The Northrop SM-62 Snark ICGLCM:
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And from Wikipedia:
SM-62 Snark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northrop SM-62 Snark
Place of origin: United States
Service history
In service: 1959-1961
Used by: U.S. Air Force
Production history
Manufacturer: Northrop
Produced: 1958-1961
Specifications
Weight: 48,147 lb (21,839 kg) without booster, 60,000 (27,200 kg) with booster
Length: 67 ft 2 in (20.47 m)
Warhead: Nuclear
Engine: 1× Pratt & Whitney J57 jet engine; 2 Aerojet-General solid-propellant rocket boosters
J-57: 10,500 lbf (46.7 kN) thrust, rockets: 130,000 lbf (580 kN) thrust
Wingspan: 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m)
Operational range: 5,497 nm (10,180 km)
Flight ceiling: 50,250 ft (15,320 m)
Speed: 565 kn (1,050 km/h)
Guidance system: celestial navigation
Launch platform: Mobile Launcher
The Northrop SM-62 Snark was a specialized intercontinental cruise missile with a nuclear warhead operated by the U.S. Strategic Air Command from 1958 until 1961. It takes its name from Lewis Carroll's snark.[1]
The Snark was developed to offer a nuclear deterrence to the Soviet Union at a time when ICBMs were still in development. It was the only intercontinental surface-to-surface cruise missile ever deployed by the United States Air Force. With the deployment of ICBMs, it was rendered obsolete and taken out of service.
Design and development
Work on the project began in 1946. Initially there were two missiles — a subsonic design (the MX775A Snark) and a supersonic design (the MX775B Boojum).[2] Budget reductions threatened the project in its first year, but the intervention of Jack Northrop and Carl Spaatz saved the project. Despite this, funding was low and the program was dogged by requirement changes. The expected due date of 1953 passed with the design still in testing and SAC was becoming less enthusiastic. In 1955, Eisenhower ordered top priority to the ICBM and associated missile programs. The original designation was B-62.
Despite considerable difficulties with the missile and military reservations toward it, work continued. In the 1957 tests the missile had a circular error probable (CEP) of only 17 nautical miles (31.5 km). By 1958 the celestial navigation system used by the Snark allowed its most accurate test, which appeared to fall 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) short of the target. However, this apparent failure was at least partially because the British Navigation Charts used to determine the position of Ascension Island were based on position determination techniques less accurate than those used by the Snark. The missile landed where Ascension Island would be found if more accurate navigation methods had been used when developing the chart.[3] However, even with the decreased CEP, the design was notoriously unreliable, with the majority of tests suffering mechanical failure thousands of miles before reaching the target. Other factors, such as the reduction in operating altitude from 150,000 to 55,000 feet (46 to 17 km) and the inability of the system to detect countermeasures and perform evasive maneuvers also made the Snark an undesirable strategic deterrent.
Technical description
The jet powered 20.5 m long unmanned aircraft had a top speed of 650 mph (1,046 km/h) and a maximum range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km). The complex stellar navigation guidance system gave a claimed CEP of 8,000 ft (2.4 km).
The Snark was an air-breathing design, launched from a light platform by two rocket booster engines. It switched to an internal jet engine for the remainder of its flight. The jet was a Pratt and Whitney J57, the first 10,000 lbf (44 kN) thrust design, also used in the early B-52 and the F-100. Lacking a horizontal tail, the missile used elevons as its primary flight control surfaces, and flew an unusual nose high aspect during level flight. During the final phase of flight the nuclear warhead separated from the missile's main body and followed a ballistic trajectory to the target. Upon separation, due to the abrupt shift in its center of gravity, the missile body performed an abrupt pitch-up maneuver to avoid colliding with the warhead.
A photo sequence illustrating the separation sequence
One advanced feature of the Snark was its ability to fly missions of up to 11 hours and return for a landing. If the warhead did not detach, the missile could be flown repeatedly. Lacking landing gear, it was necessary for the Snark to skid to a stop on a flat, level surface. The runway at Cape Canaveral is still today known as the Skid Strip.
Operational history
In January 1958 the Strategic Air Command began accepting delivery of operational missiles to Patrick Air Force Base in Florida for training and in 1959 the 702d Strategic Missile Wing was formed. Multiple launch failures led to the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Canaveral being described as "Snark infested waters."
On 27 May 1959, Presque Isle Air Force Base in Maine, the only Snark base, received its first operational missile. Ten months later, on March 18, 1960, a Snark officially went on alert status. Thirty are known to have been deployed."[4]
The 702nd was not declared fully operational until February 1961. In March 1961, President Kennedy declared the Snark "obsolete and of marginal military value" and on 25 June 1961 the 702d was deactivated.[1]
Aerial photo illustrating the nose-up flight attitude
Survivors
Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Albuquerque, New Mexico
See also
United States Air Force portal
Strategic Air Command
Comparable aircraft SM-64 Navaho
Related lists List of missiles
List of military aircraft of the United States
References
1.^ The poem "The Hunting of the Snark".
2.^ From the same poem: "The snark was a boojum, you see."
3.^ "Personal interview with George F. Douglas, Chief Project Engineer, ca. 1967"
4.^ Gibson, James N. Nuclear Weapons of the United States — An Illustrated History . Atglen, Pennsylvania.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1996, Library of Congress card no. 96-67282, ISBN 0-7643-0063-6, page 151.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Northrop SM-62
The Evolution of the Cruise Missile by Werrell, Kenneth P.
The Day They Lost The Snark by J.P. Anderson Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil
Excellent article on the Snark on FAS.org
Our First Guided Missileaires, July 1954, Popular Mechanics detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it
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The North American Aviation SM-64 Navaho ICGLCM
From youtube:
More, from fas.org:
SM-64 Navaho
Concurrent with the Snark, another cruise missile had its brief moment in the sun. Compared to the Snark, the North American Navaho was much more dramatic and ambitious. Although the two air-breathing intercontinental missiles developed together, USAF planned to get the subsonic Snark into operations first, followed by the supersonic Navaho. Eventually, both would move aside for ballistic missiles.
In December 1945, the Technical Research Laboratory of North American Aviation submitted a proposal to the Air Force to continue German missile research, apparently in response to military requirements issued late that year. North American proposed a three stage effort: first add wings to a V-2, then substitute a turbojet-ramjet powerplant for the German rocket engine, and finally couple this missile with a booster rocket for intercontinental range. In April 1946, the Air Force bought the first part of this scheme under project MX-770, a 175- to 500 mile range surface-to-surface missile. In July 1947, it added the 1,500-mile range, supersonic ramjet to the program. By March 1948, the program called for a 1,000-mile test vehicle, a 3,000-mile test vehicle, and a 5,000-mile operational missile. In 1950, the Air Force considered launching a Navaho from a B-36, an idea dropped the next year. Finally, in September, USAF firmed up the program, that is, not further changing it. The Navaho program called first for the design, construction, and test of a turbojet test vehicle, followed by a 3,600-mile-range interim missiles and culminating in a 5,500-mile-range operational weapon.
USAF designated the first step, the turbojet test vehicle, the X-10. Two Westinghouse J40WE-1 turbojets powered the X-10, which first flew in October 1953. The missile was 70 feet long, configured with a canard, "V" tail, and 28-foot delta wing. Radio controls and landing gear permitted recovery. In all, 11 vehicles flew 27 flights. On the 19th test, the North American missile reached a maximum speed of Mach 2.05, establishing a speed record for turbojet-powered aircraft.
Unfortunately, problems hindered the follow-on (interim) missile, the XSM-64, and schedules slipped badly. In March 1952, USAF estimated that the first acceptance would occur in January 1954; it occurred in April 1956, 27 months late. Similarly, a January 1954 estimate expected the first flight in September 1954, a flight actually not attempted until November 1956. The first successful flight did not come until well into 1957. There was no single problem; difficulties seem to affect just about everything except the airframe. The most serious problems, however, centered on the ramjets and auxiliary power unit, the latter not operating successfully until February 1956.
Between the summers of 1954 and 1955, USAF considered pushing the XSM-64 into operational service, but problems and delays in the basic program killed that idea. The Air Force did accelerate the Navaho program in late 1955, giving it a priority second only to that of the ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) and IRBMs (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles), aiming to get the intercontinental- range missile operational by October 1960.
The XSM-64 resembled the X-10 in size and configuration. The big difference was a 76-foot, 3-inch long booster that was used piggy-back fashion with the XSM- 64. Together, the two measured 82 feet 5 inches in length and were launched vertically.
As impressive as the XSM-64 looked on paper and to the eye, in reality the system proved far different. The XSM-64 flight tests disappointed all, earning the project the uncomplimentary appellation, "Never go, Navaho." The first XSM-64 launch attempted in November 1956 ended in failure after a mere 26 seconds of flight. Ten unsuccessful launch attempts occurred before a second Navaho got airborne on 22 March 1957, for four minutes and 39 seconds. A 25 April attempt ended in an explosion seconds after liftoff, while a fourth flight on 26 June 1957 lasted a mere four minutes and 29 seconds.
Little wonder then, with the lack of positive results, cost pressures, schedules slippages, and increasing competition from ballistic missiles, that USAF canceled the program a few weeks later in early July 1957. The Air Force did authorize up to five more XSM-64 flights at a cost not to exceed $5 million. These tests, "Fly Five," occurred between 12 August 1957 and 25 February 1958. Although harassed by problems and failures, the vehicle exceeded Mach 3, with the longest flight lasting 42 minutes and 24 seconds. The final Navaho tests consisted of two launches in project RISE (Research in Supersonic Environment), which were equally unsuccessful. On the first flight on 11 September 1958, the ramjets did not start and on the second and last flight on 18 November 1958, the missile broke up at 77,000 feet. It cost the taxpayers over $700 million to gain less than 1 hours of flight time. So ended the Navaho project.
