The Navy AGILE and the Air Force CLAW
In the years immediately preceding the Congressional budget review
for FY 75, the Navy had been engaged in subsystem development and testing
of a sophisticated dogfight AAM which they named AGILE. The AGILE, in the
Air Force viewpoint prevailing during those years, would have operational
parameters far in excess of Air Force requirements. This missile, with
thrust vector control and a highly capable guidance and control system,
would be able to attain “kills” well past the point 90 degrees to the left
or right of the launch aircraft’s heading. This seems quite desirable from
a Naval fleet defense standpoint, but it would make Air Force wingmen a
rare commodity, considering current tactical doctrine. It was considered
too much bang for too many bucks and, therefore, Air Force requirements
people initiated a search for an alternative.
The Concept for a Low—Cost Air—to—Air Missile (CLAW) was initiated
within the Pentagon where considerable studies were made or contracted
for, to investigate the conceptual feasibility of a dogfight missile less
capable and less costly than AGILE. Having seen both sides of the argument
during that period , this writer remains unconvinced that CLAW, as it
was to be developed, would have succeeded; but the discussion is academic
for neither AGILE nor CLAW survived Congressional scrutiny during that
Fall of 1974.
As the two Services presented testimony for MN developments to the
Senate Subcommittee on Tactical Air Power, they were brought up shor t on
the issue of AGILE versus CLAW. Upon completion of their two presentations ,
they were asked to explain their divergence. Congress wanted to know why
the Air Force and Navy were going off in totally different directions with
CLAW and AGILE. It was painfully brought to the Services ’ attention that
both use the same kind of airplanes and are both going to be shooting at a
common enemy. (4:4722) In the words of Senator Nunn,
Regarding the short range dogfight missiles, we are
seeing a situation where there appears to be a tendency
for proliferation of different types of missiles to do
much the same job, which is to shoot down an enemy airplane
in close—in combat. (4:4653)