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BAir defence
series of surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense systems
At a glance
Measured figures
Length
Single source2.235 m (88.0 in)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Rapier (missile) | Sky Bow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Surface-to-air missile[source] | series of surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense systems[source] |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom[source] | — |
| In service | 1971–present[source] | The TK-2, TK-3 and TK-4 are in service with the Military of the Republic of China[source] |
| Used by | See operators[source] Iran[source] |
Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Length
Single source5.673 m[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
5.498 m[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Diameter
Single source0.133 m (5.2 in)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Diameter
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Diameter
Single source0.42 m[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
0.4 m[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Mass
Single source45 kg (99 lb)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Mass
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Mass
Single source1,135 kg[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
870 kg[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Operational; Operational range
Single source400–8,200 m (1,300–26,900 ft)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Range
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Range
Single source150 km[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
200 km[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Warhead mass
Single source90 kg[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
Kenya[source]Current operator entry; any stated variant or condition remains in the excerpt
Military of the Republic of China[source] |
| Wars | Falklands War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War[source] | — |
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| Designer | British Aircraft Corporation[source] | — |
|---|
| Designed | 1963[source] | — |
|---|
| Manufacturer | British Aircraft Corporation (1963–1977) BAe Dynamics (1977–1999) MBDA UK (since 1999)[source] | National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)[source] |
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| Produced | 1969–1990s[source] | — |
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| No. built | ≈25,000 missiles, 600 launchers and 350 radars[source] | — |
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| Variants | Mk1 ("Hittile"), Mk2B (Missile)[source] | — |
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| Warhead | Blast fragmentation[source] | — |
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| Detonation mechanism | Proximity triggered[source] | — |
|---|
| Engine | solid-fuel rocket[source] | — |
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| Flight ceiling | 3,000 m (9,800 ft) (Mk1 missile), 5,000 m (16,000 ft) (Mk2)[source] | — |
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| Guidance system | Semi-automatic command to line of sight[source] | — |
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| Steering system | flight control surface[source] | — |
|---|
| Launch platform | vehicle or trailer[source] | Underground silos and mobile launch vehicles[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Towed quad launchers[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Role | — | surface-to-air missile[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited surface-to-air missile[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Propulsion | — | Single-stage dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket motor[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Solid-fuel rocket motor[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Guidance | — | Inertial with mid-course guidance update from ground-based phased array radar, Active radar homing ( ARH ) for terminal guidance[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Introduced | — | 1997[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Country of origin | — | Taiwan[source]Inventory Origin column; table 5, row 4, cell 2; revision 1370505017; retrieved 2026-09-30 |
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