Nevertheless, USAF saw the Navaho project as a leap forward in the state of the art of missile technology. The Navaho required new technology that resulted in a complex missile. For example, aerodynamic heating (300 at Mach 2 and 660 at Mach 3) demanded new materials. North American used titanium alloys, much stronger than aluminum and yet 40 percent lighter than steel, as well as precious and rare metals at contact points on much of the electrical gear. Other untested technology and areas of risk included the canard configuration, ramjets, guidance, and the massive rocket booster. The situation required North American to develop and then manufacture these various pieces of new technology concurrently.
On the positive side, although the Navaho did not get into service, some of its components did. Some went into other equally unsuccessful North American projects such as the F-108 and B-70. Others fared better. The Redstone used the rocket engine concept, and the Thor and the Atlas adapted the engine. The Hound Dog, the nuclear submarine Nautilus for its epic under-the-ice passage of the North Pole, and the Navy's A3J-1 Vigilante bomber, all adapted the Navaho's inertial autonavigation system. Therefore, while the Navaho proved costly, the program did have positive benefits.
Specifications
Sources and Resources
Air Force Space & Missile Museum rolls out restored Navaho missile Jul 10, 1998 -- The Air Force Space and Missile Museum is rolling out the only Navaho missile in existence after a two-year restoration effort to repair damage from corrosion.
"Evolution of the Cruise Missile" by the USAF
And, from Wikipedia:
SM-64 Navaho
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Navaho missile on launch pad
Navaho on display at CCAFS, Florida
The North American SM-64 Navaho was a supersonic intercontinental cruise missile project built by North American Aviation. The program ran from 1946 to 1958 when it was cancelled in favor of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Development
The Navaho program began as part of a series of guided missile research efforts started in 1946. Designated MX-770, the original intent of the program was the development of a winged V-2 missile that could deliver a nuclear (fission) warhead over a distance of 500 miles (800 km). This was more than double the range of the V-2 as well as having a larger payload. Design studies showed the promise of still greater ranges and by 1950 the vehicle had evolved from a 500-mile (800 km) ground launched winged V-2, to a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) range ramjet powered winged V-2, to a 1,500-mile (2,400 km) air-launched, ramjet-powered, winged V-2 (actually designated XSSM-A-2), to finally a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) plus rocket boosted ramjet powered cruise missile. The design evolution finally ended in July 1950 with the issuing by the Air Force of Weapon System 104-A. Under this new requirement the purpose of the program was the development of a 5,500-mile (8,900 km) range nuclear missile.[1]
Under the new requirements of WS-104A, the Navaho program was broken up into three guided missile efforts. The first of these missiles was the North American X-10, a flying subrange vehicle to prove the general aerodynamics, guidance, and control technologies for vehicles two and three. The X-10 was essentially an unmanned high performance jet, powered by two afterburning J-40 turbojets and equipped with retractable landing gear for take off and landing. It was capable of speeds up to Mach 2 and could fly almost 500 miles (800 km). Its success at Edwards AFB and then at Cape Canaveral set the stage for the development of the second vehicle: XSSM-A-4, Navaho II, or G-26.
Step two, the G-26, was a nearly full-size Navaho nuclear vehicle. Launched vertically by a liquid-fuel rocket booster, the G-26 would rocket upward until it had reached a speed of approximately Mach 3 and an altitude of 50,000 ft (15,000 m). At this point the booster would be expended and the vehicle's ramjets ignited to power the vehicle to its target. The G-26 made a total of 10 launches from Launch Complex 9 (LC-9) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) between 1956 and 1957. Launch Complex 10 (LC-10) was also assigned to the Navaho program, but no G-26's were ever launched from it (it was only used for ground tests of the planned portable launcher).
The final operational version, the G-38 or XSM-64A, was the same basic design as the G-26 only larger. It incorporated numerous new technologies: Titanium, gimballed rocket engines, Kerosene/Lox fuel combination, full solid-state, etc. None were ever flown, the program being cancelled before the first example was completed. The advanced rocket booster technology went on to be used in other missiles including the intercontinental ballistic missile Atlas and the inertial guidance system was later used as the guidance system on the first U.S. nuclear powered submarines.
Development of the first stage rocket engine for the Navaho began with two refurbished V-2 engines in 1947. That same year, the phase II engine was designed, the XLR-41-NA-1, a simplified version of the V-2 engine made from American parts. The phase III engine, XLR-43-NA-1 (also called 75K), adopted a cylindrical combustion chamber with the experimental German impinging-stream injector plate. Engineers at North American were able to solve the combustion stability problem, which had prevented it being used in the V-2, and the engine was successfully tested at full power in 1951. The Phase IV engine, XLR-43-NA-3 (120K), replaced the poorly cooled heavy German engine wall with a brazed tubular ("spaghetti") construction, which was becoming the new standard method for regenerative cooling in American engines. A dual-engine version of this, XLR-71-NA-1 (240K), was used in the G-26 Navaho. With improved cooling, a more powerful kerosene-burning version was developed for the triple-engine XLR-83-NA-1 (405K), used in the G-38 Navaho. With all the elements of a modern engine (except a bell-shaped nozzle), this led to designs for the Atlas, Thor and Titan engines.
The first launch attempt, in November 1956, failed after 26 seconds of flight. Ten failed launches followed, before another got off successfully, on 22 March 1957, for 4 minutes, 39 seconds of flight. An April 25 attempt exploded seconds after liftoff, while a 26 June flight lasted only 4 minutes, 29 seconds. [2]
Officially, the program was canceled on July 13, 1957 after the first four launches ended in failure. In reality the program was obsolete by mid-1957 as the first Atlas ICBM began flight tests in June and the Jupiter and Thor IRBMs were showing great promise. These ballistic missiles however would not have been possible without the liquid fuel rocket engine developments accomplished in the Navaho program. The launch of the Soviet Satellite Sputnik in October 1957 only finished Navaho as the Air Force shifted its research money into ICBMs. But the technologies developed for the Navaho were reused in 1957 for the development of the AGM-28 Hound Dog, a nuclear cruise missile which entered in production in 1959.
The Soviet Union had been working on parallel projects, The Myasishchev "Buran" and Lavochkin "Burya" and a little later, the Tupolev Tu-123. The first two types were also large rocket-boosted ramjets while the third was a turbojet-powered machine. With the cancellation of the Navaho and the promise of ICBMs in the strategic missile role, the first two were canceled as well, though the Lavochkin project, which had some successful test flights, was carried on for R&D purposes and the Tupolev was reworked as a big, fast reconnaissance drone.
The missile is named after the Navajo Nation and is in keeping with North American Aviation's habit of naming projects with code names starting with the letters "NA".
Operators
United States: The United States Air Force canceled the program before accepting the Navaho into service.
Survivors
The only Navaho missile in existence is currently displayed outside the south entrance gate of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Specifications
General characteristics
Length: 67 ft 11 in (20.7 m)
Wingspan: 28 ft 7 in (8.71 m)
Height: ()
Loaded weight: 64,850 lb (29,420 kg)
Powerplant: 2× XRJ47-W-5 ramjets, 15,000 lbf (67 kN) each
2× XLR83-NA-1 rocket boosters, 200,000 lbf (890 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 3 (2,000 kn, 3,700 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nmi, (6,500 km)
Service ceiling: 77,000 ft (23,000 m)
Thrust/weight (jet): 0.46:1
Armament
1 × W41 nuclear warhead
See also
United States Air Force portal
Comparable aircraft SM-62 Snark
North American X-10
Related lists List of missiles
List of military aircraft of the United States
References
1.^ *Gibson, James N. "The Navaho Missile Project/ The Story of the Know-How missile of American Rocketry," Altglen, PA, Schiffer Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-7643-0048-2.
2.^ Werrell, Kenneth P., "The Evolution of the Cruise Missile", Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama, first printing 1995, second printing 1998, Library of Congress card number 85-8131, ISBN 358-174-0973, page 98.
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The Chance Vought RGM-6 Regulus I and RGM-15 Regulus II SLCMs
RGM-6
MGM-5
AIM/RIM-7
Copyright © 2001-2003 Andreas Parsch
Vought SSM-N-8/RGM-6 Regulus
The Regulus was the first strategic long-range nuclear-armed guided missile deployed by the U.S. Navy.
After using bomb-equipped remotely controlled target drones to strike heavily defended targets in late 1944, the Navy's development of proper surface-to-surface missile systems began in 1946. Initially, it was planned to use a variant of the USAAF's JB-2 (a V-1 look-alike cruise) missile as a ship/submarine-launched weapon, to be designated KGW-1 Loon. However, it soon became obvious that Loon was ill-suited as a tactical weapon, and it was used instead as a research vehicle (designated KUW-1, and later LTV-N-2) to test guidance and launching principles between 1947 and 1950. The Vought company was originally tasked to develop a short-range SSM, but Vought instead proposed a 320 km (200 mile) range missile, which was accepted by the Navy. In June 1946 the Navy awarded Vought a contract to develop the SSM-8 (changed to SSM-N-8 in early 1948) Regulus guided missile.
The Regulus was a turbojet-powered cruise missile, which could be launched by solid-rocket boosters from surface ships or surfaced submarines. It used a radio-command guidance system, and the missile was remotely-controlled for the whole flight by ground stations, aircraft, or ships along the flight-path. The usual procedure for a maximum range flight was that control was handed over from one controller to the next up to 3 times.
