Sparrow III Guided Missile
The AIM-7F/M missile (fig. 3-6) is a supersonic,
air-to-air DTRM, guided missile. It is designed to be
rail or ejection launched from an interceptor aircraft.
The missile's tactical mission is to intercept and destroy
enemy aircraft in all-weather environments. It is
designed to be launched from the F-14 and F/A-18
aircraft.
REVIEW NUMBER 2 ANSWERS
A1.
Guidance, control, armament, and pro-
pulsion are the major sections of guided
missiles.
A2.
The guidance section is considered the brains
of the missile.
A3.
The three types of homing systems are active,
semiactive, and passive homing.
A4.
If a missile gets its target illumination from
the launching aircraft, it is semiactive
homing.
A5.
The
armament
section
consists
of
the
payload, fuzing, safety and arming (S&A)
devices, and target-detecting devices (TDDs).
A6.
Safety and arming devices maintain the
explosive train of a fuzing system in a safe
condition until the acceleration requirement
is met after launch.
A7.
The two types of propulsion used with guided
missiles are atmospheric (air breathing) jet
and thermal jet.
A8.
The
atmosphere
jet
depends
on
the
atmosphere to supply the oxygen for proper
fuel burning, and the thermal jet contains its
own supply of oxygen and is independent
from the atmosphere.
The AIM-7F/M missile is a semiactive missile.
Missile guidance depends on RF energy radiated by the
launching aircraft and reflected by the target.
Excluding the radome, the missile body has four
sectional tubular shells that house the major functional
components. The four major functional components are
the target seeker, flight control, warhead, and rocket
motor. The overall length of the missile is
approximately 142 inches with a diameter of 8 inches.
It weighs approximately 510 pounds. The missile is
issued to the fleet as an all-up-round (AUR). The only
assembly required at fleet level is the installation of the
wing and fin assemblies, which are shipped in separate
shipping containers.
The radome is ceramic and forms the nosepiece of
the missile. It does not obstruct RF energy. It covers the
RF head assembly of the target seeker and provides
protection against environmental damage.
The target seeker receives and interprets the radar
energy reflected from the target. Then it produces
signals that are sent to the flight control section to direct
3-8
Figure 3-6.—AIM-7F/M Sparrow missile.
