Seasparrow Missile (RIM-7) |
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Description
The Seasparrow RIM-7 Missile is a radar-guided, surface-to-air missile based on the Navy and Marine Corps AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile. The Seasparrow has a cylindrical body with four mid-body wings and four tail fins. The U.S. Navy employs the RIM-7 Missile aboard three ship classes using the MK 57 NSSMS and MK 20 GMLS (CVN, LHA, and LHD).
Seasparrow is short-range, semi-active homing missile that makes flight corrections via radar uplinks. The missile provides reliable ship self-defense capability against a variety of air and surface threats, including high-speed, low-altitude anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs). It is widely deployed by U.S., NATO, and other international partner navies.
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Background
Originally developed as an air-to-air missile by Sperry and the U.S. Navy, Seasparrow’s later versions were developed and produced by Raytheon Company and General Dynamics. The surface-to-air capability was developed in the early 1970s to provide self-defense capability for U.S. and other NATO surface combatants. Seasparrow is launched from the Mk 29 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) trainable configuration by the U.S. Navy and in both the Mk 29 and Mk 48 Guided Missile Vertical Launching System (GMLS) configurations used by NATO and several other Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
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Service
Navy and Marine Corps |
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Point Of Contact
Office of Corporate Communication
Naval Sea Systems Command
Washington, D.C. 20376
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General Characteristics
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| Primary Function: Surface-to-air, radar-guided missile. |
| Contractor: Raytheon Missile Systems and General Dynamics. |
| Date Deployed: 1976. |
| Unit Cost: $165,400. |
| Propulsion: Alliant TechSystems (Hercules) MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor. |
| Length: 12 feet (3.64 meters). |
| Diameter: 8 inches (20.3 cm). |
| Wingspan: 3 feet 4 inches (one meter). |
| Weight: Launch weight is approximately 500 pounds (225 kg) |
| Speed: Classified. |
| Range: Classified. |
| Guidance System: Raytheon semi-active on continuous wave or pulsed Doppler radar energy. |
Platforms: Navy Aircraft: F/A-18;
Navy Surface Platforms: CVN, LHAs, and LHD
Marine Corps Aircraft: F/A-18. |
| Warhead: Annular blast fragmentation warhead, 90 pounds (40.5 kg). |
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| Last Update: 19 October 2012 |
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