Talk:AIM-7 Sparrow

Untitled
"The warhead is of the continuous-rod type." can someone explain what this means? -- Cabalamat 18:23, 11 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Continuous-rod warhead --Dual Freq 18:33, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

Added more info on various foreign copies of AIM-7 -- Adeptitus 19:57, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

AIM-7 First Flight
Does anybody have the dates when the first AIM-7 was released, and the date when it made it's first powered flight? AVKent882 (talk) 02:53, 7 November 2009 (UTC) Dates. And end of life/ service. I expect within United States Military it is already out of service (replaced by AIM-120 AMRAAM), but a date would be nice. Similiar dates for some of the foreign users (not necessarily included them for their variants. Wfoj2 (talk) 01:14, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

Selenia Aspide
Despite what usually written in foreign press, and despite the manifest similarity, Selenia Aspide was not a version of AIM-7 (at least on board)... So I moved it to separate page. --Attilios 09:35, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Split Sea Sparrow
Any opinions on replacing the Sea Sparrow or RIM-7 Sea Sparrow redirects with portions of this article that pertain to Sea Sparrow? Certainly seems to be enough for a separate article. --Dual Freq 02:01, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Over 100 articles already point to Sea Sparrow, so that might be the best name to use, though not really the formal name --Dual Freq 02:31, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparow Missile (ESSM) isn't the same missile as the RIM-7. It is now VLS ready as deployed in the new DDG 51 flight II ships Navarch 14:51, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Seems enough time has passed for objections. The propossal makes sense. I have been bold and went ahead and did it.--Cerejota 10:25, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Fox 1
I removed the line saying, "Its radio abbreviation is 'Fox One'". That made it sound like "Fox 1" meant Sparrow, when it really means any U.S. or NATO semi-active radar-guided missile. I wouldn't mind seeing an explanation of 'Fox 1' included, but think it should be worded better that what was there. Steve8675309 03:17, 28 January 2007 (UTC) Also see Weapon Fix Firing Codes - Extract US DoD Document, unclassified. Perhaps see how the AMRAAM page cover this. That page's wording same concept is probably better. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wfoj2 (talk • contribs) 21:23, 21 March 2013 (UTC)

Non-Standard?
I would appreciate a new paragraph in the article to explain how Sea Sparrow differs from the "SM Standard-1/-2/-3" missiles and why americans have two different naval SAM systems for the same purpose? Standard missiles look like way superior in all aspects compared to the Sea Sparrow. Is it a price issue, SM-2 costing too much? 82.131.210.162 12:04, 13 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I would disagree with "same purpose" point, they are very different weapons. Sea Sparrow is a 231 kg (510 lb), short ranged missile, with a 10 nmi range. SM-1's (RIM-66) weigh 621 kg (1370 lb) and even the RIM-66B has a range of 25 nmi and the RIM-67C SM-2ER from the 1980s have a range of 100 nmi. The missiles perform different functions and are used on different platforms. NATO Sea Sparrow is used as one of the last layers in air defense, SM-2 etc are first or second depending on if you count combat air patrol aircraft. Asking why there are two would be like asking why the army has Stinger missiles and Patriot missiles. --Dual Freq 22:48, 13 March 2007 (UTC)


 * SM-2 requires complex weapon systems that basically require the ship to be constructed as a dedicated missile carrier, see Aegis Combat System. Sea Sparrow requires a lot less equipment and a smaller amount of space on the ships. That's why it was deployed on Aircraft carriers, supply ships, smaller frigates and other ships not designed for air defense purposes. It's kind of a better than nothing, but longer ranged than the point defenses like Phalanx CIWS system. A paragraph might not cover all of it, but its basically because different missiles are more cost effective and more appropriate for different situations and different ships. There's also Rolling Airframe Missile and Evolved Sea Sparrow missile that fill other gaps in air defense. Other countries have similar layers of missile defense, the UK has Sea Wolf missile and Sea Dart missile, France has Standard Missile and Crotale missile just to name a few others. --Dual Freq 22:48, 13 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Thanks, that says it all! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.131.210.162 (talk) 14:03, 21 March 2007 (UTC).


