Sea Dart missile
Encyclopedia
Sea Dart or Guided Weapon System (GWS) 30 is a British
surface-to-air missile
system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace
(BAe) from 1977. It was fitted to the Type 42
(UK
and Argentina
) and Type 82
guided missile air defence destroyers and light aircraft carrier
s of the Royal Navy
.
. It entered service in 1973 on the sole Type 82 destroyer
before widespread deployment on the Type 42 destroyer
commencing with in 1976. The missile system was also fitted to Invincible class aircraft carriers but was removed during refits in the 1998-2000 period to increase the area of the flight deck and below-decks stowage associated with the operation of Royal Air Force
Harrier GR9
aircraft.
speed necessary for the operation of the cruise motor, a Rolls-Royce
[Bristol Siddeley] kerosene
-fuelled Odin
ramjet
. This gives a cruise speed of over Mach 2.5, and unlike many rocket-powered designs the cruise engine burns for the entire flight, giving excellent terminal manoeuvrability at extreme range. It is capable of engaging targets out to at least 30 nmi (34.5 mi; 55.6 km) over a wide range of altitudes. It has a secondary capability against small surface vessels, tested against a , although in surface mode the warhead safety arming unit does not arm and thus damage inflicted is restricted to the physical impact of the half-ton missile body and the unspent proportion of the 46 litres (97.2 US pt) of kerosene fuel.
Guidance is by proportional navigation and a semi-active radar
homing system using the nose intake cone and four aerials around the intake as an interferometer aerial, with targets being identified by a Type 1022 surveillance radar (originally radar Type 965) and illuminated by one of a pair of radar Type 909. This allows two targets to be engaged simultaneously in initial versions, with later variants (see below) able to engage more. Firing is from a twin-arm trainable launcher that is loaded automatically from below decks. The original launcher seen on the Bristol was significantly larger than that which appeared on the Type 42 and Invincible classes. Initial difficulties with launcher reliability have been resolved.
Sea Dart was used during the Falklands War
(1982) and is credited with seven confirmed kills (plus one British Aérospatiale Gazelle
helicopter downed by friendly fire
). One kill was against a high-flying Learjet reconnaissance aircraft beyond the missile's stated technical envelope. In another engagement, a high-flying Argentine Canberra bomber was shot down. Other kills were made against low-flying attack aircraft.
The net effect of Sea Dart was to deny the higher altitudes to enemy aircraft. This was important because Argentine aircraft such as the Mirage
had better straight line performance than the Sea Harrier
s, which were unlikely to successfully intercept them.
The first Sea Dart kill
was an Aérospatiale Puma, on the 9 May 1982 near Stanley
by , with the loss of the 3 men aboard.
On the 25 May 1982 an A-4C Skyhawk (C-244) of Grupo 5 was shot down north of Pebble Island
again by Coventry. The Pilot, Capitán Hugo Angel del Valle Palaver was killed. Later, Coventry shot down another Skyhawk (C-304) of Grupo 4 de Caza while it was returning from a mission to San Carlos Water. Capitán Jorge Osvaldo García successfully ejected but was not recovered. The next Argentine action that day saw the sinking of Coventry, as no Sea Dart was able to engage the A-4s, although one was launched without guidance in an effort to disrupt the attack but missed and the destroyer was struck by two iron bombs and sunk.
The same day a Super Etendard strike fighter sought to attack the British carrier group with Exocet
missiles, but instead struck the cargo ship . fired six Sea Darts in less than two minutes, but all missed.
On 30 May 1982, during the last Exocet air attacks against the British fleet, the most successful engagements with Sea Dart occurred and was credited with two A-4s (out of four attackers) downed, despite them flying only 10 – above the sea (theoretically below Sea Dart's minimum engagement altitude of 30 metres (98.4 ft)). One of the two was engaged by a Type 21 frigate
with her 4.5 inches (114.3 mm) gun
On June 6 Exeter downed a Learjet 35A (destroying its tail) that was being used as reconnaissance aircraft, at 12000 metres (39,370.1 ft) altitude, but missed a second one.
Finally, on 13 June 1982, a Canberra Mk.62
was flying at 12000 metres (39,370.1 ft). While it was en route to bomb British troops at Port Harriet House, it was destroyed by a Sea Dart fired from HMS Cardiff.
