Which launcher requires an umbilical connector, ground strap, and a rocket motor connection to activate and deploy the AGM-65?

• A. LAU-141
• B. LAU-117
• C. M299
• D. GAU-22

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how the AGM-65 Maverick is armed and launched from its launcher. Some launchers provide a direct electrical arming and motor-ignition path to the missile, which must be established through specific launcher-to-missile connections. The presence of an umbilical connector, a ground strap, and a rocket motor connection indicates that the launcher supplies power, signaling, and a direct ignition path to the missile’s motor and arming circuitry. This lets the aircraft arm the Maverick and ignite the motor just before or at launch, enabling deployment.

This is characteristic of the LAU-117 configuration. It includes the dedicated electrical umbilical for arming signals, a ground strap to bleed off static electricity, and a connection to the rocket motor to initiate ignition. Without these interfaces, the missile remains safe and inert on the launcher.

Other launchers listed do not require this same arming and motor-ignition interface, so they don’t rely on all three of those connections for activating and deploying the AGM-65.