Sea Slug was a Royal Navy surface-to-air missile system built by Hawker Siddeley, which came into service in the 1950s and was still in use at the time of the Falklands War.

The missile had four boosters which separated after launch, the main cordite motor then powered it to its target.

Control was by radar beam riding. All the missile handling system onboard was hydraulic and this made it very manpower intensive and demanding to maintain.

The Sea Slug has now passed out of commission by the Royal Navy.

Usage

Royal Navy

The County Class destroyers were specifically built to carry this weapon. The magazine was positioned amidships and missiles were assembled on a central gallery between the magazine and the launcher on the aft deck.

During the Falklands War these vessels launched Sea Slug missiles onto Port Stanley airfield, in addition to shelling it with their 4.5" guns.

Chilean Navy

A number of the County Class were sold to Chile, and their Sea Slug systems were not decomissioned until 2001.

Links