The XSSM-N-8 Regulus flight test vehicles had a retractable landing gear to make the missile reusable. The first flight of an XSSM-N-8 occurred in March 1951, the first shipboard launch succeeded in November 1952, and the first submarine launch was done in July 1953 by the USS Tunny. At about the same time, the SSM-N-8 Regulus was renamed as Regulus I, to distinguish it from the forthcoming SSM-N-9/RGM-15 Regulus II.
SSM-N-8 (RGM-6A)
In May 1954, the Regulus I was declared operational. The tactical missiles, designated SSM-N-8a, were of course not equipped with a landing gear, the space being used for additional fuel. A visible difference between the SSM-N-8 and the SSM-N-8a was the slightly bulged chin of the SSM-N-8a, which was necessary to provide a common warhead section for the W-5 and W-27 nuclear warheads. By 1957, 16 ships (10 Essex-class carriers, 4 destroyers, and 2 submarines) were equipped to launch the Regulus. Additionally, many more submarines were equipped with Regulus guidance equipment.
Landing gear equipped Regulus rounds continued to be used as training missiles and target drones, with the designations SSM-N-8 (training) and KDU-1 (target).
Photo: Vought Photo: U.S. Navy
SSM-N-8a (RGM-6B) KDU-1 (BQM-6C)
The Regulus I had severe inherent shortcomings. A launching submarine had to surface and sit dead in the water, the guidance method was very susceptible to electronic jamming, and the missile itself flew at subsonic speeds, making interception relatively easy. In 1960, Regulus I was no longer used on carriers (it had never been popular, being regarded as a competitor to manned aircraft), but the submarine force had increased to five ships. However, at that time the UGM-27 Polaris SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) system became operational, which rendered the Regulus completely obsolete.
In 1963, shortly before retirement, the Regulus I was redesignated in the RGM-6 series as follows:
Old Designation New Designation
SSM-N-8 RGM-6A
SSM-N-8a RGM-6B
KDU-1 BQM-6C
The last Regulus submarine was retired in 1964, and many missiles were converted into BQM-6C targets afterwards. In total, about 500 Regulus I missiles of all types were built.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for SSM-N-8a (RGM-6B):
Length (w/o booster) 10.1 m (33 ft 4 in)
Diameter 1.4 m (56 in)
Wingspan 6.4 m (21 ft)
Weight (w/o booster) 4670 kg (10300 lb); booster: 790 kg (1750 lb)
Speed 960 km/h (600 mph); Mach 1.1 in terminal dive
Ceiling 12200 m (40000 ft)
Range 925 km (500 nm)
Propulsion Cruise: Allison J33-A-18A turbojet; 20 kN (4600 lb)
Booster: 2x Aerojet General solid-fueled rocket; 146 kN (33000 lb) each
Warhead W-5 nuclear fission (40 kT); optional W-27 thermonuclear (2 MT) warhead available from 1958
Main Sources
[1] Norman Friedman: "US Naval Weapons", Conway Maritime Press, 1983
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[4] Vought Heritage Website
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the Chance Vought RGM-15 Regulus II SLCM
from designation-systems.net:
Vought SSM-N-9/RGM-15 Regulus II
In June 1953 Vought received a contract to develop a supersonic successor to the SSM-N-8/RGM-6 Regulus cruise missile. The new missile was named Regulus II (although it was a completely new missile, and not a development of Regulus) and received the designation SSM-N-9. The SSM-N-9 designator had been previously assigned temporarily to the MGM-18 Lacrosse missile, before the latter was transferred to the Army as SSM-G-12.
The XRSSM-N-9 Regulus II prototypes had a retractable landing gear for missile recovery, and an interim Wright J65-W-6 engine, which didn't allow flight at the design speed of Mach 2. The first flight of an XRSSM-N-9 occurred in May 1956, and the testing of this model continued until the end of 1957. In 1958 testing continued with the improved XRSSM-N-9a prototypes, which still had the landing gear, but were equipped with the General Electric J79-GE-3 engine intended for the tactical missiles. The first launch of a Regulus II from a submarine occurred in September 1958. The designations YTSSM-N-9a and TSSM-N-9a were reserved for evaluation and production models of the landing gear equipped Regulus II, to be used for training purposes.
XRSSM-N-9a
Regulus II was a Mach 2 cruise missile design, which could also attain a significantly higher altitude and range than the SSM-N-8 Regulus I. The radio command guidance of the Regulus I was dropped in favour of an inertial guidance system, making the SSM-N-9 much less prone to electronic jamming. Despite these advantages, the Regulus II would have been hopelessly obsolete with the advent of the UGM-27 Polaris SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile), and therefore the tactical SSM-N-9 Regulus II cruise missile was cancelled in late 1958. Nevertheless the evaluation of the missile's performance continued, and the first XSSM-N-9 tactical prototype (substituting the landing gear for additional fuel, allowing full range and Mach 2 capability) was launched in November 1959, followed by YSSM-N-9 evaluation models. Interestingly, the SSM-N-9 was redesignated as RGM-15A in June 1963, more than 4 years after the program had been cancelled.
XSSM-N-9 (RGM-15A)
In the final stages of the Regulus II program, around 1958, it was apparently proposed to equip the missile with a radar map matching guidance system. In this system, which is generally known as TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching), the radar map of the terrain below the missile's flight path is constantly matched with preloaded radar maps, allowing the missile to follow a precise preprogrammed path. For evaluation missiles equipped with this guidance system, the designations YTSSM-N-9b and YSSM-N-9a were allocated to improved YTSSM-N-9a and YSSM-N-9, respectively. However, none of these variants were built.
After program cancellation, the remaining flight test missiles were used as KD2U-1 supersonic target drones by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. The latter used the KD2U-1 extensively during testing of the IM-99/CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air missile. In June 1963, the KD2U-1 was redesignated as MQM-15A. Late in their career, some runway-launched MQM-15A drones were redesignated as GQM-15A.
KD2U-1 (MQM-15A) (note rarely used ventral fin)
Only 54 Regulus II test missiles were built before production was cancelled.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for XRSSM-N-9 and XSSM-N-9 (RGM-15A):
XRSSM-N-9 XSSM-N-9 (RGM-15A)
Length (w/o pitot tube) 17.52 m (57 ft 6 in); incl. pitot tube: 19.53 m (64 ft 1 in)
Diameter 1.27 m (50 in)
Wingspan 6.12 m (20 ft 1 in)
Weight (w/o booster) 10400 kg (23000 lb); booster: 3170 kg (7000 lb)
Speed Mach 1.8 Mach 2
Ceiling 14300 m (47000 ft) 18000 m (59000 ft)
Range 550 km (300 nm) 1850 km (1000 nm)
Propulsion Cruise: Wright J65-W-6 turbojet; 65 kN (14600 lb)
Booster: Aerojet General solid-fueled rocket; 511 kN (115000 lb) Cruise: General Electric J79-GE-3 turbojet; 69 kN (15600 lb)
Booster: Rocketdyne solid-fueled rocket; 600 kN (135000 lb)
Warhead none W-27 thermonuclear (2 MT)
Main Sources
[1] Norman Friedman: "US Naval Weapons", Conway Maritime Press, 1983
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[4] Vought Heritage Website
[5] BuAer Instruction 05030.4A: "Model Designation of Naval Aircraft, KD Targets, and BuAer Guided Missiles", Dept. of the Navy, 1958
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The North American Aviation AGM-28 Hound Dog ALCM
from designation-systems.net:
North American GAM-77/AGM-28 Hound Dog
The Hound Dog was the first fully operational standoff attack missile deployed by U.S. strategic bombers.
In 1956, the USAF decided that its new B-52 Stratofortress bombers should have the option to use nuclear armed long-range standoff missiles to avoid direct overflight of heavily defended targets. By early 1957, the project was known as Weapon System 131B. The design competition was won by North American, and in October 1957, the designation GAM-77 was allocated to the WS-131B missile. The first powered flight of an XGAM-77 Hound Dog prototype occurred in April 1959, and the first fully guided flight succeeded in August in August 1959. The GAM-77 Hound Dog production missile was declared operational with SAC in December 1959. The quick development of the GAM-77 was made possible by the use of existing technology and components. The canard/delta layout of the airframe was proven by North American's own X-10 and XSM-64 Navaho vehicles, and the Pratt & Whitney J52 engine and W-28 thermonuclear warhead were also no new developments.
Photo: USAF
XGAM-77
The GAM-77 was a turbo-jet powered air-launched cruise missile deployed by B-52G/H Stratofortress bombers, which could carry two missiles on underwing pylons. It used an inertial guidance system, whose data was continuously updated until immediately before launch by Kollsman KS-120 astro-trackers mounted in the launch pylons. The missile's navigation system could even be used by the B-52 crew, should the bomber's own system fail. The Hound Dog could fly high- and low-level missions, including pre-programmed changes in course and altitude. Maximum range for pure high-altitude flights was about 1100 km (700 miles).
Photo: USAF
GAM-77 (AGM-28A)
The initial operational tests exposed some shortcomings, which led to the development of the improved GAM-77A version. In this version, the KS-120 astro-trackers were replaced by improved Kollsman KS-140 units, which were located in the missile. The GAM-77A also featured a radar altimeter to improve low-level performance, and a slightly larger fuel tank. The first XGAM-77A flew in June 1961, and the GAM-77A became operational in September that year.
Photo: Boeing
AGM-28B
In June 1963, the GAM-77 and GAM-77A were redesignated as AGM-28A and AGM-28B, respectively.
