Tracked Rapier RCM748 | |
|---|---|
| Paese | Regno unito |
| Ruolo | Missile surface-to-air |
| In servizio | Dal 1971 ad oggi |
| Costruito | 25000 missili, 600 lanciatori, 350 radar |
The initial proposal for the system was to simply mount the towed launcher, (less its running gear) and its petrol generator set on the flat bed of the M548 carrier. When this was shown to Mr G.R. Jefferson, the GW Managing Director, he was not very impressed. Aware of the amount of money available, he required a much more extensive change. Greville Beale and Adrian Pollicutt led development of a very significant new arrangement was produced in quite a short period. This included significant changes to the M548 vehicle to armour the vehicle, now designated RCM 748, e per incorporare un nuovo gruppo elettrogeno diesel utilizzando il motore Coventry Climax H 30 (utilizzato come unità di potenza ausiliaria nel serbatoio Chieftain). La maggior parte delle apparecchiature elettroniche nel lanciatore non è stata cambiata in modo significativo da quella utilizzata nella versione trainata. Tuttavia, fu prodotto un lanciatore corazzato completamente ridisegnato con la capacità di caricare otto missili che fu montato tramite supporti antivibrazione sul letto piatto del veicolo. La cabina blindata era dotata di riscaldamento/raffreddamento panclimatiche e protezione NBC.
fonte: Rapier tracciata RCM748 su Wikipedia
| Tracked Rapier RCM748 Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographer | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localisation | Military Vehicle Technology Foundation |
| Photos | 72 |
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General Characteristics and Role
The Tracked Rapier (officially RCM748) is a highly mobile, low-level surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the United Kingdom. It integrates the standard Rapier missile system onto a variant of the American M548 tracked cargo carrier chassis. This conversion was crucial for the British Army, which required an air defense system capable of keeping pace with armored formations across challenging terrain, a capability the original towed Rapier lacked. The Tracked Rapier combined the missile’s proven effectiveness against low-flying aircraft and helicopters with the cross-country mobility and speed necessary for mechanized warfare. It was a fully integrated system, capable of all-weather operation and firing from a static or short-halt position.
| Property | Typical Value (Tracked Rapier) |
|---|---|
| Ruolo | Mobile Low-Level Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) System |
| National Origin | United Kingdom (Missile) / United States (Chassis) |
| Produttore | British Aerospace (Missile) / FMC (Chassis) |
| Service Entry | 1983 (Tracked version) |
| Equipaggio | 3 (Driver, Commander, Operator) |
| Armamento | 8 x Rapier Mk 1 or Javelin (Rapier 2) SAMs on launcher rails |
| Chassis Base | Modified M548 (M113 family) Armored Cargo Carrier |
| Lunghezza | 5.72 m (18 ft 9 in) |
| Larghezza | 2.69 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Height (Travel) | 2.67 m (8 ft 9 in) |
| Combat Weight | ~14,000 kg (30,865 lb) |
Powerplant and Performance
- Engine: 1 x Detroit Diesel 6V53 diesel engine.
- Power Output: 157 kW (210 hp).
- Maximum Speed (Road): 58 km/h (36 mph).
- Range (Road): 480 km (300 mi).
- Mobility: Fully tracked, providing high off-road mobility to keep up with Challenger tanks and Warrior IFVs.
Missile System and Guidance
- Missile Guidance: Optical tracking (manual), complemented by a Blindfire radar (for all-weather engagement).
- Target Range: Approximately 400 m to 6.8 km (0.25 to 4.2 mi).
- Engagement Speed: Missile reaches Mach 2.5 (approximately 3,060 km/h).
- Blindfire Radar: The integration of the optional Marconi DN 181 “Blindfire” pulse-Doppler radar gives the system a true all-weather, day/night capability.
- Operational Status: The Tracked Rapier was eventually replaced in British service by the more modern Starstreak High Velocity Missile (HVM) system, mounted on the Stormer vehicle.
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