RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
Contents
History
The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile was developed in the early 1960's as an lightweight point defence missile that could be fitted on new and existing ships both. It originally used the then current AIM-7E missile and an adapted form of the ASROC launcher (the Mk 25 GMLS) in the BPDMS system. This resulted in the RIM-7E Sea Sparrow. This setup was tested in 1967 and operational in 1968. The installation was considered somewhat too large for use on all ships, so more development was required. While the Sea Sparrow development followed the same improvements as the AIM-7, an reform was required.
This was found in the development of NATO Sea Sparrow, resulting in the IBPDMS system using the Mk 29 GMLS and the RIM-7H missile. The RIM-7H had folding wings, so could be fitted in the new smaller launcher, and had an modified seeker that worked to work with a variety of guidance radars, including those being used by other NATO navies. Production began in 1973.
in 1983 the further improved RIM-7M entered operational service. The M included a new monopulse radar seeker that allowed it to be shot downward from a higher-altitude aircraft at a target otherwise masked by the ground. The new model also included a completely computerized guidance system that could be updated in the field, as well as further reducing weight for yet another warhead upgrade. The computerized guidance system also included a simple autopilot that allowed the missile to continue flying toward the last known target location even with the loss of a signal, allowing the launch platform to break lock for short periods while the missile was in flight. All of these modifications also improved performance against low-altitude sea-skimming targets as well.
A final upgrade to the Sparrow was the AIM-7P, which replaced the M's guidance system with an improved model that allowed mid-course upgrades to be sent from the launching platform via new rear-mounted antennas. For air-to-air use this allowed the missile to be "lofted" above the target and then be directed down towards it as it approached; this gives the missile greater range as it spends more time in thinner high-altitude air. In naval use, this meant it could also be directly guided against small surface targets that would otherwise not show up well on radar, allowing the ship's more powerful search radars to provide guidance until the missile approached the target and the reflected signal grew stronger. This also gave the Sea Sparrow a very useful secondary anti-shipping role that allows it to attack smaller boats.
After the USAF moved away from the Sparrow in 1996, the naval version would no longer get advantages from the connections with the air force version. because of that, the RIM-7R ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile) was proposed, which optimised the missile for naval use only. This variant would be so different, it got an new designation, RIM-162 ESSM
Used on
RIM-7 E - H ships
- Knox class
- Midway class
- Blue Ridge class
- Tarawa class
- Iwo Jima class
- Shirane class
- Iroquis class
RIM-7M + ships
- CVN-65 Enterprise
- CV-67 John F. Kennedy
- Kitty Hawk class
- Nimitz class
- Ford class
- Spruance class
- Wasp class
- America class
- Bremen class
- Wielingen class
- Kortenaer class
- Tromp class
- Elli class
- Niels Juel class
....
RIM-7 VL ships
- Karel Doorman class
- Halifax class
- Murasame class
- KDX-1 class
- Hydra class
- Niels Juel class
- Iver Huitfeldt class
- Absalon class
- Flyvefisken
Affiliated systems
- Mk 25 GMLS
- Canadian Sea Sparrow launch system
- Mk 29 GMLS
- Mk 48 VLS
- Mk 41 VLS
- BPDMS
- IBPDMS
- Mk 91 FCS
- Mk 95 director
- Mk 115 director
...
