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The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile (ASM) designed for use from helicopters against ships. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx. Although the missile is intended for helicopter use, Kuwait employs it in a shore battery and on their ''Umm Al Maradem'' (Combattante BR-42) fast attack craft. The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) began development of the weapon in May 1972. The British Government authorised its production in October 1975. At the time, the missile was known as CL834.〔Henry Stanhope Defence Correspondent. "Lightweight missile for Navy's new helicopters." Times (England ) 25 May 1972: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.〕 In November 1979 the first launches took place at the Aberporth Range in Cardigan Bay. Three missiles were launched from the ground and three by helicopters. Further tests were made and in July 1981, full-scale production was ordered of the new missile, now called "Sea Skua".〔Fischer, RiD Magazine, pp.68-69〕 ==Design== With the missile weighing only at launch, a Lynx helicopter can carry up to four (two on each wing pylon). The booster is a Royal Ordnance (now Roxel UK) "Redstart" steel body, while the sustainer is a Royal Ordnance "Matapan" light alloy body. The missile flies at high subsonic speed to a range of up to . The official range is declared to be 15 km, but this is widely exceeded. The missile has two sensors: a semi-active radar homing system by Marconi Defence Systems, and a Thomson-TRT AHV-7 radar altimeter (which is also used by the Exocet missile), built under licence by British Aerospace Defence Systems.〔 It can be set to travel at one of four pre-selected heights, depending on the surface conditions. Near the target, the missile climbs to a height at which it can "acquire" the target. The launching helicopter illuminates the target with its radar (originally the specially developed Ferranti Seaspray in the case of the Lynx), and the missile's homing head homes in on the reflected energy. On impact it penetrates the hull of a ship before detonating the blast fragmentation warhead. A semi armour piercing (SAP) warhead is also available; this contains of RDX, aluminium and wax. The fuze is an impact-delayed model.〔 The illuminating radar aboard Lynx helicopters is the GEC-Ferranti Seaspray I band, which weighs , a power of 90 kW, two modes (three in the improved model) and a 90° observation field. The Seaspray Mk. 3 had a rotating antenna with a 360° field of view. It is capable of operating in a track while scan (TWS) mode. The missile flight ends after 75–125 seconds, during which time the helicopter can manoeuver at up to 80° from the missile path.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sea Skua」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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