476th vfighter Group Weapon Fact Sheet 6: AGM-65 Maverick

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1 Weapon Fact Sheet 6: AGM-65 Maverick INTRODUCTION The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armour, air defences, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities. Originally designed and built by Hughes Missile Systems, development of the AGM-65 spanned from 1966 to 1972, after which it entered service with the United States Air Force in August Since then, it has been exported to more than 30 countries and is certified on 25 aircraft. The Maverick served during the Vietnam, Yom Kippur, Iran Iraq and Gulf Wars, along with other smaller conflicts, destroying enemy forces and installations with varying degrees of success. During Operation Desert Storm, according to the US Air Force, the Maverick hit 85 per cent of its targets. Since its introduction into service, numerous Maverick versions had been designed and produced, utilising electro-optical, laser, charge-coupled device and infra-red guidance systems. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads: one has a contact fuse in the nose; the other has a heavyweight warhead fitted with a delayed-action fuse, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before detonating. The Maverick measures more than 8 ft. (2.4 m) in length and 12 in (30 cm) in diameter. DEVELOPMENT The Maverick's development history began in 1965, when the United States Air Force (USAF) began a program to develop a replacement for the AGM-12 Bullpup. With a range of 8.8 nm (14.8 km), the radio-guided Bullpup was introduced in 1959 and was considered a "silver bullet" by operators. However, the launch aircraft was required to fly straight towards the target during the missile's flight instead of performing evasive manoeuvres, placing the crew at significant risk. From 1966 to 1968, Hughes Missile Systems and Rockwell competed for the contract to build the new missile. Each was allocated $3 million for preliminary design and engineering of the Maverick in In 1968, Hughes emerged with the $95 million contract for further development and testing of the missile; at the same time, contract options called for 17,000 missiles to be procured. Hughes conducted a smooth development of the AGM-65 Maverick, culminating in the first, and successful, firing of the AGM-65 on a tank at Air Force Missile Development Centre at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, on 18 December In July 1971, the USAF and Hughes signed a $69.9 million contract for 2,000 missiles, the first of which was delivered in Although early operational results were favourable, military planners predicted that the Maverick would fare less successfully in the hazy conditions in Central Europe, where it planned to be used against Warsaw Pact forces. As such, development of the AGM-65B began in 1975 before it was delivered during the late 1970s. When production of the AGM-65A/B was ended in 1978, more than 35,000 Mavericks had been built. More versions of the Maverick appeared, one of which was laser-guided AGM-65C/E. Development of the AGM-65C started in 1978 by Rockwell, who built a number of

2 development missiles for the USAF. Due to high cost, the version was not procured by the USAF, and instead entered service with the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as the AGM-65E. Another major development was the AGM-65D, which employed an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker and thus was night/allweather capable. The five-year development p e r i o d o f t h e AGM-65D started in 1977 and ended with the first delivery to the USAF in October The version r e c e i v e d i n i t i a l operating capability in February The AGM-65F is a h y b r i d M a v e r i c k c o m b i n i n g t h e A G M D ' s I I R seeker and warhead a n d p r o p u l s i o n components of the AGM-65E. Deployed by the United States Navy (USN), the AGM-65F is optimised for maritime strike roles. The first AGM-65F launch from the P-3C took place in 1989, and in 1994, the USN awarded Unisys a contract to integrate the version with the P-3C. Meanwhile, Hughes produced the AGM-65G, which essentially has the same guidance system as the D, with some software modifications that track larger targets, coupled with a shaped-charge warhead. In the mid-1990s to early 2000s, there were several ideas of enhancing the Maverick's potential. Among them was a plan to incorporate active millimetre wave radars in to the Maverick, which can determine the exact shape of a target. Another study called "Longhorn Project" was conducted by Hughes, and later Raytheon following the absorption of Hughes into Raytheon, looked a Maverick version equipped with turbojet engines instead of rocket motors. The "Maverick ER", as it was dubbed, would have a "significant increase in range" compared to the Maverick's current range of 16 miles (25 km). The proposal was abandoned, but if the Maverick ER had entered production, it would have replaced the AGM-119B Penguin carried on the MH-60R. The most modern versions of the Maverick are the AGM-65H/K, which were in production as of The AGM-65H was developed by coupling the AGM-56B with a charge-coupled device (CCD) seeker optimised for desert operations and which has three times the range of the original TV-sensor; a parallel USN program aimed at rebuilding AGM-65Fs with newer CCD seekers resulted in the AGM-65J. The AGM-65K, meanwhile, was developed by replacing the AGM-65G's IR guidance system with an electro-optical television guidance system.

