| Popeye | |
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The "Popeye" standoff missile |
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| Type | Air-to-surface missile |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1985 – present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rafael Advanced Defense Systems |
| Manufacturer | Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Lockheed Martin Turkish Aerospace Industries |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) |
| Length | 4.82 m (15 ft 10 in) |
| Diameter | 533 mm (21 in) |
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| Warhead | 340 kg (750 lb) blast fragmentation or 360 kg (800 lb) I-800 penetrating |
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| Engine | Single stage Solid-fuel rocket |
| Wingspan | 152 cm (60 in) |
| Operational range |
78 km (48 miles) |
| Guidance system |
Inertial plus IIR or TV |
| Launch platform |
Fixed-wing platforms |
The Popeye is an air to ground missile developed and in use by Israel, of which several types have been developed for Israeli and export users. A substantially modified long range cruise missile variant of the Popeye Turbo is believed to be used to arm the Israeli submarine based nuclear forces.[1] The United States is one of the users of the Popeye but has renamed it according to US naming conventions as the AGM-142 Have Nap.
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The Popeye 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 Popeye in US service known as AGM-142 Have Nap is a joint project between the Israeli designer and manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and US defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
The Popeye is compatible with a variety of aircraft from tactical fighters to heavy bombers.
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.
Israel is suspected of using the airframe and avionics to produce a long range submarine launched cruise missile with a liquid fueled jet engine similar to the Popeye Turbo rather than a rocket.
In US use, the Popeye 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. Popeye/Have Nap was available to the US forces 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.
First developed for use by the Israeli Air Force it has been in service since 1985.
The United States Air Force first bought a batch of 154 missiles in 1989 followed by a second batch of 54 missiles in 1996.
The Royal Australian Air Force has also purchased a number of Popeye missiles in the late 1990s for use by the RAAF's F-111 bombers. Due to the greater-than-expected difficulty of integrating the missile with the F-111, it was not expected to attain Initial Operation Capability (IOC) with the RAAF prior to 2006.
Currently, the Turkish Air Force's F-4 2020 Terminator aircraft (which were extensively upgraded by IAI) and the TuAF F-16 CCIP are armed with a Turkish License production version of the Popeye.
In May 1997, Israel and Turkey signed an agreement valued in excess of US $500 million for the establishment of a joint-venture between Israel's Rafael and Turkey's Turkish Aerospace Industries for the co-production of Popeye I and Popeye II missiles in Turkey.[2]
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