AGM-65 Maverick (Missile)

The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities.

Specification

Type: Air-to-surface guided missile;
attack and destroy armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation,
and fuel installations
Manufacturer: Hughes Aircraft Corporation; Raytheon Corporation
Unit cost: Up to US$160,000
Weight: 208-302 kg
Length: 2.49 m
Diameter: 305 mm
Warhead: 57 kg hollow charge with contact fuze in A, B, D and H models;
135 kg high explosive penetrator with delayed fuze in E, F, G, J and K models
Engine: Thiokol TX-481 dual-thrust solid propellant rocket motor
Wingspan: 710 mm
Operational range: 27 km
Speed Mach: 0.93
Guidance system: Electro-optical in A, B, H, J and K models;
infrared imaging in D, F and G models;
laser guided in E models

The AGM-65F (infrared targeting) used by the US Navy has an infrared guidance system optimized for ship tracking and a larger penetrating warhead than the shaped charge used by the US Marine Corps and the US Air Force (136 kg vs 57 kg). The infrared TV camera enables the pilot to lock onto targets through light fog where the conventional TV seeker's view would be just as limited as the pilot's. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads; one has a contact fuze in the nose, and the other has a heavyweight warhead with a delayed fuze, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is most effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-fuel rocket motor behind the warhead.

The Maverick missile is unable to lock onto targets on its own; it has to be given input by the pilot or WSO. In an A-10, for example, the video feed from the seeker head is relayed to a screen in the cockpit, where the pilot can check the locked target of the missile before launch. A crosshair on the HUD is shifted by the pilot to set the approximate target while the missile will then automatically recognize and lock on to the target. Once the missile is launched, it requires no further assistance from the launch vehicle and tracks its target automatically. This makes it a Fire-and-forget weapon.

AGM-65 missiles were employed by F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 to attack armored targets. Mavericks played a large part in the destruction of Iraq's military force.