It was originally planned to replace Hound Dog in the mid-1960s by the AGM-48 Skybolt ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile), but the latter was cancelled in 1962. Therefore the AGM-28 remained in service until the 1970s, much longer than anticipated. Tests occurred with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) guidance system in 1971, and an anti-radiation seeker head in 1973. These features were not incorporated in any operational Hound Dogs, although the designation AGM-28C was reportedly reserved for a TERCOM-equipped Hound Dog. Beginning in 1972 the Hound Dog was replaced by the AGM-69 SRAM, and in 1976 the last AGM-28 was retired from USAF service. Between 1959 and 1963, North American had built more than 700 Hound Dog missiles, with a peak deployment level of about 600 in 1963.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-28B:
Length 12.95 m (42 ft 6 in)
Wingspan 3.66 m (12 ft)
Diameter 0.71 m (28 in)
Weight 4500 kg (10000 lb)
Speed Mach 2.1
Ceiling 16800 m (55000 ft)
Range 1100 km (700 miles)
Propulsion Pratt & Whitney J52-P-3 turbojet; 33 kN (7500 lb)
Warhead W-28 thermonuclear (1.1 MT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Dennis R. Jenkins, Brian Rogers: "Boeing B-52G/H Stratofortress", Aerofax, 1990
From youtube:
North American AGM-28B Hound Dog, from Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:
AGM-28 Hound Dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Hound Dog (disambiguation).
AGM-28 Hound Dog
AGM-28 in flight. Note the nose-high attitude.
Type: Cruise Missile
Service history
In service: September 13, 1960
Production history
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
Unit cost: $690,073
Produced: April 1959
Specifications
Weight: 10,147 lb (4,603 kg)
Length: 42 ft 6 in ( 12.95 m)
Height: 9 ft 4 in ( 2.8 m).
Warhead: 1,742 lb (790 kg) W28 thermonuclear warhead.
Detonation mechanism: Airburst or Contact
Engine: Pratt & Whitney J52-P-3 turbojet; 7,500 lb (33 kN).
Wingspan: 12 ft 2 in ( 3.7 m).
Operational range: 785 miles (1,263 km)
Flight ceiling: 56,200 ft (17,130 m)
Flight altitude: 200 ft (61 m) to 56,200 ft (17,130 m).
Speed: Mach 2.1
Guidance system: Inertial Navigation System with star-tracker correction.
Launch platform: B-52 Stratofortress.
The North American Aviation Corporation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a rather primitive, supersonic, jet propelled, air-launched cruise missile. The Hound Dog missile was first given the designation B-77, then redesignated the GAM-77, and finally designated the AGM-28, permanently. The Hound Dog was originally conceived as a temporary stand-off weapon for the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, to be used until the proposed AGM-48 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile was available. Instead, the Skybolt missile was canceled within a few years, and the Hound Dog was deployed for 15 years until the missile was replaced by newer weapons, including the SRAM missile and the USAF Air-Launched Cruise Miss
Development
During the 1950s the United States became aware of developments the Soviet Union's surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), notably at a circle of large installations being constructed around their capital city of Moscow. At the time the entire nuclear deterrent of the United States was based on manned strategic bombers, both with the U.S. Air Force and with the U.S. Navy, and the deployment of large numbers of SAMs placed this force at some risk of being rendered ineffective. The importance of having the ability to penetrate the Soviet air-defense system was later described by Senator John F. Kennedy in a speech to the American Legion convention in Miami, Florida, on October 18, 1960: "We must take immediate steps to protect our present nuclear striking force from surprise attack. Today, more than 90 percent of our retaliatory capacity is made up of aircraft and missiles which have fixed, un-protectable bases whose location is known to the Russians. We can only do this by providing SAC with the capability of maintaining a continuous airborne alert, and by pressing projects such as the Hound Dog air-ground missile, which will enable manned bombers to penetrate Soviet defenses with their weapons".[1]
The Air Force's solution to this problem was the introduction of stand-off missiles. Since the Soviet air-defenses were static and easy to spot from aerial reconnaissance or satellite reconnaissance photos, the plan was to use a long-range cruise missile to attack these air-defense bases before the bombers got into range of them. The SA-2 Guideline missile had a maximum range of about 30 kilometers at that time, but since the bombers would be approaching the sites, their own guided missiles would have to be launched well-before it entered this SAM range. If the American missile was to be used to attack enemy air bases as well, an extended range of several hundred kilometers would be needed. A missile with these capabilities was called for in General Operational Requirement 148, which was released on March 15, 1956.[2][3] GOR 148 called for a supersonic air-to-surface cruise missile with a weight of not more than 12,500 lb (fully fueled and armed) to be carried in pairs by the B-52 Stratofortress.[4] Each B-52 would carry two of the missiles, one under each wing, on a pylon located between the B-52's fuselage and its inboard pair of engines.[5]
Both Chance Vought and North American Aviation submitted GAM-77 proposals to the USAF in July 1957, and both based on their earlier work on long-range ground-launched cruise missiles. Vought's submission was for an air-launched version of the Regulus missile, developed for the U.S. Navy,[4] while North American's was adapted from their Navajo missile.[6] On August 21, 1957, North American Aviation was awarded a contract to develop Weapon System 131B, which included the Hound Dog missile.[6]
Design
Hound Dog and its mounting pylon, which includes electronics and refueling systems.
The Hound Dog missile's engine, airframe, and warhead were all adaptations of technology developed in the Navajo missile, adapted for launching from the B-52.[6][7] The Hound Dog's design was based on that of the Navajo G-38 missile, which featured small delta wings and forward canards.[4]
A Pratt & Whitney J52-P-3 turbojet propelled the Hound Dog, replacing the Navajo's ramjet engine. The J52 engine was located in a pod located beneath the rear fuselage, giving it an appearance similar to the Lockheed X-7 high-speed experimental drone. The J52-P-3 used in the Hound Dog, unlike J52's installed in aircraft like the A-4 Skyhawk or the A-6 Intruder, was optimized to run at maximum power during the missile's flight. As a result, the Hound Dog's version of the J52 had a short operating lifetime of only six hours.[1] However, in combat, the Hound Dog was expected to self-destruct in less than six hours.
A derivative of the Navajo's NAA Autonetics Division N-6 inertial navigation system (INS), the N5G, was used in the Hound Dog. A Kollsman Instruments Company star-tracker located in the B-52's pylon was used to correct inertial orientation errors with celestial observations while the Hound Dog was being carried by the B-52.[4] The INS could also be used to determine the bomber's position after the initial calibration and "leveling" process, which took about 90 minutes. The Hound Dog had a circular error probable (CEP) of 2.2 miles (3.7 km), which was acceptable for weapon equipped with a nuclear warhead.[2]
The thermonuclear warhead carried by the Hound Dog was the W28 Class D bomb.[1] The W28 warhead could be preset to yield an explosive power of between 70 kilotons and 1.45 megatons. Detonation of the Hound Dog's W28 warhead could be programmed to occur on impact or air burst at a preset altitude. An air burst would have been used against a large area, soft target. A surface impact would have been used against a hard target such as a missile site or command and control center.
The Hound Dog could be launched from the B-52 Stratofortress at high altitudes or low altitudes, but not below 5,000 feet in altitude. Initially, three different flight profiles for the Hound Dog were available for selection by the commander and the bombardier of the bomber (though other options were added later):
High Altitude Attack: The Hound Dog would have flown at a high altitude (up to 56,000 ft (17070 meters) depending on the amount of jet fuel on-board the missile) all the way to the immediate area of its target, then dove down to its nuclear warhead's preset detonation altitude.
Low Altitude Attack: The Hound Dog would have flown at a low altitude - below 5,000 feet (1525 meters) (air-pressure altitude) to its target where its nuclear warhead would have detonated. In this mode of operation, the Hound Dog had a shortened range of about 400 miles (645 km) when this flight profile was used. The missile would not carry out terrain following in this flight profile. No major terrain obstructions could exist at the preset altitude along the missile's flight path.
A Dogleg Attack: The Hound Dog would have flown along a designated heading (at either high or low altitudes) to a preset location. At that location the missile would have turned left or right and then proceeded to its target. The intention of this maneuver was to attempt to draw defensive fighter planes away from the missile's target.
The first air-drop test of a dummy Hound Dog was carried out in November 1958. 52 GAM-77A missiles were launched for testing and training purposes between 23 April 1959 and 30 August 1965. Hound Dog launches occurred at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.[4]
The Hound Dog missile's development was completed in only 30 months.[7] North American received a production contract to build Hound Dogs on 16 October 1958.[5] The first production Hound Dog missile was then delivered to the Air Force on 21 December 1959. 722 Hound Dog missiles were produced by North American Aviation before its production of them ended in March 1963.[4]
In May 1961, an improved Hound Dog missile was test-flown for the first time. This upgrade incorporated improvements to reduce its radar cross-section.[8] The Hound Dog already had a low head-on radar cross-section because of its highly swept delta wings and canards. This low radar cross-section was lowered further by replacing its nose cap, its engine intake spike, its engine duct with new components that scattered or absorbed radar energy. It has been reported that these radar cross-section improvements were removed as Hound Dogs were withdrawn from service.
The GAM-77A version of the GAM-77 also included a new Kollsman Instruments KS-140 star-tracker that was integrated with the N-6 inertial navigation system. This unit replaced the celestial navigation star-tracker that had been located in the B-52's wing pylon. The fuel capacity of the GAM-77A was increased during this upgrade. A radar altimeter was added to the missile to provide (vertical) terrain-following capability to the Hound Dog. 428 Hound Dog missiles were upgraded to the GAM-77A configuration by North American.[9]
66 GAM-77A Hound Dog missiles were launched for testing and training up through April 1973.[1]
In June 1963 the GAM-77 and GAM-77A were re-designated AGM-28A and AGM-28B, respectively.
