The Polyphem was a proposed European light-weight fibre-optic
wire-guided surface-to-surface missile with a range of 60 km.
[ The project was cancelled in 2003.
]
Synopsis
Polyphem is the German name of Polyphemus, the cyclops in the ''Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' that got his eye stabbed out by Ulysses.
The Polyphem missile uses a sealed round, a solid propellant booster rocket to launch the missile out of its canister to an initial height, so that the wings and control surfaces can unfold, and a more fuel economic turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
cruise engine kicks in to propel the missile.
The missile can be programmed to follow a preset course, using GPS or inertial guidance. An infrared
Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...
seeker can be used to automatically pick a target and for the terminal guidance phase, but it is also possible to transfer the thermal images back to the launching platform via a 200 MBit/s data link provided by an optical fibre, and manually select the target.
The Polyphem program was started in 1994 by Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. Italy later left the project.
Specifications
*Speed: 120—180 m/ s (around 430—650 km/h)
*Range: up to 60 km
*Altitude: 20 to 600 m above ground (variable)
*Missile mass: around 130 kg
*Length: 2.70 m
*Warhead: up to 20 kg
See also
* ALAS
* CM-501G
* FOG-MPM
* MGM-157 EFOGM
* XM501 non-line-of-sight launch system
* Type 96 multi-purpose missile system
Notes
References
POLYPHEM - army-technology.com
{Unreliable source?, reason=domain on WP:BLACKLIST, date=June 2016
Surface-to-surface missiles of the European Union