AGM-130

The AGM-130 is an air-to-surface guided missile developed by the United States of America.

Overview

The AGM-130 is a powered air-to-surface missile designed for strikes at long range against various targets. It is essentially a rocket-boosted version of the GBU-15 bomb, with the rocket motor increasing the launch range and so giving the launch aircraft protection from whatever defenses may protect the target. Two can be carried by the F-111 and F-15E.

The weapon utilizes inertial navigation aided by the Global Positioning System (GPS). It can be retargeted in flight; the guidance head of the weapon provides a visual image of the target to the launch aircraft via the AXQ-14 data link, allowing the controller to steer it to the target (command guidance). The weapon can be retargeted in flight by simply steering it to a new target. Control can be released at any point, allowing the missile to home in on the target by itself. The AGM-130 is highly accurate, and is intended for use against high-value targets which are either slow moving or of fixed location.