LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recall the types, capabilities, and uses of SMS guided missiles.

We will show and provide a brief description of the various guided missiles launched from SMS GMLSs on naval ships in the fleet. Some of these weapons are capable of being launched from aircraft and submarines too. For the most part, SMS guided missiles are designed to be used against air targets. However, several missiles in our SMS arsenal can engage surface, underwater, and land targets.

The Standard missile (fig. 9-28) represents the largest group of guided missiles in the SMS arsenal used

Figure 9-27.-Schematic of typical explosive train with safety device.

Figure 9-28.-SM-1 MR and SM-2 ER major sections, components, and physical configuration.

Figure 9-29.-Harpoon missile.

primarily against air targets. The popular designation of the missile is expressed as SM-1 MR medium-range missile and SM-2 ER extended range missile. SM-2 missiles are used on vertical launching system (VLS) ships.

The Harpoon missile (fig. 9-29) is a subsonic, low altitude cruise missile for use against surface targets only. It is equipped with a self-contained midcourse (cruise) guidance system and uses advanced active homing techniques with countermeasure capabilities. Harpoon is designed as an all-up-round (AUR) for all weather operations and is capable of engaging over-the-horizon targets.

Tomahawk cruise missile (fig. 9-30) is a long-range, subsonic, land-attack, and anti-ship missile with a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant turbofan engine.

Missiles are identified by various methods. The military designation method is shown in table 9-1. The missile is classified as to its launch environment,

Figure 9-30.-Tomahawk cruise missile.

Table 9-1.-Missile categories

mission, and vehicle type. For example, a RIM designation represents a ship-launched guided missile designed to intercept air targets.

A type and configuration letter-number combination can be added to the basic designation. For example, RIM-66A identifies a STANDARD SM-1A missile. An RGM-84A identifies a ship-launched surface attack guided missile or the HARPOON missile.

SUMMARY

In this chapter we have discussed the missile basic systems, the principles of guided missiles, and the SMS guided missiles. We covered

1. Structures-or the airframe,

2. Control systems-with References to aerodynamics and how flight attitude or stability was controlled,

3. Guidance systems-with References to various types (command, homing, and self-contained) and how they interact with the control system to control flight trajectory,

4. Propulsion-with References to air-breathing jet engines (turbojets) and solid-fuel rocket motors,

5. Warheads-with References to the payload, fuze, and S&A device, and

6. SMS guided missiles-used on surface launched ships.

For specific and detailed discussions of particular systems, refer to system technical manuals and the References cited in an appendix to this TRAMAN.