CRV7

The CRV7 remains one of the most powerful air-to-ground attack rockets to this day, and has slowly become the de facto standard for Western-aligned forces outside the United States.

[2][3] In September 2024 Canadian defence minister Bill Blair announced Canada would be sending 80,840 rocket motors to Ukraine over the next months, in addition to the 2,100 already shipped, along with 1,300 warheads.

This program led to the development of the Black Brant sounding rocket, which first flew in 1960 and has had a long and successful career since then.

In the early 1970s, CARDE and Bristol decided to use the same propellant and engine design for a new 2.75-inch rocket to equip the Canadair CF-104 Starfighter.

[9] The CRV7 had just been introduced into Royal Canadian Air Force service when it was entered as a part of a general competition in France.

The remaining unburned propellant shattered, allowing more surface area of the rocket motor to burn, in turn increasing the pressure and rate of combustion until it became a deflagration that destroyed the tower.

This problem led to the development of the RLU-5002/B (C-15) engine, which did not include aluminium and produced considerably less smoke, with a slightly lower impulse of 2,185 lbf·s (9.7 kN·s).

[11] The primary warhead for the original CRV7 was the U.S. M151 High Explosive Point Detonating (HEPD) round, a simple impact-fired 10 lb (4.5 kg) high-explosive shell.

[7] These rounds matched the ballistics of the M151 for training purposes and were widely used during the development and introduction of the weapon to the Canadian Forces.

Bristol followed this with the 16 lb (7.3 kg) WDU-50001/B "Anti-Bunkerette" round, a semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary (SAPHEI/HEISAP) warhead designed for use against reinforced concrete buildings, specifically hardened aircraft shelters.

Its heavy steel shell allows the round to penetrate the hangar wall before the 75 g incendiary warhead is ignited.

The seeker uses a simple inertial guidance system through the midcourse and homes during the terminal approach using a laser designator.

Combining the laser seeker with the FAT warhead produces a capable long-range anti-tank missile that is faster and much less expensive than traditional platforms like the AGM-114 Hellfire.

A SUU-5003 bomblet dispenser adapted to fire four CRV7 rockets. Two rocket tubes are visible, while shackles for six practice bombs are located underneath. Given both stores, pilots can train rocket and bomb fire on a single sortie.
Photograph of an Apache helicopter firing three rockets at a target out of frame.
A British Army AugustaWestland Apache AH.1 attack helicopter of the Army Air Corps in Afghanistan fires rockets at insurgents during a patrol in 2008.
Photograph of an AgustaWestland Apache firing CRV7 rockets at night.
A British Army WAH-64 'Apache' attack helicopter fires a salvo of CRV7 (Practice) rockets at targets down range during a two-day live firing exercise at Lulworth Ranges/Bovington Camp in Dorset.