http://www.dsti.net/index.asp?modelname=gjfw%5Cgjfw%5Fdetail&FractionNo=&titleno=GJFWKX&recno=42323
空軍決定重新啟用“幼畜”空對地導彈
(2007年09月30日)
[美國《每日防務》2007年9月28日報導] 雷聲公司在本周舉行的美國空軍協會(Air Force Association)年度會議上宣佈,一種老式導彈將會在美國空軍獲得新生。為了適應五角大樓所提出的近距空中支援的要求,美國空軍目前正在考慮採用AGM-65“幼畜”(Maverick)空對地導彈的一種採用鐳射制導的改型。
雷聲公司負責對地攻擊武器專案的主管Dorsey Price表示,“幼畜”導彈是上世紀60年代末和70年代初研製的,在東南亞投入使用,現在仍在生產中,但多年以來沒能得到改進升級因此顯得陳舊過時。
目前美國空軍庫存的老式“幼畜”導彈大約有8000枚,這批導彈過去通常被雷聲公司購回,經改裝使其能由非美制飛機攜帶再銷往國外。與此同時,美國海軍和海軍陸戰隊則一直在使用新型的採用鐳射制導的AGM-65E型導彈。現在經測試後,美國空軍已經決定給予這批庫存的老式導彈一個新生的機會
Price透露,為了回收並翻新這批導彈,雷聲公司已經付給美國空軍5000萬美元,這一數目已經超過對軍方庫存的所有老式“幼畜”導彈進行改進升級所需的費用,不過軍方目前仍在等待五角大樓的批准。
雷聲公司負責對地攻擊武器生產線的副總裁Harry Schulte表示,美國空軍還可以從海軍借用AGM-65E型導彈,海軍通常是在“大黃蜂”艦載戰鬥機上使用這種武器,空軍則希望AGM-65E導彈可以由A-10攻擊機攜帶以便在城市地區作戰時提供近距空中支援。他還表示,由於“幼畜”導彈準備使用的鐳射探測頭與美國空軍現役的"寶石路"(paveway)鐳射制導炸彈是同一廠商生產的,這將有助於最大程度地減小“幼畜”導彈改裝升級時的工作量。(中國航空信息中心 陳黎)
來源:中國航空工業發展研究中心
編輯:中國航空信息中心_洪山
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3069379&C=airwar
USAF To Fly With Mavericks for First Time in Years
By GAYLE S. PUTRICH
Posted 09/27/07 13:47
WASHINGTON — An old missile could get new life with the U.S. Air Force, Raytheon executives said this week at the annual Air Force Association conference.
To meet what the Pentagon says is an urgent close air support need, the Air Force is considering using a laser-guided version of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile.
Developed in the late 1960s and early 70s for use in Southeast Asia and still being produced, the Maverick has come to be viewed as an “older, outdated” weapon after years without upgrades, said Dorsey Price, Raytheon’s director of business development for strike weapons.
“We basically lost the recipe because the government didn’t put money into it,” Price said.
The Air Force has about 8,000 old Mavericks in deep storage. Raytheon has been buying them back, refitting them so non-U.S. aircraft can carry them, and selling them abroad.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy and Marines have been using the new laser-guided AGM-65E. After tests, Air Force officials decided to give the old missile a new whirl, Price said.
Raytheon has granted the Air Force $50 million in what amounts to “store credit” for the remilled Mavericks — more than enough to cover upgrades to all of the service’s old Mavericks, Price said.
Service officials are waiting for Pentagon permission, he said.
In the meantime, the air service can “borrow” AGM-65Es from the Navy, which has been using the updated weapon on its Hornets, said Harry Schulte, vice president for Raytheon’s Strike product line. The Air Force is expected to use the AGM-65E on the A-10 for close air support in urban environments.
Because the laser detector for the Maverick is supplied by the same vendors that build the lasers used in Paveway missiles, which are in use by the Air Force, they are already air-qualified so paperwork on the Maverick upgrade was minimized, Price said.
Air Force officials could not respond by press time.