AGM-65 Maverick

AGM-65 Maverick
TypeAir-to-surface missile
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service30 August 1972 – present[1]
Used by>30 countries
Wars
Production history
ManufacturerRaytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon
Unit costUS$17,000 to $110,000, depending on variant[1]
No. built>70,000
Specifications
Mass463–670 lb (210–304 kg)[2]
Length249 cm (8 ft 2 in)[2]
Diameter12 in (30 cm)[2]
Wingspan2.33 ft (710 mm)[1]
Warhead
  • 126 lb (57 kg) WDU-20/B shaped-charge (A/B/C/D/H models)
  • 300 lb (140 kg) WDU-24/B penetrating blast-fragmentation (E/F/G/J/K models)
  • E models utilize FMU-135/B delayed impact fuze[2]

Engine
PropellantSolid propellant[1]
Operational
range
Greater than 22 km (12 nmi)[3]
Maximum speed 1,150 km/h (620 kn)[3]
Guidance
system

The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world,[4] and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities.

Development began in 1966 at Hughes Aircraft Company as the first missile to use an electronic contrast seeker. It entered service with the United States Air Force in August 1972. Since then, it has been exported to more than 30 countries and is certified on 25 aircraft.[5] The Maverick served during the Vietnam, Yom Kippur, Iran–Iraq, and Persian Gulf Wars, along with other smaller conflicts, destroying enemy forces and installations with varying degrees of success.

Since its introduction into service, numerous Maverick versions had been designed and produced using electro-optical, laser, and imaging infrared guidance systems. The AGM-65 has two types of warhead: one has a contact fuze in the nose, the other has a heavyweight warhead fitted with a delayed-action fuze, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before detonating. The missile is currently produced by Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

The Maverick shares the same configuration as Hughes' AIM-4 Falcon and AIM-54 Phoenix, and measures more than 7.9 ft (2.4 m) in length and 12 in (30 cm) in diameter.

  1. ^ a b c d e "AGM-65 Maverick". United States Air Force. 16 November 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Raytheon (Hughes) AGM-65 Maverick". DesignationSystems.net. 7 April 2005. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b Bonds & Miller 2002, p. 230
  4. ^ "AGM-65 Maverick" (PDF). Raytheon. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  5. ^ "AGM-65 Maverick" (PDF). Raytheon. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2011.