In 1971, a Hound Dog missile was test-flown with a newly-developed Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) navigation system. Reportedly, the designation AGM-28C was reserved for this version of the Hound dog if development had been continued. While a Hound Dog with TERCOM was never deployed, this technology, with much better electronics and digital computers, was later used in both the Air Force's Air Launched Cruise Missile and the Navy's Tomahawk missile.[10]
In 1972, the Bendix Corporation was awarded a contract to develop a passive anti-radiation missile radio seeker to guide the Hound Dog missile to antennas transmitting radar signals. A Hound Dog with this radar seeker was test-flown in 1973, but never mass-produced.[11]
Operational history
B-52F takeoff with AGM-28 Hound Dog Missiles
On December 21, 1959, General Thomas S. Power, the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), formally accepted the first production Hound Dog missile.[5] Just two months later in February, SAC test-launched its first unarmed Hound Dog at Eglin Air Force Base.
In July 1960, the Hound Dog reached initial operational capability with the first B-52 unit. The Hound Dog was used on airborne alert for the first time in January 1962. In 1962, SAC activated missile maintenance squadrons to provide maintenance for both the Hound Dog and the ADM-20 Quail decoy missile. Full operational capability was achieved in August 1963 when 29 B-52 bomber wings were operational with the Hound Dog.
In 1960, SAC developed procedures so that the B-52 could use the Hound Dog's J52 engine for additional thrust while the missile was located on the bomber's two pylons. This helped heavily-laden B-52s into the air. The Hound Dog could then be refueled from the B-52's wing fuel tanks.[9]
One Hound Dog missile crashed near the town of Samson, Alabama, when it failed to self-destruct after a test launch from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[1] In 1962, a Hound Dog was accidentally dropped to the ground during an underwing systems check.[1]
In May 1962, operation "Silk Hat" was conducted at Eglin Air Force Base. During this exercise, a Hound Dog test launch was conducted before an audience of national and international dignitaries headed by President John F. Kennedy and Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson.[1]
On September 22, 1966, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara recommended retiring all of the remaining Hound Dog missiles, within a few years. The Hound Dogs would be retained pending the outcome of the Terrain Correlation Matching (TERCOM) guidance system development program. Secretary McNamara's recommendation was not acted upon, and the Hound Dog remained in service [1]
After thirteen years of service with the Air Force, the last Hound Dog missile was removed from alert deployment on June 30, 1975. The Hound Dog missiles were kept in dead storage for a number of years. The last Hound Dog was retired for scrapping on June 15, 1978, from the 42nd Bomb Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine.[5]
No Hound Dog missile was ever used in combat, since it was strictly a weapon for nuclear warfare.
Missile Tail Numbers
GAM-77
GAM-77A
59-2791 to 59–2867
60–5574 to 60–5603
60–2078 to 60–2247
60–6691 to 60–6699
61–2118 to 61–2357
62–0030 to 62–0206
[2]
Numbers in Service
The number of Hound Dog missiles in service, by year:
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1
54
230
547
593
593
542
548
477
312
349
345
340
338
329
327
308
288
249
0
Variants
B-77 — Redesignated GAM-77 prior to production.
XGAM-77 — 25 prototype missiles produced
GAM-77 — 697 missiles produced.
GAM-77A — 452 missiles upgraded from GAM-77 to GAM-77A configuration.
AGM-28A — The GAM-77 was redesignated the AGM-28A in June 1963
AGM-28B — The GAM-77A was redesignated the AGM-28B in June 1963
AGM-28C — Proposed Hound Dog that would have been equipped with a TERCOM guidance system.
Operator
United States United States Air Force
Units using the Hound Dog
2d Bombardment Wing – Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
20th Bombardment Squadron
62d Bombardment Squadron
596th Bombardment Squadron
5th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Travis AFB, California / Minot AFB, North Dakota 23d Bombardment Squadron
6th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Walker AFB, New Mexico 24th Bombardment Squadron
40th Bombardment Squadron
11th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Altus AFB, Oklahoma 26th Bombardment Squadron
17th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 34th Bombardment Squadron
19th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Homestead AFB, Florida / Robins AFB Georgia 28th Bombardment Squadron
28th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota 77th Bombardment Squadron
39th Bombardment Wing – Eglin AFB, Florida 62d Bombardment Squadron
42d Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Loring AFB, Maine 69th Bombardment Squadron
70th Bombardment Squadron
68th Bombardment Wing – Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina 51st Bombardment Squadron
70th Bombardment Wing – Clinton-Sherman AFB, Oklahoma 6th Bombardment Squadron
72d Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico 60th Bombardment Squadron
92d Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Fairchild AFB, Washington 325th Bombardment Squadron
97th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Blytheville AFB, Arkansas 340th Bombardment Squadron
306th Bombardment Wing – McCoy AFB, Florida 367th Bombardment Squadron
319th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota 46th Bombardment Squadron
320th Bombardment Wing – Mather AFB, California 441st Bombardment Squadron
340th Bombardment Wing – Bergstrom AFB, Texas 486th Bombardment Squadron
379th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan 524th Bombardment Squadron
397th Bombardment Wing – Dow AFB, Maine 341st Bombardment Squadron
410th Bombardment Wing – K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan 644th Bombardment Squadron
416th Bombardment Wing – Griffiss AFB, New York 668th Bombardment Squadron
449th Bombardment Wing – Kincheloe AFB, Michigan 716th Bombardment Squadron
450th Bombardment Wing – Minot AFB, North Dakota 721st Bombardment Squadron
454th Bombardment Wing – Columbus AFB, Georgia 736th Bombardment Squadron
456th Bombardment Wing – Beale AFB, California 744th Bombardment Squadron
465th Bombardment Wing – Robins AFB Georgia 781st Bombardment Squadron
484th Bombardment Wing – Turner AFB Georgia 864th Bombardment Squadron
4038th Strategic Wing – Dow AFB, Maine 341st Bombardment Squadron
4039th Strategic Wing – Griffiss AFB, New York 75th Bombardment Squadron
4042d Strategic Wing – K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan 526th Bombardment Squadron
4043d Strategic Wing – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 42d Bombardment Squadron
4047th Strategic Wing – McCoy AFB, Florida 347th Bombardment Squadron
4123d Strategic Wing – Clinton-Sherman AFB, Oklahoma 98th Bombardment Squadron
4126th Strategic Wing – Beale AFB, California 31st Bombardment Squadron – Beale AFB, California
4130th Strategic Wing – Bergstrom AFB, Texas 335th Bombardment Squadron
4133d Strategic Wing – Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota 30th Bombardment Squadron
4134th Strategic Wing – Mather AFB, California 72d Bombardment Squadron
4135th Strategic Wing – Eglin AFB, Florida 301st Bombardment Squadron
4136th Strategic Wing – Minot AFB, North Dakota 525th Bombardment Squadron
4137th Strategic Wing – Robins AFB, Georgia 342d Bombardment Squadron
4138th Strategic Wing – Turner AFB, Georgia 336th Bombardment Squadron
4228th Strategic Wing – Columbus AFB, Mississippi 492d Bombardment Squadron
4238th Strategic Wing – Barksdale AFB, Louisiana 436th Bombardment Squadron
4239th Strategic Wing – Kincheloe AFB, Michigan 93d Bombardment Squadron
4241st Strategic Wing – Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina 73d Bombardment Squadron
[12]
[13]
Survivors
AGM-28 S/N 60-2176 located at the Eighth Air Force Museum, Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Aerospace Museum of California, Sacramento, California, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 33792 located at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 62-0003 located at the Castle Air Museum, Atwater, California, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2192 located at the Dyess Linear Air Park, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, United States.
AGM-28 marked as S/N 59-2794, located at the Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, United States.
AGM-28 located at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark, Palmdale, California, United States
AGM-28 located at Mars Hill Town Park, Mars Hill, North Carolina, United States
AGM-28 S/N 61-2206 located at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, United States
AGM-28 S/N 60-2141 located at the National Atomic Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 62-0007 located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was transferred to the museum in 1975.
AGM-28 S/N 60-505 located at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2796 located at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, Illinois, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2866 located at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2092 located at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Pratt & Whitney Air Museum and Hangar, East Hartford, Connecticut, United States.
AGM-28 located at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2599 in Presque Isle, Maine, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 61-2148 located at the Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2791 located at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2110 located at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
AGM-28 located at the American Legion in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, United States.
XGAM-77 located at the Travis Air Museum, Travis Air Force Base, California, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2847 located at the Veterans Home of Wyoming in Buffalo, Wyoming, United States.
AGM-28 located at the White Sands Missile Range Missile Park, New Mexico, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2971 located at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, Horseheads[disambiguation needed], New York, United States.
Popular culture
Where it received the name Hound Dog has been the source of argument for decades. In recent years however people have given credit to fans of Elvis Presley in the Air Force.[4]
See also
United States Air Force portal
Comparable aircraft P-270 Moskit
Raduga Kh-20
Raduga K-10S
Related lists List of military aircraft of the United States
List of missiles
References
Citations
1.^ a b c d e f g h "AGM-28 Missile Memos" [1] Access date: 8 October 2007.
2.^ a b c "AGM-28 Missile Hound Dog Missile Hound Dog" [2] Access date: 8 October 2007.
3.^ "AGM-28A Hound Dog" [3] Access date: 8 October 2007.
4.^ a b c d e f g "A Brief Account of the Beginning of the Hounddog (GAM 77)" [4] Access date: 28 October 2007.
5.^ a b c d "AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile" [5] Access date: 8 October 2007.
6.^ a b c Mark Wade. "Navaho". Encyclopedia Astronautica Website. [6] Access date: 20 October 2007.
7.^ a b Mongrel Makes GoodTime Magazine. [7] Access date: 21 October 2007.
