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Categories: Air-to-surface missiles | Anti-radiation missiles | American Cold War weapons | Modern American weapons
AGM-122 Sidearm
The AGM-122 Sidearm is a U.S. anti-radiation missile.
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Development
The AGM-122 Sidearm was produced by the remanufacture of AIM-9C missiles which had been taken out of service. The AIM-9C was a semi-active radar homing variant of the Sidewinder, developed for the US Navy's F-8 Crusader, but used for only a limited period of time. Sidearm was first tested in 1981. In 1984 Motorola was issued a contract to convert and upgrade AIM-9Cs to AGM-122A standard. A total of about 700 was produced between 1986 and 1990.
Existing stocks of Sidearm have been depleted, and the missile is no longer in service. Proposals for new-build missiles, under the designation AGM-122B, have not been proceeded with to date.
The AGM-122 was less capable than newer ARMs like AGM-88 HARM, but also substantially cheaper, and its lighter weight enabled it to be carried by combat helicopters as well as fighter aircraft and fighter bombers.
Launch vehicles
Specifications
- Length: 2.87 m (113 in)
- Finspan: 0.63 m (24.8 in)
- Diameter: 12.7 cm (5 in)
- Weight: 88 kg (195 lb)
- Guidance: Broad-band passive radar seeker.
- Warhead: 11 kg (25 lb) WDU-31/B blast-fragmentation.
- Propulsion: Hercules MK 36 MOD 11 solid-fuel rocket.
- Speed: Mach 2.3
- Range: 16.5 km (18,000 yd)
See also
External links
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