AIM-7 'SPARROW'
TYPE:
Medium range radar guided air-to-air missile.
DEVELOPMENT:
The original AIM-7A Sparrow 1 development programme
started in 1946, and this beam riding missile entered
service in 1956. A fully active radar seeker was
attempted for Sparrow 2 in 1955, but cancelled in 1958.
The semi-active radar guided Sparrow 3 development
programme started in 1955, and the first missiles
entered service with the US Navy and US Air Force in
1958 as AIM-7C Sparrow. Successive developments ever
since have created a large family of missiles, moving
through AIM-7D, 7E, 7E-2, 7F, 7M, 7P and with the
latest, 7R, entering full-scale engineering development
in 1988.
DESCRIPTION:
The AIM-7 Sparrow 3 missile is an all weather, all
aspect air-to-air missile which has also been adapted
to shipboard air defence use. The missile has four
moving delta wings at the middle and four fixed delta
fins at the rear. The current models, the AIM-7F and
the AIM/RIM-7M, are both 3.66 m long, have a body
diameter of 203 mm and a wingspan of 1.02 m. The AIM-7F
has a 39 kg HE continuous rod warhead and weighs 227
kg
at launch, whereas the AIM-7M weighs 230 kg and has a
39 kg HE focused blast fragmentation warhead. The
AIM-7F models were the first Sparrow missiles to use
all solid-state electronics; this condensed the
guidance section, which allowed the warhead to be moved
forward of the wings and allowed the use of a more
powerful motor to increase both speed and range.
SPECIFICATIONS:
AIM-7F
Length: 3.66 m
Body diameter: 203 mm
Wingspan: 1.02 m
Launch weight: 227 kg
Warhead: 39 kg HE continuous rod
Fuze: RF
Guidance: Semi-active radar
Propulsion: Solid propellant
Range: 40 km
SPECIFICATIONS:
AIM-7M
Length: 3.66 m
Body diameter: 203 mm
Wingspan: 1.02 m
Launch weight: 230 kg
Warhead: 39 kg HE blast: fragmentation
Fuze: Active radar
Guidance: Semi-active radar
Propulsion: Solid propellant
Range: 45 km
SPECIFICATIONS:
AIM-7P
Length: 3.66 m
Body diameter: 203 mm
Wingspan: 1.02 m
Launch weight: 230 kg
Warhead: 39 kg HE blast: fragmentation
Fuze: Active radar
Guidance: Command and semi-active radar
Propulsion: Solid propellant
Range: 45 km