Chapter 3 Air-Launched Guided Missles and Guided Missile Launchers

CHAPTER 3 AIR-LAUNCHED GUIDED MISSILES AND GUIDED MISSILE LAUNCHERS Guided missiles are self-propelled objects. After launching, they automatically alter their direction of flight in response to signals received from outside sources. They usually carry high-explosive charges and are equipped with a means to explode them at or near a target. The majority of guided missiles used in the Navy are essentially rockets that are maneuvered while in flight. AIR-LAUNCHED GUIDED MISSILES LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize air-launched guided missile classifications. Match missiles with their range and speed. Identify air-launched guided missiles and recognize the methods used to designate them. Identify missile components to include guidance and control, armament, and propulsion systems. Identify the guided missiles used in the Navy today. The purpose of a guided missile is to reach and destroy or damage its target. The type of target involved influences the characteristics of the missile; however, each missile meets the following basic requirements: � It must have sufficient speed to intercept or catch its target. � It must be maneuverable in flight to correct its flight path as required to intercept the target. � It must be capable of inflicting a satisfactory degree of damage to the target on intercept. � It must have an acceptable operating envelope (range/altitude) within which it is effective. � It must be capable of launching when required and at a satisfactory rate. � The missile and its components must be safe to handle, store, and use. In general, a typical guided missile has a long, cylindrical shape, with an oval or a hemispherical shaped nose. It is fitted with a series of stabilizing or maneuvering fins, wings, or canards around its outer surface. MISSILE CLASSIFICATION Guided missiles are classified according to their range, speed, and launch environment, mission, and vehicle type. Range Long-range guided missiles are usually capable of traveling a distance of at least 100 miles. Short-range guided missiles often do not exceed the range capabilities of long-range guns. The Navy has air-launched guided missiles that function within these ranges; they are medium-range or extended-range missiles. Speed The speed capability of guided missiles is expressed in Mach numbers. A Mach number is the ratio of the speed of an object to the speed of sound in the medium through which the object is moving. Under standard atmospheric conditions, sonic speed is about 766 miles per hour (Mach 1.0). Guided missiles are classified according to their speed as shown below: � Subsonic—Up to Mach 0.8 � Transonic—Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.2 � Supersonic—Mach 1.2 to Mach 5.0 � Hypersonic—Above Mach 5.0 When considering the speed of an air-launched guided missile, the speed of the launching aircraft is added to the speed of the missile. For example, if a missile's speed is Mach 2.5 and the aircraft's speed, at the time of missile launch, is Mach 2.0, the missile's speed is Mach 4.5. Types of Guided Missiles Guided missiles are divided into two types— service missiles and nonservice missiles. SERVICE MISSILES.—These missiles are generally referred to as tactical missiles. Service 3-1