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 hemispherically 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, 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 missiles are fully operational and fully explosive loaded rounds, designed for service use in time of war.

NONSERVICE MISSILES.- These include all types of missiles other than service or tactical. They are subdivided as captive air training missiles (CATMs), dummy air training missiles (DATMs), special air training missiles (NATMs), and practice guided weapons (PGWs).

Some practice and training missiles are used for actual launching. They contain live propulsion and guidance systems with inert loaded warheads. They are fitted with pyrotechnic fuze indicator signals and/or tracking flares that give a visual indication of missile/target impact. These missiles can also be fitted with a telemetry-type warhead, which transmits electronic signals to a monitoring station. The monitoring station displays the missile's in-flight performance and missile/target hit. Some types of exercise missiles contain explosive-destruct charges so the missiles destroy themselves in flight. These explosive-destruct charges, when installed, are used as a safety measure so the missile does not travel beyond the established target range.

The CATMs are used for pilot training in aerial target acquisition and aircraft controls/displays. They have both tactical and training components.

The DATMs are ground training missiles used to train ground personnel in missile assembly/ disassembly, uploading/downloading, and handling procedures.

The NATMs are used for pilot training during fleet weapon training exercises.

The PGWs are used for stowage procedures and techniques. All components are completely inert.

Service missiles are fired as practice or training missiles when approved by proper authority. Normally, approval is restricted to missiles that are obsolete or to missiles that have exceeded their normal service life.

Guided missiles used in naval aviation include air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. Air-to-air guided missiles are fired by one aircraft against another aircraft. Air-to-surface guided missiles are fired from an aircraft against a target on the land or water surface.

For further information on the classification of guided missiles, you should refer to United States Navy Ammunition Historical and Functional Data,NAVSEA SW010-AB-GTP-010, and Identification of Ammunition, NAVSEA SW010-AF-ORD-010.