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Aviation History
1974
1974 - 0393.PDF
FLIGHT International, 14 March 1974 Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk (USA) Basic Hawk (MIM-23A) is being replaced by Improved Hawk (XMIM-23B) with the US Army in Europe, and the uprated version—with a new guidance unit, larger warhead, improved motor propellant and up-dated, semi-automatic ground support equipment—is to be supplied to France, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Italy and Greece under a recently signed S660 million contract. Basic Hawk was built for European customers by the Setel consortium—Telefunken (German), ACEC (Belgium), Thomson- Houston (France), Philips (Holland) and Finmeccanica (Italy)— and has been licence-built in Japan by Mitsubishi. Target information is supplied by two acquisition radars— pulse and continuous-wave, the latter to deal with low-altitude targets—whose antennas are synchronised in rotation so that data from both can be shown on a composite display. A separate range-only radar provides rapid range and range-rate information for the continuous-wave illuminator which acquires, tracks and illuminates the target. A self-propelled version is available, the equipment being mounted on XM727 vehicles. Operators US Army, US Marine Corps, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Israel, Spain, Japan, Saudi Arabia^ Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Iran, Thailand. General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar (USA) Tartar provides primary air defence for fairly small vessels and secondary defence for larger ships. Operators US Navy (one twin-launcher on each of three cruisers and 13 destroyers, two single launchers on each of two cruisers [planned], one single launcher on each of 21 destroyers), Royal Australian Navy (three destroyers), French Navy (four des troyers), German Navy (three destroyers), Italian Navy (two destroyers), Japanese Navy (one destroyer), Royal Netherlands Navy (two destroyers). General Dynamics MIM-43A Redeye (USA) Redeye is supplied in a sealed container which also acts as launch tube. On sighting a hostile aircraft the operator tracks it in an open sight, at the same time energising the infra-red seeker. A buzzer sounds when the weapon is ready to fire. On firing, the boost motor propels the missile from its tube, the sustainer igniting some 6m from the operator to protect him from exhaust blast. Deployment of Redeye with the US Army in Europe was com pleted in 1968; each armoured, infantry and artillery battalion has a Redeye section composed of one officer, a sergeant and four to six two-man teams. The missile, which is known by the Swedish Army as Rb69, is to be replaced by Stinger (see below). Shipboard use of both Redeye and Stinger is possible. Operators US Army, US Marine Corps, Swedish Army, German Army, Australian Army, Danish Army (uprated version also known as Hamlet). General Dynamics RIM-66/RIM-67 Standard (USA) Several versions of the Standard missile are in service or planned, and all are available in medium-range (RIM-66) and extended-range (RIM-67) variants. MR types are replacing Tartar (see above) in cruisers and destroyers, while ER models are superseding Terrier (see above) carried by frigates. Standard 1 (SM-1) has replaced early development models, having a better surface-to- surface ability than its predecessors. Standard 2 (SM-2) will replace SM-1 and equip Aegis ships, production being planned for FY75. See also Standard ARM (section 2) and Standard Active (section 3). Operators US Navy (76 ships), Spanish Navy. Philco-Ford MIM-72A Chaparral (USA) Chaparral is a modi fied Sidewinder 1C, four of which are mounted on the turret of an M730 (modified M548) self-propelled tracked vehicle. A gunner in the turret aims the missile by means of an optical sight. Chaparral equips the US Army's Air Defence Battalions, which also operate 20mm Vulcan cannons. Two Chaparral and two Vulcan firing batteries equip each battalion, a battery having 16 firing elements. Chaparral is likely to be superseded by Rapier, Roland or Crotale (see above). Operators US Army, US Marine Corps. Raytheon/Martin Orlando XMIM-104 SAM-D (USA) Being developed to replace both Nike Hercules and Hawk (see above), SAM-D is a mobile system consisting of phased-array radars and multiple launchers mounted on tracked vehicles. The missile is at the moment undergoing a 12-month second series of controlled test flights and is scheduled to enter service in the late 1970s. Recently the emphasis has shifted to a more "austere" system than that originally planned. Stinger, competing with Alternate Stinger in the US Army's Manpads competition, has an all-aspect infra-red seeker McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Spartan (USA) The long- range intercepter used in the Safeguard anti-ballistic-missile system. Under the terms of the Salt-1 agreement the USA is limited to two Safeguard sites and only one, protecting the Grand Forks AFB Minuteman field, has in fact been built. Operator US Army. Martin Orlando Sprint (USA) The short-range missile in Safeguard (see above). An uprated version, Sprint 2, is being developed for the Site Defence of Minuteman project, which will use cheaper and simpler radars than are now found in Safeguard. Operator US Army. General Dynamics XFIM-92A Stinger (USA) Being developed as a successor to Redeye (see above), Stinger is at the engineering- development stage and firings of guided test vehicles have recently begun at the White Sands Missile Range. The weapon, which is slightly longer than Redeye, has a new Atlantic Research dual-thrust motor and an all-aspect infra-red seeker to allow approaching and crossing targets to be attacked, and incorpo rates IFF equipment in the aiming unit. Like Redeye, it is shoulder-fired and its i-r seeker makes it a "launch-and-leave" weapon. Competition for the US Army's Manpads (Man-portable air-defence system) order comes from Alternate Stinger (see below). Philco-Ford Alternate Stinger (USA) Philco was awarded a 23-month US Army Missile Command contract in November 1973 to develop this competitor for Stinger (see above). The missile, 18 prototype and qualification rounds of which will be manufactured, is to have semi-active laser guidance rather than the infra-red homing of Stinger. SA-1 Guild (USSR) Superficially similar to Guideline (see below) but not nearly so widely deployed. Operator USSR.
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