(India)– In the standard equipment of the MH-60R submarine hunting helicopter sold to India by the US, there is the appearance of the AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missile (penguin). India received the first submarine hunting helicopters in a series of 24 MH-60Rs that it ordered from the US in 2018 with a total value of $905 million.
The MH-60R is one of the most powerful submarine hunting helicopters in the world because of its high mobility, advanced avionics and large arsenal. Among the standard weapons of this helicopter line is the appearance of the AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missile.
Penguin is an anti-ship missile developed by Norway’s Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace in the 1970s. After realizing the advantages of this weapon, the US licensed and manufactured it with the designation AGM-119.
The AGM-119 Penguin is the first Western anti-ship missile equipped with an infrared detector.Currently, the missile has been upgraded with an infrared detector, added a GPS reference function, replaced a new generation jet engine and especially a computer capable of performing and processing digital signals.
The AGM-119 Penguin was developed with two main versions, the Mk 2 with a range of 34km and the Mk 3 with an effective range of 55km.
Each MH-60R helicopter can carry two AGM-119 missiles worn on either side of the aircraft to attack warships.A special feature of this missile is the use of a timer detonation mechanism, so it can penetrate deep into the newly detonated hull instead of detonating like many other anti-ship missiles.
Therefore, the destructive power of the AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missile is very large, even though it is only classified as a light missile.
However, there are some disadvantages of this anti-ship missile. Its first weakness is that due to low altitude flying, the missile is easily disturbed by natural factors. In addition, if the sea is rough and the waves are high, it is not possible to launch an attack with AGM 119 missiles.In addition, due to the use of infrared guidance, this missile can only exert its maximum power in favorable climate and weather conditions such as no clouds.
The AGM-119 Penguin has a length of 3 3.2 m, a diameter of 28 cm, a wingspan of 1-1.4 m and a weight of 370-385 kg depending on the version.
The AGM-119 Penguin missile is equipped with a 120-130kg warhead containing a powerful explosive to destroy the target structure when it strikes. MH-60R helicopters with AGM 119 missiles will help the Indian Navy increase its strength against potential adversaries.