Sea Wolf (missile)

Sea Wolf
Type 23 frigate HMS Portland fires a vertical-launch Sea Wolf.
TypeSurface-to-air
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In serviceSince 1979
Used bySee operators
WarsFalklands War, Gulf War
Production history
DesignerBritish Aircraft Corporation
Designed1967
ManufacturerBritish Aircraft Corporation (1967–1977)
BAe Dynamics (1977–1999)
MBDA UK (since 1999)
Produced1979
VariantsElectronics;
GWS-25, GWS-26, GWS-27
Vertical Launch
Specifications
Mass82 kg (180.8 lb)
Length1.9 m (6 ft 2.8 in)
Diameter180 mm (7.1 in)
Wingspan450 mm (17.7 in)
Warhead14 kg (30.9 lb) HE blast-fragmentation
Detonation
mechanism
Direct contact/proximity fuze activated

EngineBlackcap solid fuel sustainer
Operational
range
1–10 km (0.5–5.4 nmi),[1] VLS
Flight ceiling3,000 m (9,842.5 ft)
Maximum speed Mach 3 (3,700 km/h; 2,300 mph)
Guidance
system
Automatic Command to Line-Of-Sight (ACLOS)
Steering
system
Control surfaces
Launch
platform
Ship

Sea Wolf is a naval surface-to-air missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace (BAe) Dynamics, and now MBDA. It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a short-range defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The Royal Navy has fielded two versions, the GWS-25 Conventionally Launched Sea Wolf (CLSW) and the GWS-26 Vertically Launched Sea Wolf (VLSW) forms. In Royal Navy service Sea Wolf is being replaced by Sea Ceptor.

  1. ^ "Sea Wolf : Weapon Systems : Surface Fleet : Operations and Support : Royal Navy". Archived from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2009.