Rapier missile

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Rapier

Rapier FSC

Type

SAM Surface-to-air missile

Nationality

Era

Cold War

Launch platform

vehicle

Target

aircraft

History

Builder

British Aerospace now MBDA (UK) Ltd

Date of design

Production period

Service duration

Operators

United Kingdom, Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia

Variants

Mk1 (Hittile), Mk2B (Missile)

Number built

Specifications

Type

Diameter

0.133 m

Wing span

0.138

Length

2.235

Weight

45 kg

Propulsion

solid fuel rocket

Steering

control surface

Guidance

GGU

Speed

Mach 2.5

Range

400 - 6,800 m

Ceiling

3,000 m

Payload

Warhead

Fragmentation explosive close proximity warhead

Trigger

Proximity triggered chemical fuse

Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force.

[edit] History

Rapier began development in the 1960s as the ET.316 project which was a back up for the planned purchase of the US Mauler missile system. The project was to combat supersonic, low level, high manoeuvrability craft. The British Aircraft Corporation, as it was at the time, had a private venture Sightline which formed the basis of ET.316. The subsequent cancellation of Mauler meant that ET.316 would be completely developed. Entering service with the British military in 1971, due to its accuracy it was promoted as a "hittile", originally relying on direct impact with the target rather than the large proximity fused warheads used by other missiles.

The initial version employed an optical tracker. Later versions added a tracking radar Blindfire (DN181)) and an electro-optical tracker. A cheaper export derivative with a laser tracker was known as Laserfire.

Rapier in its initial outing took the form of a wheeled launcher with four missiles, an optical tracker unit FSB2 and trailer of stores — the whole kit along with crew delivered by three Land Rovers. It was typically used for airfield defence.

With the addition of the tracker radar unit enemy targets could be identified quicker and then the operator could choose an entirely automatic launch, or manual operation.

A mobile tracked version Tracked Rapier was subsequently developed using the US M548 tracked carrier for the Shah of Iran. With the collapse of the Shah's government before delivery BAe had a system which they offered to the Royal Air Force.

The first tracked rapier's to enter service with the British army were with 11 (Sphinx) Air defence Battery,of 22 Air defence Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1982-83 in Napier Barracks near Dortmund West Germany. They were slow: 13mph, cross country; 20-30 mph, on road, and the conditions in the launcher were cramped. The driver, commander and operator lived in the cab, which was approximately 1m x 2.5m x 1.5m; this space was also taken up by a optical tracking unit, personal kit and rations. Deployment time, without test and adjustments (Ts & As), was about 30 seconds, compared to 30 minutes for the towed system. The support vehicle carried arms; water; fuel; was crewed by a driver and crew commander, and was much faster: 30mph, cross county. Former crew members say that the system was enjoyable to work on.

[edit] Combat history

The original Rapier FSB1 was deployed during the Falklands War and saw very good performance against low-flying aircraft from all angles of attack. In April 1982 T Bty battery joined 3 Commando Brigade as part of the Falklands Task Force. They landed at San Carlos on 21st May and were finally credited with 14 confirmed kills and 4 - 6 probable hits on enemy aircraft. Rapier did suffer with problems with the IFF (Identification Friend Or Foe) system and several call signs did successfully hit enemy aircraft using optical engagements. The battery was involved in the disaster at Bluff cove when a Rapier unit was sent on the Sir Galahad even though Senior Officers knew it had a damaged tracker head, resulting in 50 Welsh Guards being killed and many more terrible burned like Simon Weston.

The current version, Rapier FSC (Field Standard C), was developed by MBDA (previously Matra BAe Dynamics) and is in service with the Royal Artillery. There is also an export version of the missile system called Jernas. Development of the FSC system began at the end of the 1980s and the systems first entered service in 1996.

It is used in a combined system with the Blindfire tracking radar and the Dagger surveillance radar. Eight missiles can be carried ready to fire, each with a high explosive warhead and missiles (designated MK2B) are now fitted with a proximity fuse. The missile's propulsion system is a two stage enhanced solid-propellant rocket motor capable of around Mach 2.5. The guidance is automatic infra-red and radar command to line of sight.

There was also an incident with the B-2 being tracked at Farnborough (2 September 1996), when BAe caused a storm after it released a video showing the Rapier SAM system tracking the B-2 Stealth bomber in IR as it did a flyby. The person that took the infra-red shot of the B2 'stealth plane' as it flew past was one Cpl. Richard Varlow, of the RAF Regiment. The Rapier had recently been updated with newer radar and tracking systems specifically designed to track such aircraft.