AGM-65 Maverick

Mission

The AGM-65 Maverick is a tactical, air-to-surface guided missile designed for close air support, interdiction and defense suppression mission. It provides stand-off capability and high probability of strike against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, transportation equipment and fuel storage facilities.

Photo: Hughes

Features

The Maverick has a cylindrical body, and either a rounded glass nose for electro-optical
imaging, or a zinc sulfide nose for imaging infrared. It has four long-chord delta wings and four tail control surfaces mounted close to the trailing edge located immediately behind the wings. The warhead is in the missile's center section. A cone-shaped warhead, one of two types carried by the Maverick missile, is fired by a contact fuse in the nose. The other is a delayed-fuse penetrator, a heavyweight warhead that penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is very effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-rocket motor behind the warhead.

The AGM-65 can be carried by the F-16. Since as many as six Mavericks can be carried by an aircraft, the pilot can engage several targets on one mission. The missile also has "launch-and-leave" capability that enables a pilot to fire it and immediately take evasive action or attack another target as the missile guides itself to the target. Mavericks can be launched from high altitudes to tree-top level and can hit targets ranging from a distance of a few thousand feet to 13 nm at medium altitude.

Versions

Maverick A and B models have a relatively simple electro-optical television
guidance system, with the seeker logic being able to distinguish on contrast. After the protective dome cover is automatically removed from the nose of the missile and its video circuitry activated, the scene viewed by the guidance system appears on a cockpit television screen. The optical seeker of the AGM-65A covers a 5° cone in front of the missile — roughly the equivalent of a 200mm lens on a standard 35mm camera. The pilot selects the target, centers cross hairs on it, locks on, then launches the missile. Less-than-perfect visibility or over water glint can cause the A-model to break its lock.

The standard AGM-65A has a 59kg (130lb) warhead.

Although the Maverick B is similar to the A model, the television guidance system has a screen magnification capability — 2.5° cone, equivalent to a 400mm lens on a 35mm camera — that enables the pilot to identify to search for the target with the seeker of the missile and detect it at greater ranges than with the Mark 1 eyeball. The B also has a stronger gimbal mount.

The AGM-65C Laser Maverick was specifically designed for use in the Close Air Support Role against laser-designated targets. The laser designators are either land- or airborne, for example: the infantry ILS-NT200, the airborne Pave Knife, Pave Penny, Pave Spike, Pave Tack or other non-US systems such as the French Atlis-pod used on Pakistani F-16s. By using different illuminating frequencies for different targets, it is possible to ripple-fire multiple missiles at multiple targets.

The Maverick D has a Hughes tri-service IIR (Imaging Infra Red) guidance system, operated much like that of the A and B models, except that infrared video overcomes the daylight-only, adverse weather limitations of the other systems. The seeker head can be slaved to an aircraft-mounted FLIR sensor or a laser pod. It enables the Maverick to lock on at at least twice the range otherwise possible in north-west Europe in adverse weather, since IR wavelengths are less attenuated in clear air.

On the C/D a heavier 113kg (250lb) Mk.19 blast/fragmentation warhead can be fitted models for use against small ships or hard land targets. The Mk.19 warhead required a 102mm (4in) increase in length.

The AGM-65E uses a seeker that tracks laser energy reflected off a target from a laser designating device either from the air or from the ground.

The AGM-65F user an infra-red seeker with ship recognition algorithms and a larger warhead. It has modified guidance software for optimum homing capabilities against seaborne targets.

The Maverick G model essentially has the same guidance system as the D, with some software modifications that track larger targets. The G model's major difference is its heavyweight 136kg (300lb) penetrator warhead, while Maverick A, B and D models employ the shaped-charge warhead.

The H is equipped with improved TV seeker with replacement CCD camera, 2.5 and 1.25 deg field of view,synergistic tracking, haze penetration lens and improved slave & boresight.

Background

Production started in June 1968 by Honeywell after competition with Rockwell and first unguided flight tests began in 1969. The US Air Force accepted the first AGM-65A Maverick in August 1972.

From October 1985 until February 1986 the RNLAF F-16 Test Group (F-16 Testgroep) tested the AGM-65D missile at Volkel Air Base. In total, 84 missions were flown with the D model. Earlier, the RNLAF rejected the AGM-65B TV guided missile, because of the operational limitations, though more than 30,000 B models have been built. The AGM-65B requires daylight and good visibility.

Another issue with Mavericks in common is that it actually requires a two-crew concept in order to use the missile effectively -- one pilot and one operator.

Although the RNLAF first rejected the AGM-65 missile, a contract was signed on April 16, 1997, for the delivery of the AGM-65G.

Combat Use

The first AGM-65 missiles were fired during Vietnam by the US Air Force. More recently, the missile was also used on a fairly large scale by allied forces in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm.

In 1997, the RNLAF awarded Hughes Missile Systems Company a contract for 36 AGM-65G missiles. During operations over former Yugoslavia, the RNLAF detachment in Italy leased AGM-65D missiles from the USAF, pending delivery of the AGM-65G. On April 4, 1999, the AGM-65G was used in attacks on targets on the ground. It was the first time this missile was used by the RNLAF in a combat situation.

AGM-65 Data

Two warheads are available for the Maverick. The A, B and D versions use a 125 pound warhead with a forward firing conical-shaped charge for high armor penetrations. The E, F and G Maverick employ a 300 pound penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead which was developed for maximum effectiveness against a broad spectrum of reinforced targets. Selectable fuzing gives the aircrew the option of detonating the warhead on impact or after penetration.