The AGM-12 Bullpup was an American air-to-ground and air-to-water missile from the Cold War period. Its first prototypes appeared in the mid 1950s, and mass production began in 1959 and continued until 1970. The AGM-12 was a missile with a range of 5,000 to 12,000 meters, capable of carrying a warhead weighing from 113 to 453 kg, and its total mass - depending on the version - ranging from 259 to 810 kg.
The AGM-12 Bullpup was created in response to the US Navy's post-Korean demand (1950-1953) for a missile capable of destroying surface targets from a distance safe for the carrier aircraft. The AGM-12 was originally based on a 113 kg bomb body, but a rocket engine and a guidance system were added to it. The latter was the line of sight guidance system and required constant eye contact of the operator with the target (the so-called MCLOS guidance). Several versions of the AGM-12 missile were developed in the course of serial production. The first to be produced on a large scale was the AGM-12A. The next version is AGM-12B, which had a liquid fuel drive, which allowed to increase the range and the transferred head. A version of the AGM-12D was also developed, which was planned to be equipped with a nuclear warhead W-45 with a capacity of up to 15 kT. Based on this version, the AGM-12C model was created, which had a conventional warhead. The last version of the AGM-12 missile was the E model with an anti-tank warhead. AGM-12 Bullpups were used by many American aircraft, including: A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom II. Missiles of this type were also used in Australia, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Turkey and Great Britain. They were used on a relatively large scale during the Vietnam War in 1964 / 1965-1975.
The AGM-45 Shrike was an American class air-to-ground missile from the Cold War period. Its first prototypes appeared in the mid-1950s, and the missile was used by the US armed forces in 1963-1992. The AGM-45 was a solid-fuel missile with a range of up to 40 kilometers, capable of carrying a warhead weighing 68 kg, and its total mass was 177 kg.
The AGM-45 Shrike was the first American missile designed from the ground up to destroy enemy radar stations. The company Texas Instruments (now part of the Raytheon concern) was responsible for its development. In fact, the AGM-45 is a far-reaching modernization of the AIM-7 Sparrow missile, which primarily concerned the missile guidance system and the installation of a new warhead. Two basic versions of this missile were created: AGM-45A and AGM-45B, which differed mainly in the rocket engine used. Its effective use required the pilot to find himself in the enemy's radar beam and launch the AGM-45 missile at the right angle. Missiles of this type were used, among others, by the F-4 Phantom or the F-105 F / G Thunderchief. They were used on a large scale in the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975), where, however, they proved to be effective at the level of only 25%, which led to their supplementation first with AGM-78 missiles, and later with much more perfect AGM-88 HARM missiles. Israel was the only official foreign user of the AGM-45 missiles.
The AGM-65 Maverick is a modern American air-to-ground or air-to-water missile. Its first prototypes appeared in the mid-1960s, and the missile was produced in 1972-1999. The AGM-65 is a solid-fuel missile with a range of up to 27 kilometers, capable of carrying a warhead weighing from 56 to 135 kg, and its total mass - depending on the version - from 208 to 302 kg.
The AGM-65 Maverick was developed to replace the AGM-12 Bullpup missiles. Hughes and Raytheon were responsible for its development. The new missile had a better range than its predecessor, was less reliable, and in later versions it also used a more effective guidance system. Several versions of this missile were created in the course of serial production. The first, produced on a large scale, was the AGM-65A model, which was still guided via a television link, and its actual effective range was very limited. In 1975, the AGM-65B version with a modified guidance system entered service. In the next version - AGM-65D - infrared guidance has already been used. In turn, in the AGM-65E missile, the weight of the warhead increased significantly (from 56 to 135 kilograms). Missiles of this type were or are used by many American aircraft, including: A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, F-4 Phantom, F-15 E Strike Eagle or F / A-18 Hornet. In addition to the US armed forces, AGM-65 missiles have been or are used by Great Britain, South Korea, Germany and Sweden.