NATO Missile Meets an USSR Launcher: RIM-7 SEASPARROW in Ukraine

Raytheon's RIM-7 SEASPARROW is a direct development of the AIM-7E Sparrow air-to-air missile.

The SEASPARROW missile system is a highly effective surface-to-air missile that is primarily used by naval forces for defense against hostile aircraft and missiles. The missile features a cylindrical body with four mid-body wings and four tail fins, measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) in length and 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter.

The missile weighs 510lb (230kg). It is powered by a Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor that enables it to reach an impressive maximum speed of 2,645 mph (4,256 km/h).

The missile is equipped with a semi-active radar homing guidance system, which allows it to track and engage targets accurately. The SEASPARROW missile has an operational range of 10 nautical miles (19 kilometers), making it an essential component of naval defense systems worldwide.

These missiles will be launched from an old Soviet landbased system in Ukraine. Buk is a tracked, short-range air defense system. It employs semi-active radar technology that is now considered obsolete. In terms of homing technology, it is similar to the Sparrow. This similarity let the Ukrainian engineers to figure out how to launch SEASPARROW from Buk command centers, using the system's 9E420 radar to guide them to their targets