Popeye (missile) vs Python (missile): Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

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Popeye (missile) — licensed reference photograph

AMissiles

Popeye (missile)

Air-to-surface missile SLCM

Credit

Tal Inbar (טל ענבר) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

BMissiles

Python (missile)

Short-range air-to-air missile

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Popeye (missile)Length

4.82 m

Length source ↗

Python (missile)Length

3.1 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Popeye (missile)larger figure on 4 of 4

Length+55%
Wingspan+209%
Diameter+233%
Mass+1213%

Python (missile)larger figure on 0 of 4

Measured figures

Head to head

13 of 47 rows sourced on both sides

4.82m

3.1m

Length+55%

All recorded figures & sources

4.82 m

Length

Single source

4.82 m (15 ft 10 in)^[source]

3.1 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

Popeye (missile) and Python (missile) configuration
Specification	Popeye (missile)	Python (missile)
Speed	—	Mach 4^[source]
Type	Air-to-surface missile SLCM^[source]	Short-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	Israel^[source]	Israel^[source]
In service	1985–present^[source]	—
Used by	See Operators^[source]

Designer	Rafael Advanced Defense Systems^[source]	—

Manufacturer	Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Lockheed Martin^[source]	Rafael Advanced Defense Systems^[source]

Warhead	340 kg (750 lb) blast fragmentation or 360 kg (790 lb) I-800 penetrating^[source]	11 kg (24 lb 4 oz)^[source]

Engine	Single-stage Solid-fuel rocket^[source]	solid fuel rocket motor^[source]

Guidance system	Inertial plus IIR or TV^[source]	infrared homing + 320×240 pixel dual waveband electro-optical imaging seeker, lock on after launch, with infrared counter-counter-measures (IRCCM)^[source]

Launch platform	Fixed-wing aircraft, Dolphin class submarine (Popeye Turbo SLCM)^[source]	Aircraft: BAE Sea Harrier CASA C-101 Aviojet F-4E Kurnass 2000 F-5E/F Tiger-II McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Dassault Mirage III Dassault Mirage 5 Dassault Mirage 2000 Eurofighter Typhoon IAI Nesher/Dagger/Finder IAI Kfir HAL Tejas KAI T-50 Golden Eagle Leonardo M-346FA Master Saab JAS 39 Gripen Sukhoi Su-30MKI Su-25KM Scorpion^[source]

Guidance	Inertial plus imaging infrared or TV^[source]	—

Wars	—	Yom Kippur War Falklands War 1982 Lebanon War 2006 Lebanon War^[source]

Unit cost	—	Shafrir series: Shafrir-1: US$20,000^[source]

Produced	—	Shafrir series: 1961–1983 Python series: 1980–present^[source]

Detonation mechanism	—	proximity^[source]

Flight altitude	—	N/A^[source]

Reported operators	Reported operator · Royal Australian Air Force Reported operator · Indian Air Force Reported operator · Israeli Air Force Reported operator · Republic of Korea Air Force Reported operator · Turkish Air Force Reported operator · United States Air Force	Reported operator · Argentina Reported operator · Bolivia Reported operator · Brazil Reported operator · Chile Reported operator · China Reported operator · Colombia Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · El Salvador Reported operator · Georgia Reported operator · Honduras Reported operator · India Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Philippines Reported operator · Romania Reported operator · Singapore Reported operator · Republic of China (Taiwan) Reported operator · Thailand Reported operator · Venezuela Reported operator · Vietnam