AGM-12 Bullpup

AGM-12 Bullpup
AGM-12D Bullpup B Missile at the Air Force Armament Museum
Type	Air-to-ground command guided missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	ASM-N-7 1959–1970s ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B 1965–1970s
Used by	United States, Australia, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Norway, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom
Wars	Vietnam War
Production history
Manufacturer	Martin Marietta, W.L. Maxson
Produced	1959–1970
Number built	22,100 (total) 4,600 (AGM-12C) 840 (AGM-12E)
Variants	ASM-N-7, ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B, AGM-12C, GAM-83B/AGM-12D, AGM-12E
Specifications
Weight	1,785 pounds (810 kg) (AGM-12C)
Length	13.6 feet (4.1 m)
Diameter	18 inches (460 mm)
Warhead	Conventional high-explosive (ASM-N-7, ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B) Semi armor-piercing (AGM-12C) W45 Nuclear (GAM-83B/AGM-12D) Cluster munition (AGM-12E)
Warhead weight	250 pounds (110 kg) (ASM-N-7A/AGM-12B) 970 pounds (440 kg) (AGM-12C)

Engine	Rocket 30,000 pounds-force (130 kN)
Wingspan	48 inches (1.2 m)
Propellant	Storable, liquid-fuel
Operational range	10 nautical miles (12 mi; 19 km)
Speed	approx. Mach 1.8
Guidance system	Line-of-sight radio command
Launch platform	FJ-4B, A-4D, F-4, F-105, Draken, F-5E/F Tiger II, F-100

The AGM-12 Bullpup is an air-to-ground missile which was used on the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom among others. It has been superseded by more advanced weapons, notably the AGM-62 Walleye and AGM-65 Maverick.

Design

The Bullpup was the first mass-produced air-surface command guided missile, first deployed by the United States Navy in 1959 as the ASM-N-7, until it was redesignated the AGM-12B in 1962. It was developed as a result of experiences in the Korean War where US airpower had great difficulty in destroying targets which required precise aiming and were often heavily defended, such as bridges.

Although they could hit targets fairly accurately, pilots found that the warhead of the AGM-12 was not very effective against the massive concrete structures of large bridges in North Vietnam. However, in at least one specific instance, the Bullpup proved its value when a pilot guided one into the cave entrance of a large ammunition dump dug into a mountain. Previous attacks with conventional, unguided ("dumb") bombs had been ineffective against the mountain surface, but when the Bullpup missile entered the cave and detonated, it set off a huge secondary explosion of the stored ammunition.^[1]

Operation

The Bullpup had a Manual Command Line Of Sight guidance system with roll-stabilization. In flight the pilot or weapons operator tracked the Bullpup by watching a flare on the back of the missile and used a control joystick to steer it toward the target using radio signals. It was initially powered by a solid fuel rocket motor, and carried a 250 lb (110 kg) warhead.

After launching the Bullpup, best accuracy was maintained by continuing to fly the same track, so that the pilot could sight down the smoke trail and steer the missile from directly behind as much as possible. Unfortunately, one problem quickly discovered by pilots in Vietnam was that gunners on the ground could simply fire at the smoke trail of the missile's flare and have a fairly good chance of hitting the aircraft that had launched—and was still guiding—the missile. Thus, to try to protect their own aircraft, the pilot would "jig" slightly off of the missile's path and hopefully avoid the anti-aircraft fire.

Variants

Later versions of the missile included upgrades such as a larger 1000 lb (450 kg) warhead, improved rocket motors, and improved guidance—the latter originally developed as part of the GAM-79 White Lance project for an improved, enlarged Bullpup for the US Air Force—and, in one late version, the ability to carry a nuclear warhead, also pioneered as part of the GAM-79 project.^[2]

The weapon was phased out of US service in the 1970s but was still used by other countries much later. Some militaries currently still use some as inert practice weapons.

Operators

Map with AGM-12 operators in blue

A US Navy A-4E of VA-164 from USS Oriskany (CVA-34) over North Vietnam in November 1967. The Bullpup missile is clearly visible under the port wing

An AGM-12C at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

Current operators

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force

Denmark

Royal Danish Air Force

Greece

Hellenic Air Force

Israel

Israel Defense Forces

Norway

Royal Norwegian Air Force

Taiwan (Republic of China)

Republic of China Air Force

Turkey

Turkish Air Force

United Kingdom

United States

References

↑ http://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/e/enterprise-cvn-65-viii/pdf/1967.pdf
↑ Parsch, Andreas (2007). "Martin AGM-12 Bullpup". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2013-02-16.

