air-to-surface system

  • missiles

    TITLE: rocket and missile system: Air-to-surface
    SECTION: Air-to-surface
    The United States began to deploy tactical air-to-surface guided missiles as a standard aerial munition in the late 1950s. The first of these was the AGM-12 (for aerial guided munition) Bullpup, a rocket-powered weapon that employed visual tracking and radio-transmitted command guidance. The pilot controlled the missile by means of a small side-mounted joystick and guided it toward the target...
  • tactical weapons systems

    TITLE: tactical weapons system: Air-to-surface systems
    SECTION: Air-to-surface systems
    Most of these systems are enhancements of the role of the attack aircraft and the assault helicopter. What the weapons system brings to the aircraft and its guns or missiles is sophisticated sighting and tracking and fire-control equipment. The weapons involved vary widely in size. The Soviet AS-4 missile is more than 36 feet (11 m) long and is launched by a Tupolev bomber. It is presumed to be...