 * I will add some more. Originally Sparrow was a launcher (8 missiles)- 100% above deck, and perhaps NO magazine (spare),pretty easy to add if adequate free deck space, then the wiring of it. Some ship had this easily added after being built (for Example Knox class frigates). The SMs/Standard have a larger capacity magazine and require a fair amount of internal volume for the magazine, then the launcher directly above. It has some consideration of also being a point/self defense weapon, instead of a area defense weapon. For range consideration. most guided weapons will allow aircraft to launch weapon from outside the range of the Sea Sparrow. Wfoj2 (talk) 21:36, 21 March 2013 (UTC)

Chinese "copies"
I've removed the section on the PL-4 (unsourced) and PL-11 (some sources). As these are at best unlicensed copies, which I doupt the PRC admits, they are prabably better covered on their own page, with proper sources. - BillCJ (talk) 18:17, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

The People's Republic of China developed two versions of AIM-7 Sparrow missiles of their own in its Pi Li (Pili) series (meaning Thunderbolt, and PL for short): PL-4 and PL-11.

In the early 1970's, China begun to reverse engineer AIM-7C missiles obtained from downed US aircraft during Vietnam War. The resulting Chinese version was PL-4 series. Chinese followed the Soviet practice in the development of AA-2: developing both radar and infrared guided versions based on the same airframe. The radar guided version PL-4A was completed first and proved to be disappointing: less than 10% of kill probability. The IR guided version PL-4B completed later was equally disappointing: the large airframe of the missile was not fit for close quarter dogfights and the missile could not be used for head-on attacks at long range. As a result, both versions were quickly withdrawn from service only after a brief period of evaluation.
 * PL-4

In the mid 1980s, China imported a small batch of the Aspide Mk.1 from Italy, then signed an agreement with Alenia to produce the missile locally under license. In 1989, China produced its first batch of Aspide Mk.1 missiles using imported parts from Italy. However, due to the EU arms embargo imposed after the June 1989 Tienanmen Square incident, China was unable to purchase additional Aspide kits.
 * PL-11

In the early 1990s, the Shanghai 2nd Mechanical-Electronics Bureau was tasked to produce a better medium-range AAM. They succeeded by merging the domestic HQ-61C missile with the Aspide's mono-pulse semi-active radar-homing seeker. The new missile was given the designation Pi Li-11 (Pili-11), or PL-11 for short. Some western observers mistakenly confuse the PL-10, which is based on the older HQ-61 technology.

Known versions of the PL-11 include:


 * PL-11 - MRAAM based on HQ-61C & Aspide (AIM-7M) technology. First tested from a J-8B fighter in 1992, limited service in mid-1990s for testing and evaluation.  Promoted for export as the FD-60.


 * PL-11A - Improved PL-11 with better range, warhead, and seeker. The new seeker only requires fire-control radar guidance during the terminal stage.


 * PL-11B - Also known as PL-11 AMR, improved PL-11 with AMR-1 active radar-homing seeker developed by the 607 Institute. Did not enter service as PLAAF opted for other missiles (PL-12/SD-10).


 * LY-60 - "Chinese Sea Sparrow", PL-11 adopted for navy ships for air-defense. Sold to Pakistan but did not enter service with the PLAN.  VLS-launch version is rumored to be under development.
 * - BillCJ (talk) 18:21, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

Should find a new picture
The current main picture has this F-15 taking up most of the space and a tiny little AIM-7 Sparrow below it. Someone should find one that has more missile and less airplane Masterblooregard (talk) 21:30, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

Sparrow contrast with AMRAAM
It would be hard to find and keep current, but should consider fact Sparrow is past its prime, at what point in time do different users discontinue using (retire) Sparrow, being replaced by AMRAAM or other options. Wfoj2 (talk) 21:37, 21 March 2013 (UTC)

AIM-101 designation
Regarding the AIM-101 designation, it's a bit odd that it doesn't exactly fit in the 1955-1961 designation system for USAF guided missiles because other US air-to-air missiles were designated with the prefix GAR in the 1955-1963 timeframe. However, AIM-101 may actually belong in the 1961-1963 designation system (see http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/old-missiles.html#_USAF_1961 for more info) because the interim 1961 USAF designation system for missiles utilized a three-letter prefix (launch environment, mission, and vehicle type). 68.4.28.33 (talk) 16:24, 14 April 2013 (UTC)Vahe Demirjian

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Why do they use "speed (kmph) and "range" (km) as metrics for measuring a missiles performance, they seem like irrelavent or metrics, especially when they change depending on the launch platform is also moving, maneuvering targets etc. I think we should just put kinetic energy, deltaV (if we can get it) and drag coefficent or something.

173.230.79.158 (talk) 04:04, 1 February 2019 (UTC)

Possible use by Ukraine?
The AIM-7 (variant unknown) is reported to be part of the latest US military aid package to Ukraine https://www.voanews.com/a/us-providing-300-million-in-more-aid-for-ukraine/7115470.html 82.48.64.115 (talk) 20:39, 30 May 2023 (UTC)