Munitions

AGM-12 Bullpup

Also known as
  • ASM-N-7
  • ASM-N-7a
  • ASM-N-7b
  • GAM-83
  • GAM-83A
  • GAM-83B
  • AGM-12A
  • AGM-12B
  • AGM-12C
  • AGM-12D
  • AGM-12E
  • Bullpup

The Martin AGM-12 Bullpup was a U.S. radio-command-guided air-to-surface missile family developed in the 1950s for short-range strike. It entered Navy fleet service in 1959, expanded into larger Bullpup B/C and special-warhead variants, and saw documented Vietnam War use against bridge and infrastructure targets before later precision weapons displaced it.

AGM-12 Bullpup, Air-to-surface guided missile, Munitions
Image source: File:AGM-12C Bullpup-B missile on display at NMUSAF.jpg | Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

1955 Vietnam War
InterdictionLong-Range Strike
Side
United States and South Vietnam

U.S. Air Force aircraft used AGM-12 Bullpup missiles in Vietnam bridge attacks, including the April 1965 Thanh Hoa Bridge strike and later F-4/F-105 carriage of AGM-12C missiles during the Southeast Asia War.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Air-to-surface guided missile
Service note
Cold War guided missile family
Designed
Requirement and development work began in 1953; Martin won the competition in 1954
Produced
1959-1969
Number built
More than 30,000

Specifications

Guidance
Manual command line of sight radio-command guidance
Length
3.20 m for AGM-12B; 4.14 m for AGM-12C
Weight
259 kg for AGM-12B; 810 kg for AGM-12C
Range
11 km for AGM-12B; 16 km for AGM-12C
Warhead
113 kg for AGM-12B; 453 kg for AGM-12C
Propulsion
Solid-fuel rocket motor on the original ASM-N-7; later Bullpup A and B variants used storable liquid-fuel rocket engines
Variants

Bullpup designations span Navy ASM-N-7 names, USAF GAM-83 names, and the unified AGM-12 series adopted in 1963; the family included 250-lb conventional, enlarged 1,000-lb, nuclear-option, cluster-warhead, and training forms.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
ASM-N-7 / GAM-83 / AGM-12AOriginal Bullpup production line

The original small Bullpup used a 250-lb-class warhead and manual radio-command guidance; 1963 redesignation mapped ASM-N-7 and GAM-83 into the AGM-12A designation.

Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

ASM-N-7a / GAM-83A / AGM-12BBullpup A with liquid-fuel rocket motor

The improved Bullpup A replaced the original solid motor with a Thiokol LR58 liquid-fuel rocket motor while retaining the 250-lb warhead class.

Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Martin AGM-12B Bullpup A | National Museum of the United States Air Force

ASM-N-7b / AGM-12CBullpup B enlarged conventional missile

Bullpup B enlarged the missile body, wings, motor, and warhead to the 1,000-lb class; museum sources identify it as AGM-12C Bullpup B.

Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Martin Marietta AGM-12C Bullpup B | National Museum of the United States Air Force, Model, Missile, Bullpup B | National Air and Space Museum

GAM-83B / AGM-12DNuclear-option Bullpup derivative

The GAM-83B/AGM-12D was a Bullpup derivative with a larger body section and optional W-45 nuclear warhead.

Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

AGM-12ECluster-warhead derivative

The AGM-12E was derived from the AGM-12C by replacing the unitary warhead with an anti-personnel cluster-bomb warhead and was produced in limited numbers.

Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

ATM-12Training designation

The 1963 redesignation mapped TGAM-83 to ATM-12, and later converted AGM-12A/B/D missiles also received ATM-12 training designations.

Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

Carrier Aircraft

Bullpup carriage is documented across U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force attack aircraft, with catalog links kept to source-backed public aircraft records.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
A-4 Skyhawk, Carrier-based light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsA-4 SkyhawkCarrier-based attack aircraft

The Skyhawk ordnance page lists AGM-12 Bullpup among the A-4's smart weapons and identifies Bullpup-capable A-4 variants.

Sources: Skyhawk Ordnance | The Skyhawk Association

F-4 Phantom II, Twin-engine, two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber, Aircraft & UAVsF-4 Phantom IIFighter-bomber

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force documents AGM-12B and AGM-12C Bullpup carriage on U.S. Air Force F-4 aircraft.

Sources: Martin AGM-12B Bullpup A | National Museum of the United States Air Force, Martin Marietta AGM-12C Bullpup B | National Museum of the United States Air Force

Timeline

AGM-12 Bullpup Key Events

  1. Requirement issued

    The Bullpup program began as a short-range air-to-ground missile requirement in 1953.

    Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

  2. Martin wins the competition

    Martin won the Bullpup competition in 1954 and moved the design into development.

    Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

  3. Fleet service begins

    The Bullpup family entered U.S. Navy fleet service in 1959.

    Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

  4. AGM-12 redesignation

    The Bullpup family was redesignated as the AGM-12 series in 1963.

    Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

  5. Production ends

    Production of the Bullpup family ended in 1969.

    Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

  6. Final retirements

    The last AGM-12C missiles were retired in the early 1980s.

    Sources: Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

Media

AGM-12 Bullpup Videos

AGM-12 Bullpup Images

AGM-12 Bullpup, Air-to-surface guided missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: File:AGM-12 Bullpup Missile Display in Hsinchu AFB 20120602a.jpg | Wikimedia Commons
AGM-12 Bullpup, Air-to-surface guided missile, Munitions - view 2
Source: File:AGM-12 Bullpup is fired from P-3B Orion of VP-23 in 1971.jpg | Wikimedia Commons
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Sources

Martin AGM-12 Bullpup | Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and MissilesPublisher: Designation-Systems.net | Note: Supports Bullpup development history, Martin manufacturer context, redesignation history, service chronology, production totals, and AGM-12B/C specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Skyhawk Ordnance | The Skyhawk AssociationPublisher: The Skyhawk Association | Note: Supports the A-4 Skyhawk's documented Bullpup carriage provisions and the listed A-4 variants provisioned for the missile. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Getting Closer: Precision Guided Weapons in the Southeast Asia WarPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use: the museum says radio-guided Martin AGM-12 Bullpup missiles were used in April 1965 on the first attack on the Thanh Hoa Bridge. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Martin AGM-12B Bullpup A | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports Bullpup A guidance, AGM-12B technical notes, F-100/F-105/F-4 carriage, and the vulnerability created by manual guidance during attacks. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Martin Marietta AGM-12C Bullpup B | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use: the museum says the AGM-12C was carried by U.S. Air Force F-4 and F-105 fighters during the Southeast Asia War; also supports AGM-12C specifications and production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Model, Missile, Bullpup B | National Air and Space MuseumPublisher: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Note: Supports Bullpup B/AGM-12C role, 10-mile range, 1,000-lb conventional warhead, radio guidance, and F-4/F-105 Vietnam War service context. | Accessed: 2026-07-0581460 Bullpup A Pilot's MissilePublisher: Periscope Film LLC | Note: Supports the selected archival video as a Bullpup A development and test film focused on AGM-12B missile handling, launch testing, target effects, and operational evaluation. | Accessed: 2026-07-05File:AGM-12C Bullpup-B missile on display at NMUSAF.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the museum-display AGM-12C Bullpup-B photo used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-07-05File:AGM-12 Bullpup Missile Display in Hsinchu AFB 20120602a.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Hsinchu AFB display photograph used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-05File:AGM-12 Bullpup is fired from P-3B Orion of VP-23 in 1971.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Bullpup launch photograph used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-05