Sea Skua
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| Sea Skua | |
|---|---|
 Westland Lynx Mk.88A of the German Navy armed with Sea Skua missiles |
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| Type | air-to-surface |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United Kingdom Brazil Germany Malaysia Kuwait |
| Wars | Falklands War Gulf War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | British Aerospace Dynamics (now MBDA) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 145 kg |
| Length | 2.5 m |
| Diameter | 0.25 m |
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| Warhead | 28 kg |
| Detonation mechanism |
Impact Fuze, delayed detonation. |
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| Engine | solid fuel booster and solid fuel sustainer |
| Wingspan | 0.72 m |
| Operational range |
25 km |
| Flight ceiling | ? |
| Speed | Mach 0.8 + |
| Guidance system |
semi-active radar |
| Steering system |
control surfaces |
| Launch platform |
Helicopter launched |
The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short range air-to-surface missile (ASM) designed for use from helicopters against ships. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Lynx helicopter, although it can be ship launched and is in place as a shore battery and also on patrol boats in the state of Kuwait.
With the missile weighing only 320 lb (145 kg) at launch, a Lynx can carry up to four simultaneously. The missile flies at high subsonic speed over ranges of 15.5 miles (25 km). It can be set to travel at one of four pre-selected heights, depending on the surface conditions. Near the target the missile climbs to a height where it can "acquire" the target. The Sea Skua has semi-active radar guidance; the launching helicopter illuminates the target with its radar (originally the specially developed Ferranti Seaspray in the case of the Lynx), and the missile's homing head homes in on the reflected energy. On impact it penetrates the hull of a ship before detonating the 62 lb (28 kg) blast fragmentation warhead.
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[edit] Service
In addition to serving with the United Kingdom, the Sea Skua has been exported to Germany (will be replaced from 2012 on), India, Kuwait, and Turkey.
[edit] Falklands War
Sea Skuas were launched eight times during the Falklands War, sometimes in appalling weather conditions, scoring a very high hit rate. Four were used against the 800 ton patrol boat/rescue tug Alférez Sobral, fired by two Lynx aircraft from HMS Coventry and HMS Glasgow. Two struck her on the bridge, one hit the ship's fibreglass sea boat, and one passed over the ship. [1] Extensive damage was inflicted and eight crewmen (including the captain) were killed, but the ship was not sunk and returned to Puerto Deseado unaided. Another four Sea Skuas were used to destroy the wrecks of the cargo ship Río Carcarañá (8,500 grt) and the patrol boat Río Iguazú.
[edit] First Gulf War
During the Gulf War, six naval Lynx helicopters were deployed to the Gulf on four frigates and destroyers of the Royal Navy. On 24 January, 1991, one Lynx engaged and sank two Iraqi minesweepers near Qurah Island. A third was scuttled.
A larger engagement took place on 29 January 1991. A force of seventeen Iraqi landing craft and escorting Fast Attack Craft and minesweepers was detected moving south near Failaka island, as part of the Iraqi attack which resulted in the Battle of Khafji. Two vessels were sunk by four Lynx helicopters. The remaining vessels were damaged, destroyed or dispersed by American carrier-based aircraft and Royal Navy Sea King helicopters.
The next day, another convoy of three Polnocny class landing ship, three TNC-45 fast attack craft (taken over by Iraq from the Kuwaiti Navy and a single T-43 minelayer, was detected in the same area. Sea Skuas fired from four Lynx helicopters destroyed the three fast attack craft, and damaged the minesweeper and one landing ship; the landing ship was later destroyed by RAF Jaguars.
During several engagements in February, Lynxes with Sea Skuas destroyed a Zhuk class patrol boat, a salvage vessel and another Polnocny class landing ship, and damaged another Zhuk patrol boat.[2]
[edit] Royal Malaysian Navy Service
The Sea Skua entered service with the Royal Malaysian Navy as part of the package for the purchase of six AgustaWestland Sea Lynx 300 helicopters for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The missiles supposedly cost RM104 million.
On 16 March 2006 the Royal Malaysian Navy test fired the Sea Skua missile as part of a Contractual Firing exercise. The missile was fired eight miles down range from the 40m Surface Target Barge. The Sea Skua failed to hit its target and failed to explode. The fault was believed to have been traced to a faulty connecting pin wire that ignites the rocket motor. The missile fell into the sea, and was not recovered. The Royal Malaysian Navy ordered Matra Bae Dynamics (MBDA) to take back the missiles to conduct system checks, and re-tested.
On 12 February 2008, the Royal Malaysian Navy successfully conducted a second firing. The missile was fired from maximum range and hit a surface target.
[edit] Operators
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Middlebrook, Martin. The Fight for the Malvinas: The Argentine Forces in the Falklands War. Viking, 1989, p 118. ISBN 0-85052-978-6.
- ^ Naval Lynx website
- Bibliography
[edit] See also
- Penguin (missile)
- Skua - the bird the missile is named after
[edit] External Video
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