AGM-12 Bullpup

AGM-12 Bullpup
AGM-12D Bullpup B Missile at the Air Force Armament Museum
Type	Air to ground command guided missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	ASM-N-7 1959 - 1970s ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B 1965 - 1970s
Used by	United States, Australia, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Norway, China, Turkey, United Kingdom
Wars	Vietnam War
Production history
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin, W.L. Maxson
Produced	1959 - 1970
No. built	22,100 (total) 4,600 (AGM-12C) 840 (AGM-12E)
Variants	ASM-N-7, ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B, AGM-12C, GAM-83B/AGM-12D, AGM-12E
Specifications
Mass	1,785 pounds (810 kg) (AGM-12C)
Length	13.6 feet (4.1 m)
Diameter	18 inches (460 mm)
Wingspan	48 inches (1.2 m)
Warhead	Conventional high-explosive (ASM-N-7, ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B) Semi armor-piercing (AGM-12C) W45 Nuclear (GAM-83B/AGM-12D) Cluster munition (AGM-12E)
Warhead weight	250 pounds (110 kg) (ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B) 970 pounds (440 kg) (AGM-12C)
Engine	Rocket 30,000 pounds-force (130 kN)
Propellant	Storable, liquid-fuel
Operational range	10 nautical miles (12 mi; 19 km)
Maximum speed	approx. Mach 1.8
Guidance system	Line-of-sight radio command
Launch platform	FJ-4B, A-4D, F-4, F-105, Draken

The AGM-12 Bullpup is an air-to-ground missile which was used on the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom among others. It has been superseded by more advanced armaments, notably the AGM-62 Walleye and AGM-65 Maverick.

Design

The Bullpup was the first mass-produced air-surface command guided missile, first deployed by the United States Navy in 1959 as the ASM-N-7 until it was redesignated AGM-12B in 1962. It was developed as a result of experiences in the Korean War where US airpower had great difficulty in destroying targets which required precise aiming and were often heavily defended, such as bridges.

Although they could hit targets fairly accurately, pilots found that the warhead of the AGM-12 was not very effective against the massive concrete structures of large bridges in North Vietnam. However, in at least one specific instance, the Bullpup proved its value when a pilot guided one into the cave entrance of a large ammo storage facility dug into a mountain. Previous attacks with conventional, unguided ("dumb") bombs had been ineffective against the mountain surface, but when the Bullpup missile entered the cave and detonated, it set off a huge secondary explosion of the stored ammo.

Operation

The Bullpup had a Manual Command Line Of Sight guidance system with roll-stabilization. In flight the pilot or weapons operator tracked the Bullpup by using a flare on the back of the missile and used a control joystick to steer it toward the target using radio signals. It was initially powered by a solid fuel rocket motor, and carried a 250 lb (110 kg) warhead.

After launching the Bullpup, best accuracy was maintained by continuing to fly the same track, so that the pilot could sight down the smoke trail and steer the missile from directly behind as much as possible. Unfortunately, one problem quickly discovered by pilots in Vietnam was that gunners on the ground could simply fire at the smoke trail of the missile's flare and have a fairly good chance of hitting the aircraft that had launched--and was still guiding--the missile. Thus, to try to protect their own aircraft, the pilot would "jig" slightly off of the missile's path and hopefully avoid anti-aircraft fire.

Variants

Later versions of the missile included upgrades such as a larger 1000 lb (450 kg) warhead, improved rocket motors, and improved guidance, and in one late version, the ability to carry a nuclear warhead.

The weapon was phased out of US service in the 1970s but was still used by other countries much later. Some militaries currently still use some as inert practice weapons.

Operators

• United States: United States Air Force and United States Navy
• Australia: Royal Australian Air Force
• Denmark: Royal Danish Air Force
• Greece: Hellenic Air Force
• Israel: Israel Defense Forces
• Norway: Royal Norwegian Air Force
• Republic of China: Republic of China Air Force
• Turkey: Turkish Air Force
• United Kingdom: Royal Air Force and Royal Navy

Survivors

AGM-12C at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

U.S. Navy A-4E of VA-164 from USS Oriskany (CVA-34) over North Vietnam in November 1967. Bullpup missile is clearly visible

Below is a list of museums which have a Bullpup missile in their collection:

• Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
• Sola Aviation Museum, Stavanger, Norway
• National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum, South Carolina
• Point Mugu Missile Park, Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California

See also

• Kh-23 (AS-7 'Kerry') - a Soviet command-guided missile inspired by the Bullpup
• AS-20 - similar French missile developed in the late 1950s
• AJ 168 Martel missile - contemporary Anglo-French missile with TV guidance
• Martin Pescador MP-1000 - an Argentinian guided missile with similar guidance system

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of missiles by nation

External links

• Designation Systems.Net website
• Federation of American Scientists webpage