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RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
Raytheon · Surface-to-Air · USA · Cold War (1970–1991)
The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a U.S. ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. The system was developed in the early 1960s from the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile as a lightweight "point-defense" weapon that could be retrofitted to existing ships as quickly as possible, often in place of existing gun-based anti-aircraft weapons. In this incarnation, it was a very simple system guided by a manually aimed radar illuminator.
Specifications
- Category
- Missiles
- Sub-Category
- SAM
- Domain
- Defence
- Era
- Cold War (1970–1991)
- Country
- USA
- Manufacturer
- Raytheon
- Operator
- USA/NATO
- Primary Role
- Surface-to-Air
- Status
- In Service
- Service Entry
- 1976
- Produced
- 10000
- Unit Cost (2026$)
- $400K
- Propulsion
- Rocket
- Engine
- Hercules MK 58 solid-fuel rocket
- Thrust / Power
- None (rocket)
- Launch
- Sea-launched
- Length (ft)
- 12
- Wingspan (ft)
- 3.3
- Empty Weight (lb)
- 200
- MTOW (lb)
- 510
- Payload (lb)
- 88
- Endurance (hr)
- 0.01
- Service Ceiling (ft)
- 50000
- Range (mi)
- 10
- Max Speed (mph)
- 1918
- Max Speed (Mach)
- 2.5
- Armament
- Continuous rod