3 DESIGN The Maverick has a modular design construction, allowing different combination of the guidance package and warhead to be attached to the rocket motor section to produce a different weapon. It has long-chord delta wings and a cylindrical body, reminiscent of the AIM-4 Falcon and the AIM-54 Phoenix. Different models of the AGM-65 have used electro-optical, laser, and infra-red guidance systems. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads: one has a contact fuse in the nose; the other has a heavyweight warhead fitted with a delayed-action fuse, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before detonating. The latter is most effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-fuel rocket motor behind the warhead. The Maverick missile is unable to lock onto targets on its own; it has to be given input by the pilot or Weapon Systems Officer (WSO), after which it follows the path to the target autonomously, making it a fire and forget weapon. In an A-10C, for example, the video fed from the seeker head is relayed to either MFCD screen in the cockpit, where the pilot can check the locked target of the missile before launch. A crosshair on the head-up display is shifted by the pilot to set the approximate target location while the missile will then automatically recognise and lock on to the target, fine tuning of the aim and lock is then achieved by looking at the Maverick video shown on the cockpit displays. Once the missile is launched, it requires no further assistance from the launch vehicle and tracks its target automatically. This fire-and-forget property is not shared by the E version that uses semi-active laser homing.

4 AGM-65A: The basic model and uses an electro-optical television guidance system. The A model is retired from US armed forces service. AGM-65B: The B model is similar to the A model, although the B added optical zooming to lock onto small or distant targets. AGM-65C: The AGM-65C was to be a laserguided variant for the United States Marine Corps. It was cancelled before entering production; however its requirement was later met by the Maverick E. AGM-65D: The D model replaced the electro-optical guidance of the AGM-65B with an imaging infrared system which doubled practical firing distance and allowed for use at night and during bad weather. A reduced smoke rocket engine was also introduced in this model. The D model reached initial operation capability in AGM-65E: The AGM-65E uses a laser designator guidance system optimized for fortified installations and heavier penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead (300 pounds / 140 kilograms vs. 125 pounds / 57 kilograms in older models). The E model reached IOC in 1985 and is used mainly by USMC aircraft such as the AV-8B and F/A-18C. AGM-65F: The F model Maverick was designed especially for the US Navy and uses a modified Maverick D infrared guidance system optimized for tracking ships, fitted to an AGM-65E body and warhead. AGM-65G: The G model essentially has the same guidance system as the D with some software modification that enables the pilot to track larger targets using the force correlate mode. The G model's major difference is its heavier penetrator warhead taken from Maverick E. The AGM-65G completed tests in AGM-65H: The AGM-65H is an AGM-65B/D missile upgraded with a new charge-coupled device (CCD) seeker better suited for operations in desert environments. AGM-65J: The J model Maverick is a Navy AGM-65F missile upgraded with the new CCD seeker. However this conversion has not been confirmed and is not currently in service. AGM-65K: The K model is an AGM-65G upgraded with the same CCD seeker as the AGM-65H, at least 1200, but possibly up to 2500, AGM-65G rounds are planned for conversion to AGM-65K standard. AGM-65L: This model incorporates a laser-guided seeker and is an upgraded version of the AGM-65E. It completed testing in early 2012 and is intended to replace the AGM-65E which is no longer in production.

5 SPECIFICATION Primary Function: Air-to-surface guided missile Contractors: Hughes Aircraft/Raytheon. Power Plant: Thiokol TX-481 solid-propellant rocket motor Autopilot: Proportional Navigation Stabiliser: Wings/Flippers Propulsion: Boost Sustain AGM-65A/B AGM-65C AGM-65D Service: Air Force Navy Air Force Launch Weight: 462 lbs. (207.9 Kg.) 462 lbs. (207.9 Kg.) 485 lbs. / Kg Diameter: 12 /31 cm 12 /31 cm 12 /31 cm Wingspan: 28 /71 cm 28 /71 cm 28 /71 cm Range (ballistic): 12 Nm/27 Km 12 Nm/27 Km 12 Nm/27 Km Speed: Guidance System: Warhead: Electro-Optical Television LASER Imaging Infra-red Explosive: 86 lbs. Comp B 86 lbs. Comp B 86 lbs. Comp B Fuse: Contact Contact Contact AGM-65E AGM-65F AGM-65G Service: Navy Navy Air Force Launch Weight: 630 lbs. 286 Kg 485 lbs. / Kg 670 lbs. / Kg Diameter: 12 /31 cm 12 /31 cm 12 /31 cm Wingspan: 28 /71 cm 28 /71 cm 28 /71 cm Range (ballistic): 12 Nm/27 Km 12 Nm/27 Km 12 Nm/27 Km Speed: Guidance System: LASER Imaging Infra-red Imaging Infra-red Warhead: 300 lbs. / 135 Kg delayed penetrator Explosive: 80 lbs. PBX(AF) lbs. Comp B 80 lbs. PBX(AF)-108 Fuse: Contact Contact FMU- 135/B Delay

6 AGM-65H AGM-65J AGM-65K Service: Air Force Navy Air Force Launch Weight: 462 lbs. (207.9 Kg.) 485 lbs. / Kg 670 lbs. / Kg Diameter: 12 /31 cm 12 /31 cm 12 /31 cm Wingspan: 28 /71 cm 28 /71 cm 28 /71 cm Range (ballistic): 12 Nm/27 Km 12 Nm/27 Km 12 Nm/27 Km Speed: Guidance System: Charge Couple Device Charge Couple Device Charge Couple Device Warhead: 300 lbs. / 135 Kg delayed penetrator Explosive: 86 lbs. Comp B 86 lbs. Comp B 80 lbs. PBX(AF)-108 Fuse: Contact Contact FMU- 135/B Delay