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Boeing YCGM-121B Seek Spinner
United States — Boeing-Robotic Air Vehicle (BRAVE 200)
Archive Photos
Boeing YCGM-121B "Seek Spinner" Boeing Robotic Air Vehicle (BRAVE) at The National Museum of the United States Air Force, WPAFB, Dayton, Ohio (Photos by John Shupek)
History
The BRAVE 200 was designed and built by Boeing Military Airplane Company in the early 1980s and received the military designation YCGM-121B. It is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to seek out and attack the radars that control enemy anti-aircraft artillery or surface-to-air missile defenses. (Some radar antennas rotate or spin, hence the name "Seek Spinner.") It is launched from the ground with rocket assistance. Using instructions programd into its computer, the YCGM-121B flies to a designated target where it loiters or circles until its sensors detect the enemy radar signal. The vehicle then follows the radar beam to its source and detonates its warhead damaging or destroying the radar site.
The Seek Spinner underwent testing for a number of years with promising results. However, it never became operational. The last test flight took place in late 1989. The program was then canceled due to cost and the availability of alternative systems. The National Museum of the United States Air Force received the "Seek Spinner" UAV shown in the above photo in late 1989.
Boeing-Robotic YCGM-121B "Sleek Spinner" Specifications
General Characteristics
Performance
References