| Is Missile: | yes |
| AGM-123 Skipper II | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Rocket assisted, low-level, laser-guided bomb |
| Used By: | United States Navy, United States Marine Corps |
| Manufacturer: | Emerson Electric |
| Service: | 1985-1990s[1] |
| Engine: | Aerojet Mk 78 dual-thrust solid-fueled rocket |
| Weight: | 582 kg (1,283 lb) |
| Length: | 4.3 m (14 ft 1.2 in) |
| Diameter: | 0.5 m (1 ft 7.6 in) |
| Wingspan: | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Speed: | 1,100 km/h (680 mph) |
| Vehicle Range: | 25 km (15.5 statute miles) |
| Filling: | 1000 lb (450 kg) Mk 83 bomb |
| Guidance: | laser-guidance |
| Detonation: | Impact-fuse |
AGM-123 Skipper II is a short-range laser-guided missile developed by the United States Navy. The Skipper was intended as an anti-ship weapon, capable of disabling the largest vessels with a 1,000-lb (450-kg) impact-fuzed warhead.
The AGM-123 is composed out of a 10000NaN0 Mark 83 low-drag general purpose bomb fitted with a Paveway guidance kit and one Aerojet Mk 78 solid-propellant rocket that fires upon launch. The rocket allows the AGM-123 to be dropped farther away from the target than could free-fall bombs, which helps protect the delivery aircraft from surface-to-air-missiles and anti-aircraft artillery near the target.
The AGM-123 was developed at the China Lake Naval Weapons Center and was carried by the A-6E Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, and F/A-18.
Four Skipper missiles launched by A-6E Intruders contributed to sinking the Iranian frigate Sahand during Operation Praying Mantis on April 18, 1988.[2]
Skipper missiles were also fired in Operation Desert Storm against Iraqi surface vessels by A-6s and U.S. Marine aircraft.