External links

USN missile designations 1947–1962

Air-launched missiles

Air-to-air missiles	AAM-N-2 AAM-N-3 AAM-N-4 AAM-N-5 AAM-N-6 AAM-N-7 AAM-N-9 AAM-N-10 AAM-N-11

Air-to-surface missiles	ASM-N-2 ASM-N-4 ASM-N-5 ASM-N-6 ASM-N-7 ASM-N-8 ASM-N-10 ASM-N-11

Air-to-underwater missiles	AUM-N-2 AUM-N-4 AUM-N-6

Surface-launched missiles

Surface-to-air missiles	SAM-N-2 SAM-N-4 SAM-N-6 SAM-N-7 SAM-N-8 SAM-N-8 SAM-N-9

Surface-to-surface missiles	SSM-N-2 SSM-N-4 SSM-N-6 SSM-N-8 SSM-N-9 (I) SSM-N-9 (II)

Surface-to-underwater missiles	SUM-N-2

Test vehicles

Control	CTV-N-2 CTV-N-4 CTV-N-6 CTV-N-8 CTV-N-9 CTV-N-10

Launching	LTV-N-2 LTV-N-4

Propulsion	PTV-N-2 PTV-N-4

Research and general testing	RTV-N-2 RTV-N-4 RTV-N-6 RTV-N-8 RTV-N-10 RTV-N-12 RTV-N-13 RTV-N-15 RTV-N-16

1955–1962 United States Air Force rocket and missile designations

Air-to-air missiles

1955–1961 sequence	MB-1 GAR-1 GAR-2 GAR-3 GAR-4 GAR-5 GAR-6 GAR-8 GAR-9 GAR-11

1961–1962 sequence	AIM-101

Other types

Undesignated types

See also: USAF missile designations 1947–51
United States tri-service missile and drone designations post-1962

1962 United States Tri-Service missile and drone designation system

1–50	MGM-1 RIM-2 MIM-3 AIM-4 MGM-5 RGM-6 AIM-7/RIM-7 RIM-8 AIM-9 CIM-10 PGM-11 AGM-12 CGM-13/MGM-13 MIM-14 RGM-15 CGM-16 PGM-17 MGM-18 PGM-19 ADM-20 MGM-21 AGM-22 MIM-23 RIM-24 HGM-25A/LGM-25C AIM-26 UGM-27 AGM-28 MGM-29 LGM-30 MGM-31 MGM-32 MQM-33 AQM-34 AQM-35 MQM-36 AQM-37 AQM-38 MQM-39 MQM-40 AQM-41 MQM-42 FIM-43 UUM-44 AGM-45 MIM-46 AIM-47 AGM-48 LIM-49 RIM-50

51–100	MGM-51 MGM-52 AGM-53 AIM-54 RIM-55 PQM-56 MQM-57 MQM-58 RGM-59 AQM-60 MQM-61 AGM-62 AGM-63 AGM-64 AGM-65 RIM-66 RIM-67 AIM-68 AGM-69 LEM-70 BGM-71 MIM-72 UGM-73 BQM-74 BGM-75 AGM-76 FGM-77 AGM-78 AGM-79 AGM-80 AQM-81 AIM-82 AGM-83 AGM-84/RGM-84/UGM-84 AGM-84E AGM-84E/H/K RIM-85 AGM-86 AGM-87 AGM-88 UGM-89 BQM-90 AQM-91 FIM-92/AIM-92 XQM-93 YQM-94 AIM-95 UGM-96 AIM-97 YQM-98 LIM-99 LIM-100

101–150	RIM-101 PQM-102 AQM-103 MIM-104 MQM-105 BQM-106 MQM-107 BQM-108 BGM-109/AGM-109/RGM-109/UGM-109 BGM-110 BQM-111 AGM-112 RIM-113 AGM-114 MIM-115 RIM-116 FQM-117 LGM-118 AGM-119 AIM-120 CQM-121/CGM-121 AGM-122 AGM-123 AGM-124 RUM-125/UUM-125 BQM-126 AQM-127 AQM-128 AGM-129 AGM-130 AGM-131 AIM-132 UGM-133 MGM-134 ASM-135 AGM-136 AGM-137 CEM-138 RUM-139 MGM-140 ADM-141 AGM-142 MQM-143 ADM-144 BQM-145 MIM-146 BQM-147 FGM-148 PQM-149 PQM-150

151–	FQM-151 AIM-152 AGM-153 AGM-154 BQM-155 RIM-156 MGM-157 AGM-158A/B/AGM-158C AGM-159 ADM-160 RIM-161 RIM-162 GQM-163 MGM-164 RGM-165 MGM-166 BQM-167 MGM-168 AGM-169 MQM-170 MQM-171 FGM-172 GQM-173 RIM-174 MQM-175 AGM-176 BQM-177 MQM-178

Undesignated	ASALM Brazo Have Dash MA-31 NLOS Pershing II Senior Prom Sprint Wagtail

See also: United States tri-service rocket designations post-1962

Types of missile

By platform	Air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) Air-to-air missile (AAM) Air-to-surface missile (ASM) Ballistic missile Cruise missile Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Shoulder-fired missile Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) Surface-to-air missile (SAM) Surface-to-surface missile (SSM)

By target type	Anti-ballistic missile (ABM) Anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) Anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) Anti-ship missile (AShM) Anti-submarine missile Anti-tank missile (ATGM) Land-attack missile (LACM)

By guidance	Active radar guidance Semi-active radar guidance Passive homing Track-via-missile Anti-radiation Command to line-of-sight guidance Command off line-of-sight guidance Pursuit guidance Beam riding Infrared guidance Laser guidance Unguided rockets Wire guidance TERCOM DSMAC Inertial guidance Astro-inertial guidance Satellite guidance Compass

Lists	List of military rockets List of missiles List of missiles by country List of anti-ship missiles List of anti-tank missiles List of ICBMs List of surface-to-air missiles

See also: Sounding rocket

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