Among the weapons that will be supplied by the U.S. to the Ukrainian army are radar-guided RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, which can be launched from Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air missile systems by the Ukrainian air defense.
The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles will preciously increase the ammunition capacity of Ukrainian air defense systems, whose missiles are running out due to constant air attacks from Russia with missiles and Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones.
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a U.S. ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. The system was developed in the early 1960s from the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile as a lightweight “point-defense” weapon that could be retrofitted to existing ships as quickly as possible, often in place of existing gun-based anti-aircraft weapons. In this incarnation, it was a very simple system guided by a manually aimed radar illuminator.
After its introduction, the system underwent significant development into an automated system similar to other US Navy missiles like the RIM-2 Terrier. Contemporary improvements being made to the Sparrow for the air-to-air role led to similar improvements in the Sea Sparrow through the 1970s and 80s. After that point, the air-to-air role passed to the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the Sea Sparrow underwent a series of upgrades strictly for the naval role. It now resembles the AIM-7 only in general form; it is larger, faster and includes a new seeker and a launch system suitable for vertical launch from modern warships. The Sea Sparrow remains an important part of a layered air defense system, providing a short/medium-range component especially – but not only – useful against sea-skimming missiles.