AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile |
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Description
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-surface tactical missile designed for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities. |
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Features
The AGM-65F (infrared targeting optimized for ship tracking.) used on Navy P-3 aircraft, and the AGM-65E (laser guided) used on Marine Corps AV-8 aircraft have the larger (300 pound; 136 kg) penetrating warhead. The AGM-65A/B/D 125 pound (57 kg) shaped charge (electro-optical guided) is used by the Air Force F-16 and A-10 aircraft. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads, the anti-armor shaped charge with a point detonating base fuse and the other, a heavyweight warhead with a time-delayed fuse, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is very effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-rocket motor behind the warhead. |
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Background
More than 5,000 AGM-65 missiles were launched by Air Force F-16s and A-10s (mainly) and Marine Corps AV-8s during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Mavericks played a large part in the destruction of Iraq's significant military force. All variants have been used during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Global War on Terror.
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Service
Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force |
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Point Of Contact
Navy:
Program Executive Office, Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation [PEO (W)]
Public Affairs Office
Naval Air Station
Patuxent River, Maryland 20670-1547
(301) 757-7490
Marine Corps:
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
Division of Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20380-1775
(703) 614-1492
Air Force:
Air Combat Command
Public Affairs Office
90 Oak Street
Langley AFB, VA 23665-2191
(804) 764-5007 |
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General Characteristics
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| Primary Function: Air-to-surface guided missile; attack and destroy armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel installations. |
| Contractor: Raytheon Co. |
| Date Deployed: August 1972. |
| Unit Cost: $180,000. |
| Propulsion: Thiokol SR 109-TC-1 solid-propellant rocket motor; Thiokol SR 114-TC-1 (or Aerojet SR 115-AJ-1) solid-propellant rocket motor |
| Length: 98 inches |
| Diameter: 12 inches |
| Wingspan: 28 inches |
| Weight: 462 – 670 pounds, depending upon model |
| Speed: Supersonic |
| Range: 17 nautical miles |
| Guidance System: Electro-optical (TV) in A and B models; imaging infrared (IIR) in D, F and G models; laser guided in the E model. |
| Warhead: 300-pound penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead; 125-pound shaped-charge |
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| Last Update: 20 February 2009 |
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