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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 programmed 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 cancelled 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.

Specifications and Performance Data

Dimensions

• Span: 8 ft.
• Length: 7 ft.

Weight:

• Weight loaded: 450 lbs

Armament

• 40 lb. warhead

Power Plant:

• Rocket booster for launch.
• Modified snowmobile engine of 20-hp for sustained flight

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 mph.
• Range: Approximately 300 miles

Cost:

• Approximately $100,000

References

1. Photos: John Shupek, Copyright © 2009 Skytamer Images. All Rights Reserved
2. National Museum of the United States Air Force. "Factsheets: Boeing YCGM-121B Seek Spinner." [Online] Available http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=407, 9 December 2009