In total at least eighteen missiles were launched by Type 42 destroyers, six by Invincible, and two by HMS Bristol. Out of five missiles fired against helicopters or high flying aircraft, four were successful, but only two of nineteen fired at low level aircraft hit: just eleven percent; however a number of missiles were fired without guidance to deter low level attacks. Exeters success can be partially attributed to being equipped with the Type 1022 radar, which was designed for the system and provided greater capability than the old Type 965 fitted to the earlier Type 42s. The Type 965 was unable to cope with low level targets as it suffered multiple path crossings and targets became lost in radar clutter from the surface of the South Atlantic, this resulted in Sea Dart being unable to lock onto targets at distance obscured by land, or fast-moving low-level targets obscured in ground clutter or sea-returns.
The Argentine Navy was well aware of the Sea Dart's capabilities and limitations, having two Type 42s of its own. Consequently, Argentine planes, opting to fly below the Type 965 radar ("sea skimming"), frequently dropped bombs which failed to explode: The arming vane on the bomb had insufficient time to complete the number of revolutions required to arm the fuze
, in which case, the fuze remained in safe mode and would not function on impact.
the battleship , escorted by (carrying Sea Dart) and (equipped with Phalanx CIWS
), was engaged by an Iraq
i Silkworm missile
(also known as a Seersucker). The Silkworm missile was intercepted and destroyed by a Sea Dart fired from Gloucester. During the same engagement, the Jarretts Phalanx 20 mm CIWS was placed in autoengagement mode and targeted chaff
launched by the Missouri rather than the incoming missile. This engagement was the first validated, successful engagement of a missile by a missile during combat at sea, though the engagement was tail-end after the Silkworm had flown past the Gloucester.
The Sea Dart Mark 2, GWS 31, (a.k.a. Sea Dart II - not to be confused with Mod 2, above) development was cancelled in 1981. This was intended to allow 'off the rail' manoeuvres with additional controls added to the booster. The Mark 2 was reduced to Advanced Sea Dart, then Enhanced Sea Dart and finally Improved Sea Dart.
Guardian was a proposed land-based system of radars, control stations and a box-launched version of Sea Dart proposed in the 1980s for use as a land-based air defence system for the Falkland Islands. A similar lightweight box-launched version was also proposed for small naval craft.
class which is armed with the Sea Viper
missile system. Sea Viper is much more capable in the anti-air role but has no anti-surface capability. The first of class began sea trials in July 2007 and entered service in 2009.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
(BAe) from 1977. It was fitted to the Type 42
Type 42 destroyer
The Type 42 or Sheffield class, are guided missile destroyers used by the British Royal Navy and the Argentine Navy. The first ship of the class was ordered in 1968 and launched in 1971, and today three ships remain active in the Royal Navy and one in the Argentinian Navy...
(UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) and Type 82
Type 82 destroyer
The Type 82 or Bristol-class destroyer was to be a class of four Royal Navy warships intended as area air-defence destroyers to replace the County-class destroyers, and to serve as escorts to the planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers...
guided missile air defence destroyers and light aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
History
Sea Dart began as Hawker Siddeley project CF.299, a weapon to replace the Royal Navy's first-generation long-range surface-to-air missile, Sea SlugSea Slug missile
Sea Slug was a first generation surface-to-air missile designed by Armstrong Whitworth for use by the Royal Navy...
. It entered service in 1973 on the sole Type 82 destroyer
Type 82 destroyer
The Type 82 or Bristol-class destroyer was to be a class of four Royal Navy warships intended as area air-defence destroyers to replace the County-class destroyers, and to serve as escorts to the planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers...
before widespread deployment on the Type 42 destroyer
Type 42 destroyer
The Type 42 or Sheffield class, are guided missile destroyers used by the British Royal Navy and the Argentine Navy. The first ship of the class was ordered in 1968 and launched in 1971, and today three ships remain active in the Royal Navy and one in the Argentinian Navy...
commencing with in 1976. The missile system was also fitted to Invincible class aircraft carriers but was removed during refits in the 1998-2000 period to increase the area of the flight deck and below-decks stowage associated with the operation of Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Harrier GR9
RAF Harrier II
The British Aerospace/McDonnell Douglas Harrier II is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing jet aircraft used previously by the Royal Air Force and, between 2006–2010, the Royal Navy. Derived from the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, which was a development of the Hawker...
aircraft.
