RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
| RIM-7 Sea Sparrow | |
|---|---|
A Sea Sparrow launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) | |
| Type | Surface-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1976–present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon and General Dynamics |
| Unit cost | $165,400 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 510 lb (230 kg) |
| Length | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Diameter | 8 in (20 cm) |
| Wingspan | 3 ft 4 in (1.02 m) |
| Warhead | Annular blast fragmentation warhead, 90 lb (41 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | Proximity fuzed, expanding rod, with a 27 ft (8.2 m) kill radius |
| Engine | Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor |
Operational range | 10 nmi (19 km) |
| Maximum speed | 4,256 km/h (2,645 mph) |
Guidance system | Semi-active radar homing |
Launch platform | Ship, Buk-M1 (modified for use in Ukraine) |
The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a U.S. 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.
After its introduction, the system underwent significant development into an automated system similar to other US Navy missiles like the RIM-2 Terrier. Contemporary improvements being made to the Sparrow for the air-to-air role led to similar improvements in the Sea Sparrow through the 1970s and 80s. After that point the air-to-air role passed to the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the Sea Sparrow underwent a series of upgrades strictly for the naval role. It now resembles the AIM-7 only in general form; it is larger, faster and includes a new seeker and a launch system suitable for vertical launch from modern warships.
Fifty years after its development, 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.