AGM-45 Shrike Set

Brengun, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by David Couche

AGM-45 Shrike is an American anti-radiation missile designed to home in on hostile anti-aircraft radar. The Shrike was developed by the Naval Weapons Centre at China Lake in 1963 by mating a seeker head to the rocket body of an AIM-7 Sparrow. It was phased out by U.S. in 1992 and at an unknown time by the Israeli Air Force (the only other major user), and has been superseded by the AGM-88 HARM missile.

The Shrike was first employed during the Vietnam War by the Navy in 1965 using A-4 aircraft. The Air Force adopted the weapon the following year using F-105F and G Thunderchief Wild Weasel SEAD aircraft, and later the F-4 Phantom II in the same role. The range was nominally shorter than the SA-2 Guideline missiles that the system was used against, although it was a great improvement over the early method of attacking SAM sites with rockets and bombs from F-100F Super Sabres. A Shrike was typically lofted about 30 degrees above the horizon at a Fan Song radar some 15 miles (25 km) away for a flight time of 50 seconds. Tactics changed incrementally over the campaigns of 1966 and 1967 until the advent of the AGM-78 Standard ARM. That new weapon allowed launches from significantly longer range with a much easier attack profile, as the Standard could be launched up to 180 degrees off target and still expect a hit and its speed allowed it to travel faster than the SA-2. Even after the Standard missile entered service, the Weasels still carried the Shrike because the Standard cost about $200,000, while a Shrike cost only $7,000. If USAF pilots expended a Standard they would have to fill out a lengthy form during debriefing. A somewhat standard load for the F-105G was a 650 US gal (2,500 l) centreline fuel tank, two Standards on inboard pylons and two Shrikes on the outboard pylons. The mix varied slightly for jamming pods and the occasional AIM-9 Sidewinder but this was the baseline.

Although the Shrike missile did not enter regular service with the United Kingdom, it was covertly supplied by the United States to the RAF for use in the Falklands War of 1982. RAF Shrikes were fitted to modified Vulcan bombers in order to attack Argentine radar installations during Operation Black Buck. The main target was a Westinghouse AN/TPS-43 long range 3D radar that the Argentine Air Force deployed during April to guard Falklands' airspace. The Argentine operators were aware of the anti-radiation missiles and would simply turn it off during the Vulcan's approaches. This radar remained intact during the whole conflict. However, air defences remained operational during the attacks and the Shrikes hit two of the less valuable and rapidly replaced secondary fire control radars. After one Vulcan made an emergency landing at Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian authorities confiscated a Shrike which was not returned.

About 95 AGM-45s were used in 1991 during Desert Storm against Iraqi air defence, mostly by F-4Gs.

*Text from Wikipedia

This set comes in a small compact sturdy box when opened, has beautifully detailed cast resin parts. There are sufficient parts to build 2 Shrike missiles and 2 launching rails. There is a smaller sheet of photo-etched parts, a sheet of decals and a typical Brengun set of instructions in a single sided A5 strip. The instructions has all steps with generic paint colour call outs in the construction steps. The decaling details are included on the same side.

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In more detail, the set has 4 grey resin casting blocks with 20 parts on them. The first block has the 2 missile bodies on it along with a launcher block for each missile pylon. The bodies have very good detail and inspection shows few obvious casting blemishes and pinholes, if any. Next is a pair of blocks, having the 4 fins on each of them. They are finely cast without blemishes again. Construction will be simple with little cleaning up, only where the casting blocks are and a minor scrape on the fins. The last block has 2 support plates for the launching rails, 4 eye mounts for the launchers as well as 2 missile electrical connections. These 2 parts will need some very careful cleaning up as they are very fine and there is some flash between the parts and the casting block that will need removing. The photo etch supplies 2 transport plates for the Shrikes and 3 rings for the exhaust section of the Shrikes, one of which is a spare for when you launch one into the jaws of the dreaded carpet monster…

As for painting details, an overall white missile can be painted by your favourite colour white. There are a number of decals that need to be applied, each side mirrored, and an option of having either a live missile or a training round, denoted by their colour bands around the body.

The Brengun AGM-45 Shrike set will certainly add some quality detail to your models and can be used on a number of US aircraft, such as the A-4, A-6, F-105, F-4,  some Israeli aircraft and if you want to do something really different, a RAF Vulcan from the Falklands. I would highly recommend this set for the great detail is will provide.

Thanks to Brengun for the review samples.

Review Text Copyright © 2021 by David Couche
Page Created 13 January, 2021
Last updated 13 January, 2021

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