The AGM-153 was a missile considered for development by the United States.
Overview
The AGM-153 was proposed in 1992 as a new tactical air-to-surface missile. The weapon was to be launched from high and low altitudes against both fixed and mobile targets ranging from bunkers to armoured vehicles. Modular construction was chosen to allow different types of warhead and seeker head to be selected. A two way
data link
A data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a recei ...
would allow the weapon to be locked on after launch, and controlled all the way to the target.
The designations XAGM-153A and XAGM-153B were assigned; the A model was to have a hard target penetrating warhead, the B model a blast-fragmentation warhead - both warheads would have been in the region of 360 kg (800 lb). To distinguish between seeker heads a number suffix was also mooted, with -1 missiles having a TV unit in the nose and -2 missiles an imaging infra-red system, but this was not adopted formally.
It was planned to operate the missile initially from the
F-16 Fighting Falcon and
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...
aircraft.
Viability studies of the AGM-153 led to the cancellation of the project at an early stage. No final design was settled on and no hardware was produced prior to cancellation. Reasons for the cancellation have not been formally announced, but it is notable that the proposed AGM-153 would have a very similar warhead and guidance package to the
AGM-142 Have Nap
Popeye (Hebrew: פופאי) is a family of air-to-surface missiles developed and in use by Israel, of which several types have been developed for Israeli and export users. A long-range submarine-launched cruise missile variant of the Popeye Turb ...
, and it is possible that the Air Force simply saw no reason to produce a missile that offered nothing new.
See also
*
List of missiles
Below is a list of missiles, sorted alphabetically into large categories and subcategories by name and purpose.
Other missile lists
Types of missiles:
* Conventional guided missiles
** Air-to-air missile
** Air-to-surface missile
** Anti-rad ...
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Proposed weapons of the United States
Abandoned military rocket and missile projects of the United States