| | | Sea Skua | | Type | air-to-surface | | Nationality | United Kingdom | | Era | 1980-Present | | Launch platform | Helicopted launched | | Target | shipping | | History | | Builder | British Aerospace Dynamics (now MBDA) | | Date of design | | | Production period | | | Service duration | | | Operators | UK, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia | | Variants | ? | | Number built | ? | | Specifications | | Type | anti-shipping | | Diameter | 0.25 m | | Wing span | 0.72 m | | Length | 2.5 m | | Weight | 145 kg | | Propulsion | solid fuel booster and solid fuel sustainer | | Steering | control surfaces | | Guidance | semi-active radar | | Speed | Mach 0.8 + | | Range | 25 km | | Ceiling | ? | | Payload | | Warhead | 20 kg | | Trigger | Impact Fuze, delayed detonation. | The Sea Skua is a lightweight short range Air-to-Surface (ASM) missile designed for the helicopter launched anti-shipping role. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Lynx helicopter, although it can be ship launched and is in place as a shore battery in Kuwait. A weapons platform is generally any structure or system on which a weapon can be mounted. ...
A missile (CE pronunciation: ; AmE: ) is, in general, a projectile—that is, something thrown or otherwise propelled. ...
The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ...
The Westland Lynx is a helicopter designed by Westland and built at Westlands factory in Yeovil, first flying on 21 March 1971 as the Westland WG.13. ...
With a weight at launch of only 320 lb (145 kg), the Lynx can carry up to four missiles simultaneously. The missile flies at high subsonic speed over ranges of 15.5 miles (25 km). It can be set to travel at one of four pre-selected heights, depending on the surface conditions. Near the target the altitude is raised to target acquisition height. The Sea Skua has semi-active radar guidance; the launching helicopter illuminates the target with its radar (originally the specially developed Ferranti Seaspray in the case of the Lynx), and the missile's homing head homes in on the reflected energy. On impact it penetrates the hull of a ship before detonating the 44 lb (20 kg) blast/fragmentation warhead. The Sea Skua is judged capable of sinking ships of approximately 1,000 tons displacement with a single shot, and can disable much larger vessels.
As well as the United Kingdom, the Sea Skua has seen service with Germany, India and Turkey. It was launched 8 times during the Falkland War, but the missile was incapable of sinking the 800 tons patrol boat Alférez Sobral and could only destroy the wrecks of the Río Carcarañá and Río Iguazú. It was launched 12 times during the Gulf War, sometimes in appalling weather conditions, registering direct hits on every occasion.
See also
| British Missiles
Air-to-air
Fireflash | Firestreak | Red Top | Skyflash The Fairey Fireflash was the first British air-to-air missile. ...
Firestreak Type air-to-air Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform fixed wing aircraft Target aircraft History Builder Fairey Date of design ? Production period ? Service duration 1958 - 1988 Operators UK Variants ? Number built ? Specifications Type infra-red homing missile Diameter 0. ...
Hawker Siddeley Red Top missile mounted on a English Electric Lightning at the RAF Museum at Hendon, London. ...
UK medium-range semi-active radar guided air-to-air missile derived from the US AIM-7 Sparrow missile and carried by the Tornado F3 interceptor aircraft. ...
Air-to-surface
ALARM | Sea Eagle | Sea Skua For the British anti-radiation missile, see ALARM. For the Welsh alternative rock band, see The Alarm. ...
The BAe Sea Eagle Missile is a computer controlled, fire-and-forget, sea-skimming anti-ship missile. ...
Surface-to-air
Thunderbird | Bloodhound | Tigercat | Rapier Thunderbird Type Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform mobile Target high altitude bomber History Builder English Electric Date of design Production period Service duration 1959 - 1976 Operators British Army Variants Thunderbird II Number built Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
Bloodhound Mk 2 Type SAM Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform Fixed installation Target High altitude bomber History Builder Bristol Aeroplane Co. ...
Rapier Type surface to air Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform vehicle Target aircraft History Builder British Aerospace Date of design Production period Service duration Operators UK Variants ? Number built ? Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
Blowpipe | Javelin | Starburst | Starstreak Canadian 129th Anti-Aircraft Defense Battery missile team with Blowpipe during NATO exercise Cornet Phaser. ...
A triple Javelin missile launcher Javelin is a British man-portable surface-to-air missile, used by the British Army and Canadian Army. ...
Starburst Type short-range surface-to-air missile Nationality United Kingdom Era Launch platform Target History Builder Shorts Missile Systems (Thales Air Defence Limited) Date of design Production period Service duration 1990 Operators United Kingdom, Canada, Kuwait, Malaysia (504 missiles) Variants Number built 10,000 built by 1999 Specifications Type...
Starstreak HVM Type short-range surface-to-air missile Nationality UK Era Launch platform Target History Builder Thales Air Defence Limited Date of design Production period Service duration 1997 Operators Variants Number built 7,000 ordered Specifications Type Diameter 27 cm Wing span Length 1. ...
Sea Slug | Sea Cat | Sea Wolf | Sea Dart Sea Slug was a Royal Navy surface-to-air missile system built by Hawker Siddeley which came into service in the 1950s and was still in use at the time of the Falklands War. ...
Sea Cat Type surface-to-air Nationality United Kingdom Era Cold War Launch platform Ship Target aircraft History Builder Short Brothers Date of design Production period Service duration 1962 - Operators UK Variants Fire Control (see text) Number built Specifications Type close range anti-aircraft Diameter 0. ...
Sea Wolf Type surface-to-air Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform ship Target missile, aircraft History Builder BAe, MDBA Date of design Production period Service duration 1979 - Operators UK, Brazil and Chile Variants Electronics; GWS-25, GWS-26, GWS-27 Vertical Launch Number built Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
Sea Dart Type surface-to-air, surface-to-surface Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform ship Target aircraft or ship History Builder British Aerospace Date of design Production period Service duration 1973 Operators UK (Royal Navy), Argentina Variants ? Number built ? Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
Surface-to-surface
Swingfire | Malkara (UK/Australia) | Vigilant Swingfire Type Anti-tank Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform Vehicle Target Vehicle History Builder Date of design Production period Service duration Operators UK, Belgium, Kenya Variants none Number built Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
Malkara Type anti-tank guided missile Nationality UK/Australia Era Cold War Launch platform Vehicle Target AFV History Builder Date of design 1954 Production period Service duration 1958 to 1960s Operators UK Variants none Number built 1000 Specifications Type surface to surface Diameter 0. ...
The Vickers Vigilant was a British anti-tank missile used by the British Army. ...
Stategic and tactical nuclear
Blue Steel Blue Steel Type nuclear stand-off missile Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform Aircraft Target History Builder Avro Date of design Production period Service duration 1963-1969 Operators UK RAF Variants Number built Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
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