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Country: USA
Type: ARM
Introduction: 1965 |
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AGM-45 Shrike is an American anti-radiation missile (ARM) designed to home in on hostile radar systems. The Shrike was developed by the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake in 1963 by mating a seeker head to the rocket body of an AIM-7 Sparrow. It was phased out of American service in 1992.
The Shrike was first employed during the Vietnam War by the Navy in 1965 using A-4 aircraft. The Air Force adopted the weapon the following year using F-105F and G Thunderchief Wild Weasel SEAD aircraft, and later the F-4 Phantom II in the same role. The range was nominally shorter than the SA-2 Guideline missiles the system was used against although it was a great improvement over the early method of attacking SAM sites with rockets and bombs.
Although the Shrike missile did not enter regular service with the United Kingdom, it was supplied to the RAF for use in the Falklands War of 1982. The Israel Defense Forces developed a version of the Shrike that could be ground-launched and mounted it on an M4 Sherman chassis as the Kilshon.
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| General Information |
| Developed by |
USA |
| Deployed by |
Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, UK, USA, Venezuela |
| Development Year |
1961 |
| Deployment Year |
1965 |
| Platform |
F-105 Thundrechief, F-4 Phantom, F-16 Fighting Falcon, Kfir, A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair, Bulcan B-2 |
| Number manufactured |
13,000 |
| Contractor |
Texas Instruments and Unisys |
| Dimensions and Performance |
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Length |
3.05m |
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Body Diameter |
20.3cm |
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Wing/Fin span |
91cm |
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Launch Weight |
177kg |
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Range |
12km |
| Components |
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Propulsion |
solid propellant |
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Warhead |
66kg HE fragmentation effect |
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Guidance |
passive radar
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