RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. The system 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. Since its introduction, the Sea Sparrow has undergone significant development and now resembles the AIM-7 only in general form; it is larger, faster and includes a new seeker and launch system suitable for vertical launch from modern warships. 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.
| RIM-7 Sea Sparrow | |
|---|---|
| Type | Surface-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1976 |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon and General Dynamics |
| Unit cost | $165,400 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 510 lb (231 kg) |
| Length | 12 feet (3.64 meters) |
| Diameter | 8 inches (20.3 cm) |
| | |
| Warhead | Annular blast fragmentation warhead, 90 pounds (40.5 kg) |
| Detonation mechanism | Proximity fuzed, expanding rod, with a 27 feet (8.2 m) kill radius |
| | |
| Engine | Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor |
| Wingspan | 3 feet 4 inches (one meter) |
| Operational range | 10 nautical miles (19 km) |
| Speed | 4,256 kilometres per hour (2,645 mph) |
| Guidance system | Semi-active radar homing |
| Launch platform | Ship |
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