Missile AGM-12 Bullpup

Development of the Bullpup began in 1953, prompted by Korean War experiences that demonstrated the difficulty of striking point land targets with conventional bombing. Following a contract tender in 1953, the first test launches occurred in June 1955. The missile officially entered service with the United States Navy on April 25, 1959.

The missile is a short-range air-to-ground weapon constructed in separate nose and tail sections. The nose contains guidance receivers and electro-pneumatic actuators for four control fins, while the tail holds tracking flares and larger wings. Flight stabilization is provided by an internal gyroscope. Propulsion was initially provided by a solid propellant rocket motor, while later variants utilized a liquid fuel rocket engine burning storable hypergolic propellants. Guidance is executed via a Manual Command Line Of Sight (MCLOS) system. The operator steers the missile using a cockpit joystick while tracking two tail-mounted flares. Early models required the launch aircraft to fly directly toward the target to transmit signals, while later variants introduced a radio control system enabling off-axis guidance. Warhead options included conventional high-explosive bombs, an anti-personnel cluster warhead containing BLU-26/B bomblets, and a tactical nuclear warhead option carrying the W45.

The weapon was widely deployed by the United States Navy and United States Air Force, and was exported to several countries, including Australia, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. It was utilized in combat during the Vietnam War, carried by aircraft such as the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, F-100 Super Sabre, F-105 Thunderchief, and F-4 Phantom II. During a combat mission on April 3, 1965, sixteen F-105s attacked the Thanh Hóa Bridge using the missile; the strikes failed to damage the structure. Combat operations revealed vulnerabilities, as the manual guidance system required pilots to make multiple passes and remain on a steady flight path, allowing ground gunners to target the launching aircraft by firing at the missile's flare trail. The missile was progressively replaced by automatic precision-guided weapons. The United States Navy retired the weapon in July 1978, while some variants remained in service until the early 1980s.