American weapons

QUICK LINKS

AGM-130A

The AGM-130A is a powered air-to-surface missile designed for high- and low-altitude strikes at standoff ranges against a variety of targets.
Carrying forward the modular concept of the GBU-15 guided weapon system, the AGM-130A employs a rocket motor for extended range and an altimeter for altitude control. The AGM-130A will provide a significantly increased standoff range beyond that of the GBU-15.
The AGM-130A is equipped with either a television or an imaging infrared seeker and data link. The seeker provides the launch aircraft a visual presentation of the target as seen from the weapon. During free flight this presentation is transmitted by the AXQ-14 data-link system to the aircraft cockpit monitor.
The seeker can be either locked onto the target before or after launch for automatic weapon guidance, or it can be manually steered by the weapon systems officer. Manual steering is performed through the two-way data link.
The AGM-130A is designed to be used with F-15E aircraft. Development of the AGM-130A began in 1984 as a product improvement of the GBU-15 guided glide bomb.
For the primary mode of operation, the aircraft flies to a pre-briefed launch position. Survivability of aircraft and crew is enhanced by launching the weapon at low altitude and significant standoff range, thus avoiding detection by enemy air defenses. After launch, the weapon flies through glide-powered-glide phases toward the target area with midcourse guidance updates provided by global positioning system (GPS) navigational information or through the data link.
Upon termination of the powered flight phase the rocket motor is ejected. As the target comes into view, the weapon systems officer has dual flexibility in guiding the weapon via the data link. For automatic terminal homing, the guidance tracker is locked on target but can be manually updated for precision bombing. When total manual guidance is used, the operator manually guides the weapon to the target aimpoint. For those aircraft not equipped with a data-link pod, the weapon may be launched in the direct attack mode.
The first unit was operational in 1994.

General characteristics
Primary function	Air-to-surface guided and powered bomb
Contractor	Rockwell International Corp.
Thrust	Classified
Length	12 ft 10.5 in	3.9 m
Launch Weight	2,917 lb	1,313 kg
Diameter	18 in	45.72 cm
Wingspan	59 in	150 cm
Range	Classified
Ceilign	30,000 ft	9,091 m
Speed	Classified
Guidance System	television or imaging infrared seeker
Date deployed	1994
Unit cost	Less than $300,000 per missile
Inventory	The missile is in production. When in the inventory the number will be classified. Current total projected weapon procurement is approximately 600 weapons.

Jirka Wagner