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Starstreak HVM
The Starstreak HVM (High Velocity Missile) is a British short range surface to air missile. It is a three stage missile that features a somewhat unique and distinctive warhead consisting of three separate guided kinetic/explosive submunitions known as "hittiles". When the weapon is launched the first stage blasts the missile out of the tube and is then immediately jettisoned. The second stage then kicks in at a safe distance from the operator, accelerating the missile to Mach 3.5 within 400m. After the second stage burns out the three individual hittiles separate from the missile, and continue on to the target in a formation approximately 1.5m wide. Guidance is SACLOS (Semi-Automatic Command to Line Of Sight), meaning that the operator must keep the target under his cross hairs from when the missile is fired until the point of impact, which guides the missile (and subsequently the hittiles) onto the target via a pair of lasers projected from the aiming unit. The fragmentation warheads of the hittiles themselves are delayed impact fused, meaning that they penetrate into the target slightly before detonating. Due to the nature of the high velocity kinetic/fragmentation "hittile" submunitions, Starstreak also has an unintended but significant anti-armour capability, with each of the three hittiles having a terminal effect on par with that of a 40x311mmR shell fired from a Bofors 40mm cannon.
The missile is currently used by the British Army in three different configurations: shoulder launched, in a triple tripod mounting known as the "Lightweight Multiple Launcher" (LML), and mounted on the roof of an Alvis Stormer in an eight round launcher known as "Self Propelled High Velocity Missile" (SP HVM). In addition to these it has also been developed into many other configurations including "Hellstreak" or "Air to Air Starstreak" (ATASK) for use on Apaches, the navalised "Seastreak" launched from either a six round version of the LML or from a 24 round CIWS, and a series of four round launchers with integrated tracking and guidance which can be mounted to light vehicles (previosuly "Thor", currently "Rapid Ranger").
Specifications
(1997 - Present)
- Type: Surface to Air Missile Launcher
- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
- Caliber: 130mm
- Weight: 37 lbs (16.8 kg)
- Length: 55 in (139.7 cm)
- Capacity: 1 (shoulder launched), 2 (Hellstreak/ATASK), 3 (LML), 4 (Thor/Rapid Ranger), 6 (Seastreak), 8 (SP HVM) or 24 (Seastreak CIWS)
- Fire Modes: Single shot
The Starstreak HVM and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Television
Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sanctuary | Shoulder launched / "Carentan" (S03E18) | 2011 |
Video Games
Title | Appears as | Mods | Note | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Battlefield 4 | "HVM-II" | Shoulder launched | 2013 |