The Penguin anti-ship missile, designated AGM-119 by the U.S. military, is a Norwegian passive IR seeker-based short-to-medium range anti-ship guided missile, designed for naval use.

 

Overview

Originally developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) of Norway in the early 1970s, it has been continually upgraded since. It was the first NATO AShM with an IR seeker (instead of the commonly used active radar technology).
 

The Penguin can be fired singly or in coordinated-arrival salvoes. Propelled by a solid rocket engine, it performs random weaving maneuvres at target approach and hits the target close to the waterline.
 

Of NATO's inventory of such missiles, it is the only variant that performs a terminal bunt and weave manoeuvre. The modified 120 kg warhead detonates inside the target ship by using a delay fuze. The MK3 when launched from high altitudes can initially act as a glidebomb, only firing its rocket engine to extend range, or ideally to achieve maximum speed before hitting the target; for better penetration.
 

In its various versions, the Penguin can be launched from a number of different weapons platforms:
 

• Surface vessels: Missile boats (its initial application) as well as larger ships

• Fighter aircraft: certified for F-16

• Helicopters (certified for the following aircraft):

o Bell 412 SP

o Kaman SH-2 Seasprite

o Sikorsky S-70 series (SH-60 Seahawk, UH-60 Black Hawk)

o Westland Super Lynx
 

KDA's successor to the Penguin is the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), offered from 2007 onwards. NSM features an imaging IR-seeker, GPS navigation, a turbojet sustainer engine (for much longer ranges: 150+ km), and significantly more computer performance and digital signal processing power.