecluips other aircraft with a maritime r°le> including Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Phantoms used for fleet air defense. The solid-state AIM-7F development, with greater range, reliabil- iry. and lethality than the -7E, will replace its predecessor on the Tomcat is also slated for the U.S. Navy’s McDonnell Douglas/Northrop F-18 hornet naval air combat fighter.
The AIM-7E2 has been adapted for fhe surface-to-air role under the des- ‘gnations, RIM-7H and RIM-7E. Sparrow variants are used in the U.S. avy s Basic Point Defense Missile ystem (BPDMS) and Improved Point |pdense Missile System (IPDMS), NATO ea Sparrow, the Italian Albatros Weapon system, and a Raytheon/ y°llandse Signaalapparaten version eveloped for Canada. Radar and fire Control equipment varies from instal- ati°n to installation, but the basic ^iJSsile remains virtually the same. Sea Parrow has been ordered by Japan, 0rWay, Holland, Denmark, Bel- 8lum, and Germany, in addition to !”e United States, Canada, and Italy.
aytheon is developing a replacement—designated the RIM-7F— 0r the NATO Sea Sparrow Surface Mis- Systems and Basic Point Defense "*1Ssile Systems. The RIM-7F incorporates AIM-7F modifications to improve ^ altitude guidance and fusing and Astern performance.
The air-to-air versions of Sparrow are normally fired from mountings reCessed in the aircraft’s belly. Both Mkt-7E and -7F are 12 feet long, eight ‘nches in diameter, and have ''"‘'tgspans of 40 inches. The AIM-7F, 500 pounds, is 50 pounds heavier an the earlier variant, and the
'Ve‘ght of its continuous-rod warhead is ’
■ncreased from 65 pounds to 90 (^nnds. Cruising speed in both var-
lar*ts is about Mach 4, but the *Pax the r°cki
cl " *
airns maximum ranges of 25 nautical
JM^s for -7E and 50 for -7F, but these
engagement conditions.) The manufacturer also claims that the missile is sufficiently maneuverable for close- range dogfighting.
Sparrow carries a radar receiver in its nose to detect radiation transmitted by the launch aircraft and reflected by the target. A continuous-wave illuminator has to be added to pulse- Doppler fire control radars for Sparrow operation, although AIM-7F has been designed for use directly with pulse radars. The missile is steered by cruciform wings mounted centrally on the body.
Sea Sparrow has a shorter maximum range, about ten nautical miles, and is fired from an eight-cell box launcher. Radar, optical, or electro-optical target tracking may be used, and the missile homes on reflected continuous-wave signals in the same way as air-launched Sparrows. In the original BPDMS, a hand-aimed Mk 51 director illuminator was used as part of the Mk 115 manual fire control system. The Westinghouse SPS-58 and Raytheon RTN-10 radars can both be used with Sea Sparrow, and various Hughes IPD/TAS (Improved Point Defense/Target Acquisition System) variants provide combinations of radar and infra-red sensors. The M25, one of the Hollandse Signaalapparaten M20 series fire control radars, is used in conjunction with Sea Sparrow by a number of European navies, and the Italian Albatros system uses a combination of Selenia RTN-10XM Orion pulse-Doppler and RTN-12X Sirio continuous-wave tracking radars coupled with Elsag (Electronica San Giorgio) NA10 fire control.
Selenia builds Sea Sparrow under license for use in Albatros, and the Italian company is now developing the Aspide missile, based on Sparrow, to replace the U.S. missile. Aspide has a new guidance package, with greater resistance to electronic countermeasures, and a new fuse. The forward airframe and radome have been redesigned for more efficient high-speed flight, and SNIA Viscosa has developed a high-impulse motor for the missile. Test flights began in 1975, and Aspide may enter service next year, replacing Sparrow in the Albatros systems ordered by Italy, Peru, Venezuela, and Greece.
A further Sparrow derivative is the Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Sky Flash, formerly known as U.K. Sparrow or XJ521. It has the same airframe, motor, and warhead as AIM-7E but incorporates a new autopilot, Marconi Space and Defence Systems radar seeker, and EMI Electronics’ fuse. Initial flight testing has been very encouraging, with Sky Flash successfully intercepting targets using electronic countermeasures and deliberately set up to give the worst conditions of glint while maneuvering to tax the guidance to its limit. The U.S. Navy is providing the launch aircraft (an F-4J), pilot, range facilities (Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, Calif.), and targets in exchange for free access to the trials’ results. Sky Flash is in full production and will enter RAF service next year, being used to arm Phantoms initially and Tornados later. Hawker Siddeley also has signed an agreement with Forsvarets Material Verk (FMV) to assist integrating the Sky Flash with the Swedish Air Force Saab Viggen JA-37 all-weather fighter.
Marconi and Raytheon have a cross-licensing agreement on technology used in the Sky Flash guidance package, which may form the basis of a new seeker for the AIM-7F. A joint evaluation by the U.S. Navy and Air Force of any new seeker selected for development is scheduled for April
1979.