AGM-142 Have Nap

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The AGM-142 Have Nap is a missile developed in Israel and the United States.

This article or section needs to be updated.
Parts of this article or section have been identified as no longer being up to date.
Please update the article to reflect recent events, and remove this template when finished.

1 Overview
2 Specifications
3 External links
4 See also

[edit] Overview

The Have Nap was a development of the Israeli Popeye missile, the AGM-142 is a joint project between Lockheed Martin and the Israeli company Rafael. The weapon is designed for precision attack against large targets from stand off ranges. The missile is powered by a single stage solid rocket. An inertial guidance system pilots the missile towards the target; for terminal homing the pilot can control the missile directly via an INS and data link, aiming via either a television or imaging infrared seeker depending on the missile model. It is not necessary for the launching aircraft to direct the missile - control can be passed to another platform whilst the firing aircraft escapes the area. There are two choices of warhead, a 340 kg (750 lb) blast/fragmentation or 360 kg (800 lb) penetrator.

The AGM-142 is compatible with a variety of aircraft. In US use, the AGM-142 is intended primarily to equip the B-52H, allowing it to attack fixed targets of high value at sufficient range to provide protection from defences. The missile represented the first precision guided munition to be carried by the B-52H.

Have Nap was available during the Operation Desert Storm, but was not used. There was some speculation that the political considerations of using an Israeli-designed missile against an Arab country prevented the deployment of the missile.

Since their inception, the missiles have gone through a variety of improvement programs designed to increase reliability and reduce costs. These efforts have included changes in the materials and manufacturing processes of the wings, fins and rocket motor, new components in the inertial guidance unit, an upgraded processor, and an improved imaging infrared seeker.

The Air Force originally bought 154 missiles. An second purchase of 54 followed in 1996.

The Royal Australian Air Force purchased a number of AGM-142 missiles in the late 1990s for use by the RAAF's F-111 bombers. Due to the greater than expected difficulty of integrating the AGM-142 with the F-111 the missiles will not be active until 2006.[1]

The Turkish Air Force operates the AGM-142 Popeye/Have Nap on its F-4 2020 Terminator aircraft, which were extensively upgraded by IAI.

[edit] Specifications

Weight : 1,360 kg (3,000 lb)
Length : 4.82 m (15 ft 10 in)
Diameter : 533 mm (21 in)
Wing Span : 1.98 m (78 in)
Guidance : Inertial plus IIR or TV
Engine : Single stage solid rocket
Range : 78 km (48 miles)
Warhead : 340 kg (750 lb) blast fragmentation or 360 kg (800 lb) I-800 penetrating