8.^ David C. Aronstein and Albert C. Piccirillo. Have Blue and the F-117A: Evolution of the Stealth Fighter, AIAA, 1997, ISBN 1-56347-245-7.
9.^ a b National Museum of the Air Force. North American AGM-28B Hound Dog. [8] Access date: 20 October 2007.
10.^ Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. AGM-28. [9] Access date: 28 October 2007.
11.^ IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WEBSITE. [3.0] Cruise Missiles Of The 1950s & 1960s. [10] Access date: 28 October 2007.
12.^ Dorr, R. & Peacock, L.B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior, Osprey Aviation: Great Britain. ISBN 1-84176-097-8
13.^ http://www.ammsalumni.org/html/amms_bases.html
Bibliography Hound Dog, Historical Essay by Andreas Parsch, Encyclopedia Astronautica website, retrieved October 8, 2007.
Indoor Exhibits, Travis Air Museum website, retrieved October 8, 2007
The Navaho Project – A Look Back, North American Aviation Retirees Bulletin, Summer 2007.
Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapon Archive Website, retrieved October 13, 2007.
B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior, Dorr, R. & Peacock, L., Osprey Aviation: Great Britain. ISBN 1-84176-097-8
Hound Dog Fact Sheet, Space Line Website, retrieved on October 14, 2007
Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon, Mike Gray, Penguin, 1994, ISBN 978-0-14-023280-6
GAM-77 Hound Dog Missile, Boeing Corporate Website, retrieved on October 14, 2007,
North American AGM-28B Hound Dog, Aviation Enthusiast Corner Website, retrieved on October 21, 2007.
The USAF and the Cruise Missile Opportunity or Threat, Kenneth P. Werrell, Technology and the Air Force A Retrospective Assessment, Air Force History and Museums Program, 1997
Airpower Theory and Practice, Edited by John Gooch, Frank Cass Publishing, 1995, ISBN-0-7146-4186-3.
Association of the Air Force Missileers: "Victors in the Cold War, Turner Publishing Company, 1998, ISBN 1-56311-455-0
******************************************************************
The Douglas AGM-48 Skybolt ALBM
From youtube:
From designation-systems.net:
Douglas GAM-87/AGM-48 Skybolt
After studies in 1958 had shown that it was feasible to air-launch ballistic missiles from high-flying strategic bombers, the USAF issued a requirement in 1959 for a long-range ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile). In May 1959, Douglas was awarded a development contract for the WS (Weapons System) 138A missile, designated GAM-87 Skybolt. Douglas subsequently awarded development subcontracts to Nortronics (guidance system), Aerojet General (propulsion), and General Electric (reentry vehicle). The GAM-87 was intended for use by the B-52H Statofortress and the British Vulcan B.2. Full-scale development was approved in February 1960, and in January 1961, the first drop tests of unpowered Skybolts occurred. Powered and guided flight tests of XGAM-87A prototypes began in April 1962, but the first five tests were all failures. The first fully successful Skybolt flight occurred on 19 December 1962, but on that same day the whole program was cancelled and the production of the operational GAM-87A stopped. Although Skybolt certainly had its technical difficulties and was well behind schedule, the cancellation was also very much influenced by economical and political factors.
Photo: USAF
XGAM-87A (XAGM-48A)
The XGAM-87A was ballistic missile powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor and guided by a stellar-inertial navigation system. Each B-52H was to carry four GAM-87As, two each side-by-side on two underwing pylons. While on the pylon, the Skybolt was fitted with a tail cone to reduce aerodynamic drag. For launch, the missile was dropped from the pylon, the tail cone was ejected, and the first motor stage ignited. After first stage burnout, the Skybolt coasted for a while before the second stage ignited. First stage control was by movable tail fins, while the second stage was equipped with a gimballed nozzle.
Limited flight tests with the remaining XGAM-87A missiles continued after program cancellation, and in June 1963, the XGAM-87A was redesignated as XAGM-48A. In total, Douglas built less than 100 Skybolt missiles.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for XGAM-87A (XAGM-48A):
Length 11.66 m (38 ft 3 in)
Finspan 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Diameter 89 cm (35 in)
Weight 5000 kg (11000 lb)
Speed 15300 km/h (9500 mph)
Ceiling 480+ km (300+ miles)
Range 1850 km (1150 miles)
Propulsion Aerojet Genaral two-stage solid-fueled rocket
Warhead W-59 thermonuclear (1.2 MT)
Main Sources
[1] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[2] Dennis R. Jenkins, Brian Rogers: "Boeing B-52G/H Stratofortress", Aerofax, 1990
From Wikipedia:
GAM-87 Skybolt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GAM-87 Skybolt
Type: Air-launched ballistic missile
Production history
Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft, Northrop
Specifications
Weight: 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg)
Length: 38 feet 3 inches (11.66 m)
Diameter: 35 inches (890 mm)
Warhead: W59 thermonuclear (1.2 MT)
Engine: Aerojet General two-stage solid-fueled rocket
Wingspan: 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m)
Operational range: 1,150 miles (1,850 km)
Flight ceiling: >300 miles (480 km)
Speed: 9,500 miles per hour (15,300 km/h)
Guidance system: inertial platform
Launch platform: Aircraft
The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1962 Tri-service system) was an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed during the late 1950s. The UK joined the program in 1960, intending to use it on their V bomber force. A series of test failures and the development of submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) eventually led to its cancellation in the mid-1960s. The UK had decided to base its entire 1960s deterrent force on Skybolt, and its cancellation led to a major confrontation between the UK and US, known today as the "Skybolt Crisis". This was solved during a series of meetings that led to the Royal Navy gaining the UGM-27 Polaris missile and construction of the Resolution class submarines to launch them.
History
Background
Nuclear weapons theorists had speculated about how to integrate the flexibility and positive control (over the attack) of the manned bomber with the invulnerability (in the attack) of the ballistic missile. The introduction of useful surface-to-air missiles in the 1950s rendered flight over enemy territory much more dangerous. Yet the Air Force and military planners were, in the mid-1950s, reluctant to simply hand over the nuclear strike capability to missiles, which after launch were no longer under positive control, could not be recalled or redirected, and would reach their targets within a matter of minutes after the order to fire. The missiles of the day were all required to be loaded with their fuels prior to launch (they all used nonstorable propellants); and they could only be launched from above ground (after long pre-launch checkouts) launch pads, making them vulnerable to attack - the first ICBMs, Atlas 1 and Titan 1 were of this type.
In addition, the inaccuracy of missiles in the 1950s made them useless as precision strike weapons. They could attack area targets like cities, but could not reliably and accurately attack precision strike targets like enemy bomber bases, hardened command and control centers, naval bases, or weapons storage areas. Initially, western ballistic missiles could not even reach such targets, which would be located deep within interior of the Sino-Soviet land mass in Asia. Therefore the potential integration of aircraft with the invulnerability of the ballistic missile was intriguing prospect to 1950s military planners.
Basing the strike package on aircraft offered a flexibility that missiles could not match. For instance, the bombers could stand off from the targets and wait for instructions from secure command centers to attack targets that were missed in an initial strike. Additionally, the bombers could use long-range weapons to strike known air defenses, and then overfly them to deliver precision strikes with conventional bombs.
Secondly, and most importantly, this mode of deployment meant that the strike force was rendered almost invulnerable. The bombers could fly to staging areas well outside the range of even the longest-legged defenses, and strike with impunity. This allowed for gradual escalation and a possible backing down through diplomacy. A ground-based missile cannot be used in the same fashion; it is either launched or not. If threatened with a nuclear strike, this presents their owners with the 'use them or lose them' predicament.
For the British, their dilemma was a matter of geography and financial resources. No fixed land based ballistic missile system could be credibly installed in the British Isles; they were well within the range of Soviet air strikes. The limited land mass available meant it would be relatively easy for missile sites to be spotted no matter what security measures were taken. Suitable locations for construction also carried a social and political cost. Fixed land based ballistic missile sites need many thousands of acres per squadron (typically ten missiles); and the squadrons need to be apportioned over many thousands of square miles, so that no single attack could conceivably destroy them all in one strike.
Development
In 1958 several US contractors demonstrated that large ballistic missiles could be launched from strategic bombers at high altitude. The use of astronavigation systems for mid-flight corrections of an inertial guidance platform, similar to that of the US Navy's SLBM systems, led to an accuracy similar to that of their existing ground-based missiles.
The USAF was interested and began accepting bids for development systems in early 1959. Douglas Aircraft received the prime contract in May, and in turn subcontracted to Northrop for the guidance system, Aerojet for the propulsion system, and General Electric for the reentry vehicle. The system was initially known as WS-138A and was given the official name GAM-87 Skybolt in 1960.
Skybolt at RAF Museum Cosford Showing the RAF roundel and the manufacturer, Douglas Aircraft, logo
At the same time the Royal Air Force was having problems with their IRBM missile project, the Blue Streak, which was long overdue. At the same time, they faced the same problems with the dwindling survivability of their existing nuclear deterrent, the V-bomber fleet. The long-range Skybolt would eliminate the need for both the Blue Streak and the Blue Steel II standoff missile, then under development.
Prime Minister Macmillan met President Eisenhower in May 1960 and agreed to purchase 144 Skybolts for the RAF, and Blue Streak and Blue Steel II were both cancelled. By agreement, British funding for research and development was limited to that required to modify the V-bombers to take the missile.
Tests
By 1961, several test articles were ready for testing from USAF B-52 bombers, with drop-tests starting in January. In Britain compatibility trials with mockups started on the Vulcan. Powered tests started in April 1962, but the test series went badly, with the first five trials ending in failure of one sort or another. The first fully successful flight occurred on December 19, 1962.