Design
Sea Dart is a two-stage, 4.4 metres (14.4 ft) long missile weighing 550 kilograms (1,212.5 lb). It is launched using a drop-off Chow solid-fuelled booster that accelerates it to the supersonicSupersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
speed necessary for the operation of the cruise motor, a Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
[Bristol Siddeley] kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
-fuelled Odin
Bristol Odin
The Bristol Odin is a ramjet engine originally developed by Bristol Siddeley Engines, later taken over by Rolls-Royce. Odin was specifically designed to power the Sea Dart missile. Unlike the earlier Thor ramjet powering the Bristol Bloodhound missile, Odin is an integral part of the Sea Dart...
ramjet
Ramjet
A ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
. This gives a cruise speed of over Mach 2.5, and unlike many rocket-powered designs the cruise engine burns for the entire flight, giving excellent terminal manoeuvrability at extreme range. It is capable of engaging targets out to at least 30 nmi (34.5 mi; 55.6 km) over a wide range of altitudes. It has a secondary capability against small surface vessels, tested against a , although in surface mode the warhead safety arming unit does not arm and thus damage inflicted is restricted to the physical impact of the half-ton missile body and the unspent proportion of the 46 litres (97.2 US pt) of kerosene fuel.
Guidance is by proportional navigation and a semi-active radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
homing system using the nose intake cone and four aerials around the intake as an interferometer aerial, with targets being identified by a Type 1022 surveillance radar (originally radar Type 965) and illuminated by one of a pair of radar Type 909. This allows two targets to be engaged simultaneously in initial versions, with later variants (see below) able to engage more. Firing is from a twin-arm trainable launcher that is loaded automatically from below decks. The original launcher seen on the Bristol was significantly larger than that which appeared on the Type 42 and Invincible classes. Initial difficulties with launcher reliability have been resolved.
Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
(1982) and is credited with seven confirmed kills (plus one British Aérospatiale Gazelle
Aérospatiale Gazelle
The Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat light helicopter, powered by a single turbine engine. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation . It was also manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom , by SOKO in Yugoslavia and ABHCO in Egypt...
helicopter downed by friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
). One kill was against a high-flying Learjet reconnaissance aircraft beyond the missile's stated technical envelope. In another engagement, a high-flying Argentine Canberra bomber was shot down. Other kills were made against low-flying attack aircraft.
The net effect of Sea Dart was to deny the higher altitudes to enemy aircraft. This was important because Argentine aircraft such as the Mirage
Dassault Mirage III
The Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade...
had better straight line performance than the Sea Harrier
BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
s, which were unlikely to successfully intercept them.
The first Sea Dart kill
Catastrophic kill
A catastrophic kill, K-Kill or complete kill refers to damage inflicted on a vehicle by a weapon that renders it both unusable and unrepairable whereas a "knocked out" vehicle is completely inoperable but not beyond repair...
was an Aérospatiale Puma, on the 9 May 1982 near Stanley
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Stanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
by , with the loss of the 3 men aboard.
On the 25 May 1982 an A-4C Skyhawk (C-244) of Grupo 5 was shot down north of Pebble Island
Pebble Island
Pebble Island is one of the Falkland Islands, lying north of West Falkland.The island stretches about 19 miles from east to west and is about 4.3 miles at its widest point, with a total area of square miles .It has three high points: First Mountain , Middle Mountain and...
again by Coventry. The Pilot, Capitán Hugo Angel del Valle Palaver was killed. Later, Coventry shot down another Skyhawk (C-304) of Grupo 4 de Caza while it was returning from a mission to San Carlos Water. Capitán Jorge Osvaldo García successfully ejected but was not recovered. The next Argentine action that day saw the sinking of Coventry, as no Sea Dart was able to engage the A-4s, although one was launched without guidance in an effort to disrupt the attack but missed and the destroyer was struck by two iron bombs and sunk.
The same day a Super Etendard strike fighter sought to attack the British carrier group with Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
missiles, but instead struck the cargo ship . fired six Sea Darts in less than two minutes, but all missed.
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...
with her 4.5 inches (114.3 mm) gun
4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 naval gun
The 4.5 inch Mark 8 is a British naval gun system which currently equips the Royal Navy's frigates and some British destroyers and frigates sold to other countries.-Background:...
On June 6 Exeter downed a Learjet 35A (destroying its tail) that was being used as reconnaissance aircraft, at 12000 metres (39,370.1 ft) altitude, but missed a second one.
