The missile’s autonomous guidance systems give aircrews launch-and-leave capability at a wide range of distances and speeds. Because of its accuracy and lethal warhead, Maverick provides a high single-pass kill probability.

Mavericks can be fired from a number of aircraft against a variety of targets such as field fortifications, bunkers, hangarettes, tanks, armored personnel carriers, parked aircraft, radar or missile sites and ships, including high speed patrol craft.

Maverick’s versatility comes from its modular design, which allows various combinations of guidance and warheads to meet a wide range of threats. All members of the Maverick family have the same aerodynamic configuration. This commonality extends to much of the hardware and cockpit functions. Thus, Maverick can evolve to meet future military needs with a minimum of new design costs.

The AGM-65 Maverick is the most widely used precision guided munition in the free world. First deployed in Vietnam, Maverick has undergone a number of system upgrades and modifications to keep pace with evolving threats and the need to expand the target envelope. Maverick is integrated on virtually every fighter aircraft in the free world ranging from the F-4 Phantom, F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 Falcon, AV-8B Harrier, the JAS-39 Grippen, and most recently, the P-3C Orion. Maverick has also been demonstrated on the AH-1W Super Cobra and recently the SH-2G Sea Sprite for the New Zealand and Australian Navy ANZAC Helicopter competition.

Maverick is a joint US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps weapon that has a unique operational capability not replaced by newer systems. Maverick is also used by 24 nations as the primary Precision Guided Munition for Close Air Support and Interdiction and has a worldwide logistic support system.

Maverick has an exceptional combat record due to its precision guidance, ability to hit high speed moving vehicle and ship targets and a combination of TV, Laser and Infrared guidance systems providing day and night operations in a variety of atmospheric conditions.

The first Maverick was the television-guided AGM-65A, delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 1972. This was followed in 1975 by the AGM-65B with improved optics. Altogether, more than 30,000 TV Mavericks have been delivered to armed forces in the United States and international customers.

The TV Maverick carries an electro-optical seeker in its nose that produces a television-like image on a cockpit display. In operation, the pilot selects a target on the display, marks it with a set of crosshairs and launches the missile. The Maverick autonomously guides to the designated target. This enables the pilot to perform evasion maneuvers or attack a second target.

Further development of Maverick provided guidance systems that work day or night. An imaging infrared (IR) seeker guides the U.S. Air Force AGM-65D, G and the U.S. Navy’s AGM-65F against the same target set and moving targets. The seekers forms a TV-like image on the cockpit display by sensing small differences in heat energy between that radiated by objects in view and the background.

The Marine Corps AGM-65E uses a seeker that tracks laser energy reflected off a target from a laser designating device either from the air or from the ground.

Two warheads are available for the Maverick. The A, B and D versions use a 125-pound warhead with a forward firing conical-shaped charge for high armor penetrations. The E, F and G Maverick employ a 300-pound penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead that was developed for maximum effectiveness against a broad spectrum of reinforced targets. Selectable fuzing gives the aircrew the option of detonating the warhead on impact or after penetration.

Over 5,300 Mavericks were launched during Operation Desert Storm with a successful hit rate of 92%. The historical hit rate with over 12,000 launches is 89%. There are 8 configurations of the AGM-65 Maverick that includes three different guidance options with two different warhead configurations.

In 1989, Raytheon began prototype design integration studies with the Naval Air Systems Command for the P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft. These studies led to the first free flight launches of the AGM-65F IR Navy Maverick against stationary and moving small patrol craft targets. There are a small number of aircraft operationally deployed with this prototype configuration which has proven the viability of the Maverick to meet tactical requirements for the maritime patrol mission.

In 1994, the U.S. Navy awarded the Unisys Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) the first in a series of contract awards to design a production integration configuration for the P-3 to carry Maverick on four wing stations. This expanded use of the Maverick demonstrates the weapon’s versatility and effectiveness across a broad range of targets and operational mission areas.

Maverick’s evolution isn’t over yet. The newest version, the AGM-65H, incorporates modern TV technology, circuitry and associated software that replaces the outdated Maverick A and B technology, providing a clearer picture, longer standoff range and enhanced tracking capability.