Sea Wolf (missile)

Sea Wolf
Type 23 frigate HMS Portland fires a Vertical Launch Sea Wolf.
Type	Surface-to-air
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	Since 1979
Used by	See operators
Wars	Falklands War, Gulf War
Production history
Designer	British Aircraft Corporation
Designed	1967
Manufacturer	British Aircraft Corporation (1967–1977) BAe Dynamics (1977–1999) MBDA (UK) Ltd (since 1999)
Produced	1979
Specifications
Weight	82 kg (180.8 lb)
Length	1.9 m (6 ft 2.8 in)
Diameter	300 mm (11.8 in)
Warhead	14 kg (30.9 lb) HE Blast-Fragmentation
Detonation mechanism	Direct contact/Proximity fuse activated
Engine	Blackcap solid fuel sustainer
Wingspan	450 mm (17.7 in)
Operational range	(VLS) 1–10 km (0.5–5.4 nmi)
Flight ceiling	3,000 m (9,842.5 ft)
Speed	Mach 3 (2,284 mph; 3,675 km/h)
Guidance system	Automatic Command to Line-Of-Sight (ACLOS)
Steering system	Control surfaces
Launch platform	Ship

Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace (BAe) Dynamics (now MBDA). It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The Royal Navy has fielded two versions, the GWS-25 Conventionally Launched Sea Wolf (CLSW) and the GWS-26 Vertically Launched Sea Wolf (VLSW) forms.

The system was developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) from a 1964 requirement for a replacement for the Sea Cat missile system to give small warships protection against anti-ship missiles and aircraft. A contract was awarded in 1967 to BAC, Vickers and Bristol Aerojet. Testing lasted from 1970 until 1977, with shipborne trials on a modified Leander class frigate, HMS Penelope, from 1976 onwards. Sea Wolf was tested with a vertical launch system early in the missile's development on a modified Loch class frigate, HMS Loch Fada, but for unclear reasons work did not continue in this direction: the GWS-26 "VL Seawolf (VLS)" being a much later (1980s) development. During trials, the missile performed impressively, successfully intercepting a 114 mm (4.5 in) shell on one occasion.

The first deployment, in the GWS-25 form, was on the Type 22 frigate (2 systems) and later on modified Leander class frigates (1 system) in six-round, manually loaded, trainable launchers.

It entered service with the Royal Navy in 1979 and was fired in anger during the Falklands War. Current deployment is the GWS-26 Mod 1 system on Type 23 frigates, fielding 32 vertical launch missiles (VL Sea Wolf) in its missile silo. It is expected to remain in service until 2020.