Finally, on 13 June 1982, a Canberra Mk.62
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
was flying at 12000 metres (39,370.1 ft). While it was en route to bomb British troops at Port Harriet House, it was destroyed by a Sea Dart fired from HMS Cardiff.
The Argentine Navy was well aware of the Sea Dart's capabilities and limitations, having two Type 42s of its own. Consequently, Argentine planes, opting to fly below the Type 965 radar ("sea skimming"), frequently dropped bombs which failed to explode: The arming vane on the bomb had insufficient time to complete the number of revolutions required to arm the fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
, in which case, the fuze remained in safe mode and would not function on impact.
Gulf War (1991)
In February 1991 during the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
the battleship , escorted by (carrying Sea Dart) and (equipped with Phalanx CIWS
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
), was engaged by an Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Silkworm missile
Silkworm missile
The Shang Yo or SY-series , and the Hai Ying or HY-series were early Chinese anti-ship missiles. They were derived from the Soviet P-15 Termit missile.The HY-1 and HY-2 received the NATO reporting name Silkworm...
(also known as a Seersucker). The Silkworm missile was intercepted and destroyed by a Sea Dart fired from Gloucester. During the same engagement, the Jarretts Phalanx 20 mm CIWS was placed in autoengagement mode and targeted chaff
Chaff (radar countermeasure)
Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe , is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary...
launched by the Missouri rather than the incoming missile. This engagement was the first validated, successful engagement of a missile by a missile during combat at sea, though the engagement was tail-end after the Silkworm had flown past the Gloucester.
Variants
The Sea Dart has been upgraded over the years - notably its electronics - as technology advances. The following Modification standards have been fielded:- Mod 0 — Basic 1960s version, used in the Falklands. Vacuum-tube technology. Range circa 40 nmi (46 mi; 74.1 km).
- Mod 1 — Improved Sea Dart. Upgraded version 1983-1986. Updated guidance systems possibly allowing some capability against sea-skimming targets and much greater reliability.
- Mod 2 — 1989-1991. Upgrade included ADIMP (Air Defence IMProvement) which saw the replacement of six old circuit cards in the guidance system with one, allowing the spare volume to be used for an autopilot. Used alongside a command datalink (sited on the Type 909 pedestal) it allows several missiles to be 'in the air' at once, re-targeted during flight etc. and allows an initial ballistic trajectory, doubling range to 80 nmi (92.1 mi; 148.2 km) with the upgraded 909(I) radar for terminal illumination only.
- Mod 3 — Latest version with new InfraredInfraredInfrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
fuzeFuzeFuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
. Delayed eight years from 1994 to 2002.
The Sea Dart Mark 2, GWS 31, (a.k.a. Sea Dart II - not to be confused with Mod 2, above) development was cancelled in 1981. This was intended to allow 'off the rail' manoeuvres with additional controls added to the booster. The Mark 2 was reduced to Advanced Sea Dart, then Enhanced Sea Dart and finally Improved Sea Dart.
Guardian was a proposed land-based system of radars, control stations and a box-launched version of Sea Dart proposed in the 1980s for use as a land-based air defence system for the Falkland Islands. A similar lightweight box-launched version was also proposed for small naval craft.
Withdrawal
The Sea Dart equipped Type 42s are reaching the end of their service lives, with some vessels already retired. They will be replaced by the larger Type 45Type 45 destroyer
The United Kingdom's Type 45 destroyer is an air defence destroyer programme of the Royal Navy which will replace its Type 42 destroyers. The first ship in the class, HMS Daring, was launched on 1 February 2006 and commissioned on 23 July 2009. The ships are now built by BAE Systems Surface Ships...
class which is armed with the Sea Viper
PAAMS
The Principal Anti Air Missile System is a joint French/Italian/British programme for a naval anti-aircraft weapon. The prime contractor is EUROPAAMS, a joint venture between Eurosam and MBDA subsidiary UKAMS . MBDA also owns 66% of Eurosam, in effect giving it a 77% share of the project...
missile system. Sea Viper is much more capable in the anti-air role but has no anti-surface capability. The first of class began sea trials in July 2007 and entered service in 2009.
Operators
- Argentine NavyArgentine NavyThe Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
: Purchased 60 missiles for their two Type 42 destroyers but retired them 1987 due to lack of spares.
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...