Cancellation
By this point the value of the Skybolt system had been seriously eroded. The US Navy's Polaris Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missle had recently gone into service, with overall capabilities similar to Skybolt, but with "loiter times" on the order of months instead of hours. Additionally, the US Air Force itself was well into the process of developing the Minuteman missile, whose improved accuracy reduced the need for any bomber attacks. Robert McNamara was particularly opposed to the bomber force and repeatedly stated he felt that the combination of SLBMs and ICBMs would render them useless. He pressed for the cancellation of Skybolt as an unnecessary program.
The British, on the other hand, had cancelled all other projects to concentrate fully on Skybolt. When McNamara informed them that they were considering cancelling the program in November 1962, a firestorm of protest broke out in the House of Commons. Jo Grimond noted "Does not this mark the absolute failure of the policy of the independent deterrent? Is it not the case that everybody else in the world knew this, except the Conservative Party in this country?"[1] As the political row grew into a major crisis, an emergency meeting between parties from the US and UK was called, leading to the Nassau agreement.
Over the next few days a new plan was hammered out that saw the UK purchase the Polaris SLBM, but equipped with British warheads that lacked the dual-key system. The UK would thus retain its independent deterrent force, although its control passed from the RAF largely to the Royal Navy. The Polaris, a much better weapon system for the UK, was a major "scoop" and has been referred to as “almost the bargain of the century”[2] The RAF kept a tactical nuclear capability with the WE.177 which armed V-bombers and later the Panavia Tornado force. The "Skybolt Crisis" was a major event in the eventual downfall of the Macmillan administration.
Limited flight tests with the remaining XGAM-87A missiles continued after program cancellation. In June 1963, the XGAM-87A was redesignated as XAGM-48A.
Description
The GAM-87 was powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor. Each B-52H was to carry four missiles, two under each wing on side-by-side pylons, while the Avro Vulcan carried one each on smaller pylons. The missile was fitted with a tailcone to reduce drag while on the pylon, which was ejected shortly after being dropped from the plane. After first stage burnout, the Skybolt coasted for a while before the second stage ignited. First stage control was by eight movable tail fins, while the second stage was equipped with a gimballed nozzle.
Guidance was entirely by inertial platform. The current position was constantly updated from the host aircraft though accurate fixes, meaning that the accuracy of the platform inside the missile was not as critical.
Survivors
RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire (GAM-87)
See also
List of military aircraft of the United States
List of missiles by nation
References
1.^ "Hansard 17 December 1962, SKYBOLT MISSILE (TALKS)", Hansard, 17 December 1962
2.^ John Dumbrell, "A special relationship: Anglo-American relations from the Cold War to Iraq", Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p. 174
Further reading
Neustadt, Richard E. Report to JFK: The Skybolt Crisis in Perspective. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8014-3622-2.
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The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM ASM
From youtube:
From designation-systems.net:
Boeing AGM-69 SRAM
The SRAM (Short Range Attack Missile) was a relatively small standoff missile for use by USAF's B-52 and FB-111A strategic bombers. On the B-52, it replaced the AGM-28 Hound Dog.
After the cancellation of the GAM-87/AGM-48 Skybolt ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile) in December 1962, the USAF had to find another way to modernize the strike capabilities of its strategic bomber force. In March 1964, SOR (Specific Operational Requirement) 212 for a short-range attack missile was submitted by the USAF, and in March 1965, development was approved by the Department of Defense. SRAM was known as WS (Weapon System) 140A, and the missile designator ZAGM-69A was assigned. The following design competition was won by Boeing, who received a development contract for the SRAM in October 1966. The SRAM was to be used by the B-52, the FB-111A, and the then forthcoming AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft, later designated as B-1). The first powered flight of an AGM-69A occurred in July 1969, and in January 1971, full scale production of the SRAM was approved. In August 1972, the SRAM was operational with SAC units, and quickly replaced the AGM-28 Hound Dog as the B-52's standoff attack missile.
Photo: Greg Goebel
AGM-69A
The AGM-69A was a ballistic-type air-to-ground missile powered by a Lockheed SR75-LP-1 two-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor, and armed with a 200 kT W-69 thermonuclear warhead. The first motor stage propelled the missile to Mach 3 after launch, and the second stage was ignited near the target for a powered terminal approach. Maximum range varied from 55 km (35 miles) for low-altitude launches to 160 km (100 miles) for high-altitude firings. The SRAM was guided by an General Precision/Kearfott KT-76 inertial navigation system, assisted by a Stewart-Warner terrain clearance sensor, and could achieve an accuracy of about 430 m (1400 ft) CEP. The B-52 Stratofortress could carry 8 SRAMs on a rotary launcher in the bomb bay, and up to 12 more on two external 6-missile pylons. The FB-111A could carry up to 6 SRAMs. When carried externally, an expendable tail faring was used on the missile to reduce drag. The AGM-69A greatly increased the number of targets which could be attacked by a single bomber, and made it possible to attack known (fixed) air-defense installations en route to the primary target.
Photo: Boeing
AGM-69A
Several proposals were made to improve the versatility of the AGM-69A, including a radar guidance system to use it as an air-to-air missile, or an anti-radiation seeker to attack mobile air-defense radars, but none of these features were adopted. In the mid-1970s, however, storability problems with the rocket motor surfaced, and in 1976 Thiokol was awarded a contract to develop a new motor for SRAM. In 1977, the new motor was combined with other upgrades, including an improved guidance system (with enhanced computing capability) and the W-80 warhead of the AGM-86 ALCM. The new SRAM missile, designated AGM-69B SRAM B, was intended for use by the B-1A. In 1978, however, the B-1A was cancelled, and the USAF found a way to extend the lifespan of the old motor to the originally planned 5 years, and these two events killed the AGM-69B program. Instead, it was then planned to eventually replace the AGM-69A with the AGM-86 ALCM and the forthcoming ASALM (Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile). The latter, however, was also cancelled in 1980. When the B-1 program was resurrected (as B-1B) in 1981, it was decided to develop an entirely new weapon, later to be known as AGM-131 SRAM II.
Photo: USAF
AGM-69A
In June 1990, the AGM-69A SRAM was retired from the USAF inventory. Various reasons have been quoted, including unreliability of the warhead and the rocket motor. The AGM-131 SRAM II was cancelled the following year, leaving effectively a gap in the capability of the USAF's B-52 bomber force. A total of about 1500 AGM-69A missiles were built by Boeing until production ended in 1975.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-69A:
Length 4.27 m (14 ft) (4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) with tail fairing)
Fin Halfspan 38 cm (15 in) (fin tip to centerline)
Diameter 45 cm (17.5 in)
Weight 1010 kg (2230 lb)
Speed Mach 3
Range 160 km (100 miles)
Propulsion Lockheed Propulsion Co. SR75-LP-1 two-pulse solid-fueled rocket
Warhead W-69 thermonuclear (200 kT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Christopher Chant: "World Encyclopaedia of Modern Air Weapons", Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1988
From Wikipedia:
AGM-69 SRAM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AGM-69A SRAM being loaded into B-1B bomb bay.
The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile) was a nuclear air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog stand-off missile.
The requirement for the weapon was issued by the Strategic Air Command of the USAF in 1964, and the resultant AGM-69A SRAM entered service in 1972. It was carried by the B-52, the FB-111A, and, for a very short period starting in 1986, by the B-1Bs based at Dyess AFB in Texas. SRAMs were also carried by the B-1Bs based at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota, and McConnell AFB in Kansas up until late 1993.
SRAM had an inertial navigation system as well as a radar altimeter which enabled the missile to be launched in either a semi-ballistic or terrain-following flight path. The SRAM was also capable of performing one "major maneuver" during its flight which gave the missile the capability of reversing its course and attacking targets that were behind it, sometimes called an "over-the-shoulder" launch. The missile had a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of about 1,400 ft (430 m) and a maximum range of 110 nautical miles (200 km). The SRAM used a single W69 nuclear warhead with a variable yield of 17 kilotons as a fission weapon, or 210 kilotons as a fusion weapon with Tritium boost enabled. The aircrew could turn a switch on the Class III command to select the destructive yield required.
The SRAM missile was completely coated with 2 cm of soft rubber, used to absorb radar energy and also dissipate heat during flight. The three fins on the tail were made of a phenolic material, also designed to minimize any reflected radar energy. All electronics, wiring, and several safety devices were routed along the top of the missile, inside a raceway.
On the B-52, SRAMs were carried externally on 2 wing pylons (6 missiles on each pylon) and internally on an eight-round rotary launcher mounted in the bomb bay; maximum loadout was 20 missiles. The B-1B could carry 8 missiles on up to three rotary launchers (one in each of its three stores bays) for a maximum loadout of 24 missiles. The FB-111A could carry two missiles internally and four more missiles under the aircraft's swing-wing. On the FB-111A, the externally-mounted missiles required the addition of a tailcone to reduce aerodynamic drag during supersonic flight. Upon rocket motor ignition, this tailcone was blown away by the exhaust plume.
About 1,500 missiles were built at a cost of about $592,000 each by the time production ended in 1975. The Boeing Company sub-contracted with the Lockheed Propulsion Company for the propellants, which subsequently closed with the end of the SRAM program.
An upgraded AGM-69B was proposed in the late 1970s, with an upgraded motor to be built by Thiokol and a W80 warhead, but it was cancelled (along with the B-1A) in 1978. Various plans for alternative guidance schemes, including an anti-radar seeker for use against air defense installations and even a possible air-to-air missile version, came to nothing.
