📌 BAE Systems Rapier Low-Level Air Defence Guided Missile System, IWM Duxford.

The BAE Systems Rapier Surface-to-Air Missile System was developed for the British Army to replace their outdated Towed Bofors 40/L70 Anti-Aircraft Guns. The system is unusual as it uses a 'Manual Optical Guidance System' sending Guidance Commands to the Missile in flight over a Radio Link, this results in a high level of accuracy, therefore a large Warhead is not required.

 

Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other Anti-Aircraft Weapons in service with the British Army, both the Bofors Guns used against Low-Altitude Targets and the Thunderbird Missile used against Longer-Range and Higher-Altitude Targets. As the expected Air Threat moved from Medium-Altitude Strategic Missions to Low-Altitude Strikes, the fast reaction time and high maneuverability of the Rapier made it more effective than either of these Weapons, replacing most of them by 1977. Rapier was later selected by the RAF Regiment to replace their Bofors Guns and Tigercat Missiles. It also saw international sales, as of 2021, it was in the process of being replaced as one of the United Kingdom's Primary Air-Defence Weapons by Sky Sabre.

 

The first Rapier Units were delivered to the British Army in and the RAF Regiment 1971, in 1981 a new Rapier, FSB1 entered service. It had improved electronics and sensors, in 1990 FSB1 (M) was introduced with improvements to the Optical Tracker, Fire Unit and Radar Tracker. Rapier was at first a daylight fair weather Air Defence System, with the addition of the ''Blindfire'' Radar Tracker, Rapier became an all-weather night and day System.

 

Each Fire System can cover over 38.6 square miles of sky up to a height of 9,843ft, each Missile travels at over twice the speed of sound, and has a High-Explosive Warhead. During the Falklands War of 1982, Rapier Units were deployed to cover the beachhead at San Carlos, also used in the Gulf War of 1991 and the Iraq War of 2003.

 

Specifications:-

 

▪︎Type: Surface-to-Air Missile

▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom

▪︎Service History: In Service 1971 to present

▪︎Used By: British Army / RAF Regiment (and many more)

▪︎Wars: Falklands War / Iran–Iraq War / Gulf War

▪︎Designer: British Aircraft Corporation

▪︎Designed: 1963

▪︎Manufacturer British Aircraft Corporation 1963 to 1977 / BAe Dynamics 1977 to 1999 / MBDA UK since 1999

▪︎Produced: 1969 to the 1990's

▪︎Number Built: 25,000 Missiles / 600 Launchers / 350 Radar Units

▪︎Variants: Mk.II "Hittile" / MK.IIB Missile

▪︎Mass: 99lb

▪︎Length: 88in

▪︎Diameter: 5.2in

▪︎Warhead: Blast Fragmentation Explosive Close Proximity Warhead

▪︎Detonation Mechanism: Proximity Triggered Chemical Fuze

▪︎Power Plant: Solid-Fuel Rocket

▪︎Wing Span: 5.4in

▪︎Operational Range: 1,300 to 26,900 ft

▪︎Flight Ceiling: 9,800ft Mk.I Missile / 16,000ft Mk.II Missile

▪︎Maximum Speed: Mach 2.5 / 1,900mph

▪︎Guidance System: Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight

▪︎Steering System: Flight Control Surface

▪︎Launch Platform: Vehicle / Towed Trailer.

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