United States Legacy Raytheon (RTX)
AIM-7 Sparrow
American semi-active radar-homing medium-range air-to-air missile that armed US and allied fighters from the Vietnam era through the 2000s before being superseded by the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
In service since 1958 · 20 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05
50
km range
4
Mach
39
kg warhead
💲 ≈ $125,000, Unit cost about USD 125,000; more than 70,000 rounds produced across all variants.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 20 operators
In service since 1958. Status: legacy · ~70,000 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 4 Mach |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 50 km |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 39 kg |
|---|---|
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | High-explosive blast-fragmentation |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Semi-active radar homing |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 3.66 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 0.81 m |
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 0.2 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 231 kg |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Hercules Mk 58 solid-propellant rocket motor (AIM-7F/M/P) |
|---|---|
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Solid-fuel rocket |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $125,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 70,000 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 20 |
Specifications compiled from public Raytheon (RTX) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
AIM-7 Sparrow vs
Meteor 
IRIS-T Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow has a maximum range of 50 km.
How much does the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow weigh? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow has a combat weight of 231 kg.
What engine does the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow use? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow is powered by the Hercules Mk 58 solid-propellant rocket motor (AIM-7F/M/P).
How many countries operate the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow is operated by 20 countries.
How much does the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow cost? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow has an approximate unit cost of 125,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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