AGM-76 Falcon

The AGM-76 Falcon was an air-to-surface anti-radiation missile developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. Intended as a conversion using off-the-shelf parts, it did not go into operational service.

AGM-76 Falcon
Aerodynamic test model of the AGM-76A on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Type	Anti-radiation missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	United States Air Force
Production history
Designed	1966
Manufacturer	Hughes Aerospace
Specifications
Mass	951 pounds (431 kg)
Length	13 feet 4 inches (4.06 m)
Diameter	13.5 inches (340 mm)
Warhead	high explosive
Warhead weight	250 pounds (110 kg)
Engine	Lockheed XSR13-LP-1
Propellant	Solid fuel
Maximum speed	Mach 4
Guidance system	Passive radar homing
Launch platform	F-4D, A-6B, F-105F

Overview

During 1966, the United States Air Force began development of a heavy anti-radiation missile for use against surface-to-air missile radars in Vietnam. Using existing airframes from the cancelled AIM-47 Falcon heavy air-to-air missile project combined with the seeker head of the AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile, the AGM-76A was fitted with a 250 pounds (110 kg) warhead of the type used in the Mark 81 bomb. Test-firings of AGM-76As were conducted from McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, Republic F-105F Thunderchief, and US Navy Grumman A-6B Intruder aircraft, however the missile was not put into production, the AGM-45 and AGM-78 Standard ARM becoming the standard anti-radiation missiles used by the United States.^[1]

Operators

•  United States: The United States Air Force cancelled the AGM-76 prior to service entry.

References

1. Parsch, Andreas (19 January 2008). "Hughes AGM-76 Falcon". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. Designation-Systems. Retrieved 2017-11-25.