Sea Eagle anti-ship missile

Also known as

BAe Sea Eagle
Sea Eagle P.3T
P.3T Sea Eagle
P.5T
Sea Eagle SL
Golden Eagle

Sea Eagle was a British medium-range, sea-skimming anti-ship missile built around autonomous over-the-horizon attack after air launch. RAF Museum and Forecast International sources tie the weapon to BAe Dynamics, Buccaneer and Tornado service, active-radar terminal homing, and later life-extension work under Matra BAe Dynamics.

Sea Eagle anti-ship missile, Air-launched anti-ship missile, Munitions

Image source: BAe Sea Eagle image

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: United Kingdom
Built by: BAe Dynamics
Type: Air-launched anti-ship missile
Service note: Designed in the late 1970s, used by UK forces from the mid-1980s into 2000, and later sustained through export-service life-extension work
Designer: BAe Dynamics
Designed: Research initiated around 1976; flight testing began around 1979-1980
Produced: Initial serial production began around 1983; Forecast International reported production had concluded by 2002
Number built: Forecast International reported approximately 523 Sea Eagles completed or in production by the end of 1992
Developed from: MARTEL / AJ.168 anti-ship missile lineage

Specifications

Role: Medium-range stand-off anti-surface-ship missile
Launch platforms: RAF Museum lists Buccaneer and Tornado; Forecast International also lists Buccaneer, Sea Harrier, Tornado, Hawk trials, and helicopter or ship-launch integration work
Guidance: Inertial navigation with active-radar terminal homing
Flight profile: Sea-skimming autonomous flight after launch
Engine: Microturbo TRI 60 turbojet
Range and speed: Forecast International lists P.3T effective and maximum range at about 100 km and speed around 1,129 km/h
Warhead: Forecast International describes a high-explosive warhead lineage from MARTEL and notes Sea Eagle warhead development by the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment
Dimensions: Forecast International lists P.3T length around 450 cm, diameter around 40 cm, weight around 830 kg, and wingspan around 130 cm
UK service status: RAF Museum lists 1984-2000 as the in-use window; Hansard states the UK withdrawal decision was taken in April 1999

Variants

Forecast International treats Sea Eagle as the P.3T air-launched member of the wider MARTEL/Sea Eagle family, with ship-launched and land-attack derivatives proposed but not adopted as the standard RAF/Royal Navy weapon.

Variant	Configuration	Designation notes
P.3T Sea Eagle	Air-launched anti-ship missile	The P.3T was the production Sea Eagle configuration, formally designated Sea Eagle by British Aerospace in January 1980 after UK development funding. Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast
P.5T	Ship-launched Sea Eagle proposal	British Aerospace developed the P.5T with launch boxes and booster rockets for shipboard use; Forecast International reports that Harpoon was selected instead for the 1984 Royal Navy ship-launched missile decision. Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast, Hansard Sea Eagle Ship-Launched Debate
Golden Eagle	Land-attack derivative proposal	Golden Eagle was offered for the UK's CASOM requirement as an evolutionary stand-off weapon based on Sea Eagle, with different seeker and warhead concepts for hardened land targets. Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast

Variant

Configuration

Designation notes

P.3T Sea Eagle

Air-launched anti-ship missile

The P.3T was the production Sea Eagle configuration, formally designated Sea Eagle by British Aerospace in January 1980 after UK development funding.

Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast

P.5T

Ship-launched Sea Eagle proposal

British Aerospace developed the P.5T with launch boxes and booster rockets for shipboard use; Forecast International reports that Harpoon was selected instead for the 1984 Royal Navy ship-launched missile decision.

Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast, Hansard Sea Eagle Ship-Launched Debate

Golden Eagle

Land-attack derivative proposal

Golden Eagle was offered for the UK's CASOM requirement as an evolutionary stand-off weapon based on Sea Eagle, with different seeker and warhead concepts for hardened land targets.

Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast

Launch Platforms

Sea Eagle was cataloged as an air-launched missile, so platform links are limited to existing catalog aircraft or helicopters with direct source support on this page.

Launcher	Launcher type	Launch evidence
Buccaneer S2	Strike aircraft	The RAF Museum identifies Buccaneer carriage, and Forecast International lists RAF Buccaneer aircraft among Sea Eagle launch platforms. Sources: BAe Sea Eagle RAF Museum, MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast
Panavia Tornado	Strike aircraft	RAF Museum and Forecast International sources both identify Tornado aircraft in Sea Eagle carriage or service context. Sources: BAe Sea Eagle RAF Museum, MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast
BAE Hawk	Trial aircraft	Forecast International reports that Sea Eagle had been fitted to the Hawk, distinguishing this as trial or integration context rather than documented conflict use. Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast
Sea King	Maritime helicopter integration	Forecast International reported Sea Eagle integration with the Sea King helicopter, using the same source-backed platform relationship without assigning conflict use to the missile. Sources: MARTEL and Sea Eagle Missile Forecast

Timeline

Sea Eagle anti-ship missile Key Events

Jan 1, 1976
Research initiated
Forecast International's Sea Eagle timetable places research initiation in 1976, with engineering development in 1977 and flight testing around 1979-1980.
Jan 1, 1984
RAF Museum service window begins
The RAF Museum collection record gives Sea Eagle's date in use as 1984-2000 and identifies British Aerospace and MBDA as maker names.
Jan 1, 1996
Matra BAe Dynamics life-extension work
Forecast International reported that the UK government contracted Matra BAe Dynamics in 1996 to begin a Sea Eagle service-life-extension program.
Apr 1, 1999
UK withdrawal decision
A 2001 Hansard answer stated that the decision to withdraw Sea Eagle from service was taken in April 1999 after the Strategic Defence Review judged the air-launched anti-surface requirement had diminished.