U.S. Navy Fact Sheet

AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile

Description
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-surface tactical missile designed for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities.

Features
The AGM-65F (infrared targeting optimized for ship tracking.) used on Navy P-3 aircraft, and the AGM-65E (laser guided) used on Marine Corps AV-8 aircraft have the larger (300 pound; 136 kg) penetrating warhead. The AGM-65A/B/D 125 pound (57 kg) shaped charge (electro-optical guided) is used by the Air Force F-16 and A-10 aircraft. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads, the anti-armor shaped charge with a point detonating base fuse and the other, a heavyweight warhead with a time-delayed fuse, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is very effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-rocket motor behind the warhead.

Background
More than 5,000 AGM-65 missiles were launched by Air Force F-16s and A-10s (mainly) and Marine Corps AV-8s during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Mavericks played a large part in the destruction of Iraq's significant military force. All variants have been used during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Global War on Terror.