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Country: UK
Type: Point SAM
Introduction: 1971 |
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Rapier is a British point defence surface-to-air missile (SAM) developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and higher-altitude targets. As the expected air threat moved from medium-altitude strategic missions to low-altitude strikes, the fast reaction time and high maneuverability of the Rapier made it more formidable than either of these weapons, replacing most of them by 1977. It remains the primary air-defense weapon in British service after almost 35 years of service, and is expected to serve until 2020.
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| General Information |
| Developed by |
UK |
| Deployed by |
Australia, Brunei, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, Zambia |
| Development Year |
1983 |
| Deployment Year |
1994 |
| Platform |
Towed Rapier: A launcher mounted on 2-wheel, A-frame trailer (basic version) towed typically by 1-ton Land Rover. Tracked Rapier: Tracked Rapier Launch Vehicle, based on RCM748 Rapier 2000: 2-wheel trailer |
| Number manufactured |
25,900 (through 1998) |
| Contractor |
British Aerospace Defence Matra BAe Dynamics Ltd. |
| Dimensions and Performance |
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Length |
2.24m |
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Body Diameter |
13.3cm |
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Wing/Fin span |
38.1cm |
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Launch Weight |
42.6kg |
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Range |
500-6,500m |
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Speed |
Mach 2.0 |
| Components |
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Propulsion |
Solid propulsion |
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Warhead |
1.4kg HE semi-armor pircing(Mk2A), 1.4kg HE blast fragmentation effect(Mk2B) |
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Guidance |
Semiautomatic command to line of sight guidance
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