AGM-123 Skipper

AGM-123 Skipper II was created by the U.S. Navy's China Lake weapons center as a relatively quick way to turn existing bomb and rocket components into a laser-guided standoff weapon. It combined a guidance kit and rocket motor with a bomb warhead, giving naval aircraft more reach than a simple laser-guided bomb. The program shows a practical Cold War approach: use proven parts to fill a tactical gap quickly.

The missile used semi-active laser guidance, requiring target designation by the launching aircraft or another designator. A rocket motor extended range and changed the weapon from a glide bomb into a powered missile. This made Skipper useful for attacks against ships, bridges, and hardened point targets where standoff and precision mattered.

AGM-123 was used in limited numbers and never became a major long-term missile family. Its significance is that it reflects the transitional era before GPS weapons and more advanced standoff missiles became common. It gave naval aircraft a useful precision option while exposing the limitations of laser-dependent attack in weather, smoke, or contested conditions.