A new weapon, the AGM-131 SRAM II, began development in 1981, intended to arm the resurrected B-1B, but it was cancelled in 1991 by then president George H. W. Bush along with most of the U.S. Strategic Modernization effort (including Peacekeeper Mobile (Rail) Garrison, Small ICBM and Minuteman III modernization) in an effort by the U.S. to ease nuclear pressure on the disintegrating Soviet Union.
The AGM-69A was finally retired in 1993 over growing concerns about the safety of its warhead and rocket motor. With the end of the Cold War it is unlikely to be replaced in the immediate future. There were serious concerns about the solid rocket motor, when several motors suffered cracking of the propellant, thought to occur due to the hot/cold cycling year after year. Cracks in the propellant could cause catastrophic failure once ignited.
The SRAM was effectively replaced by the ALCM cruise missile, which has longer range, though easier to intercept.
Service history
The number of AGM-69 missiles in service, by year:
1972 - 227
1973 - 651
1974 - 1149
1975 - 1451
1976 - 1431
1977 - 1415
1978 - 1408
1979 - 1396
1980 - 1383
1981 - 1374
1982 - 1332
1983 - 1327
1984 - 1309
1985 - 1309
1986 - 1128
1987 - 1125
1988 - 1138
1989 - 1120
1990 - 1048 (deactivated by President George H.W. Bush)
Specifications
Length: 190 in. (4.83 m) with tail fairing, 168 in. (4.27 m) without tail fairing
Diameter: 17.5 in. (445 mm)
Wing span: 30 in (760 mm)
Launch weight: 2,230 lb (1010 kg)
Maximum speed: Mach 3.5
Maximum range: 35-105 statute miles (56–169 km) depending on flight profile
Powerplant: 1 × Lockheed SR75-LP-1 two stage solid-fuel rocket motor
Guidance: General Precision/Kearfott KT-76 inertial and Stewart-Warner radar altimeter
CEP: 1,400 ft (430 m)
Warhead: W69 thermonuclear (170-200 kt of TNT)
References
Gunston, Bill (1979). Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Rockets & Missiles. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 0-517-26870-1
Jim Rusch, CMSgt (Ret) USAF 380th Bomb Wing and 509th Bomb Wing
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The Boeing AGM-131 SRAM II ASM
From designation-systems.net:
Boeing AGM-131 SRAM II
The SRAM II (Short-Range Attack Missile) was intended as a replacement for the AGM-69 SRAM, but it was not produced in quantity.
In 1977, the USAF planned to develop an upgrade of the SRAM for the forthcoming B-1A bomber as AGM-69B SRAM B. When the B-1A was cancelled in 1978, the AGM-69B was dropped, too. After the resurrection of the B-1 program (as B-1B) in 1981, it was decided to develop an entirely new weapon, the SRAM II. In 1986, Boeing was finally awarded a development contract for the AGM-131A SRAM II. The AGM-131A was planned to have only about 2/3 the size of an AGM-69A, so that 36 missiles could be carried by the B-1B, as compared to 24 AGM-69As. One new feature of SRAM II was a lighter, simpler, and more reliable rocket motor by Thiokol for increased range. The SRAM II also used a new W-89 thermonuclear warhead, which was much safer to operate than the W-69 of the AGM-69. Initial Operational Capability for the AGM-131A was planned for 1993, but after flight tests in the late 1980s, the program was cancelled in 1991. Stated reasons include technical (difficulties with the rocket motor) and political (nuclear arms reduction) ones.
Photo: U.S. Air Force Museum
AGM-131A
The AGM-131B SRAM-T (SRAM-Tactical) was a version intended for use by the F-15E Eagle tactical strike aircraft. The SRAM-T reached the flight-test stage, but was eventually cancelled, too.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-131A (except where noted):
Length 3.18 m (10 ft 5 in)
Diameter 39 cm (15.3 in)
Weight 900 kg (2000 lb)
Speed Mach 2+
Range 400 km (250 miles)
Propulsion Thiokol solid-fueled rocket
Warhead W-89 thermonuclear (200 kT)
AGM-131B: W-91 thermonuclear (10 kT, 100 kT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Christopher Chant: "World Encyclopaedia of Modern Air Weapons", Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1988
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The Boeing AGM-86A, B, C & D ALCM
From designation-systems.net:
Boeing AGM-86 ALCM
The AGM-86 ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile) is the major long-range standoff attack missile of the U.S. Air Force's B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers. With the conversion of nuclear armed rounds to conventional warheads, the AGM-86 will remain a very important weapon for the foreseeable future.
Development of the ALCM can be traced back to January 1968, when the USAF drew up a requirement for a vehicle called SCAD (Subsonic Cruise Aircraft Decoy). SCAD was to be a decoy missile carried by B-52 and B-1A bombers, which was to simulate the bombers on radar to disrupt enemy air-defense systems. As such, it was essentially a follow-on to the ADM-20 Quail decoy. Early in the concept phase it became clear that SCAD could also be fitted with a small nuclear warhead, and the acronym was accordingly changed to Subsonic Cruise Armed Decoy. Full scale development was approved in July 1970, and the designation ZAGM-86A was assigned to SCAD. In the early 1970s, however, the expected cost of SCAD's advanced electronic systems rose dramatically. In June 1973, development was halted after it had become clear that it was more cost effective to develop a pure attack cruise missile without any decoy capability.
Following SCAD's cancellation, the USAF immediately started a new program for a long-range nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile, using SCAD as a starting point. In September 1974, Boeing was awarded a contract to develop the new missile. The designation AGM-86A was retained, because the new ALCM was essentially an armed SCAD. The AGM-86A was only 4.3 m (14 ft) long and could therefore be used with the same launchers as the AGM-69 SRAM. The first powered flight occured in March 1976, and the first fully guided flight succeeded in September that year. The AGM-86A used an inertial navigation system together with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system.
Photo: Aviation History Online Museum
AGM-86A
During AGM-86A development, the USAF had already issued a requirement for an extended range (2400 km (1500 miles)) missile. There were two viable options to achieve this, either by using external fuel tanks with an essentially unchanged AGM-86A, or with a new lengthened missile called ERV (Extended Range Vehicle). The ERV had the drawback that existing external AGM-69 SRAM launchers could not be used, and that the missile would fit no longer into the bomb bay of the B-1A. The Air Force therefore decided to field the AGM-86A first, later to be followed by either the external tank missile or the ERV. In January 1977, the AGM-86A was cleared for full-scale production, but this was not to be, because 1977 saw another drastic change in the direction of the ALCM program.
Under a program called JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project), the USAF and the U.S. Navy were directed to develop their cruise missiles using a common technology base. At that time the Navy had just declared the BGM-109 Tomahawk as winner of its SLCM (Sea-Launched Cruise Missile) competition. One consequence of JCMP was that only one cruise missile propulsion system (the Williams F107 turbofan of the AGM-86) and TERCOM guidance system (the McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 of the BGM-109) would be further developed. Another one was the cancellation of the short-range AGM-86A, together with a directive to select a long-range ALCM from a competition between the ERV ALCM (now designated AGM-86B) and an AGM-109 air-launched version of Tomahawk. The first flight of an AGM-86B occurred in August 1979, and in March 1980 the AGM-86B was declared winner of the fly-off with the AGM-109. Full-scale production started soon after, and in August 1981, the ALCM was operational with the B-52G/H Stratofortress.
AGM-86B
The AGM-86B is powered by a single Williams F107-WR-100 or -101 turbofan engine, and armed with a W-80-1 variable-yield thermonuclear warhead. It is equipped with a Litton P-1000 inertial navigation system, which is updated until immediately before launch by the B-52's INS. The wings and control surfaces are folded to the fuselage, and are unfolded in about 2 seconds after launch. Once at low-level, the AGM-86B uses its McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 TERCOM system to find its way to the target. In a TERCOM system, altitude information obtained by a radar altimeter is continuously matched to a preprogrammed radar map of the area below the missile, so that the ALCM can effectively follow a detailed predetermined flight path. The accuracy of the whole guidance system is probably between 30 m (100 ft) and 90 m (300 ft) CEP. B-52Hs equipped with the new CSRL (Common Strategic Rotary Launcher) in the bomb bay can carry up to 20 ALCMs, 8 on the CSRL and a further 12 on two wing pylons.
When production ended in 1986, Boeing had delivered more than 1700 AGM-86B ALCMs. Because the intended successor, the AGM-129 ACM was built in much smaller numbers than anticipated, the AGM-86 will remain in the USAF's arsenal for the quite some time, although most of them will be converted to CALCMs, which see below.
In 1986, Boeing began converting some AGM-86Bs to AGM-86C standard. The main change is the substitution of the nuclear warhead with a conventional 900 kg (2000 lb) class blast-fragmentation warhead, and the AGM-86C is therefore also known as CALCM (Conventional ALCM). It is rather convenient that the C suffix of the designation can also be read as "Conventional", but other than most press releases may suggest, this is pure coincidence. The AGM-86C is also equipped with a GPS receiver for significantly increased accuracy. The AGM-86C was used very successfully during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and in the NATO's war against Serbia in 1999. Because the CALCM is heavier than the nuclear ALCM, range is significantly reduced.
Photo: Boeing
AGM-86C
The original AGM-86C is known as CALCM Block 0. A new Block I configuration, using improved avionics and GPS receiver and a larger 1450 kg (3000 lb) blast-fragmentation warhead, was successfully tested in 1996, and all existing Block 0 missiles were upgraded to Block I configuration. Block IA is a further improvement to achieve very high precision terminal guidance. It features an extremely accurate optimized multi-channel GPS receiver, and also incorporates enhanced shallow and steep terminal dive capability. The projected accuracy is said to be 3 m (10 ft). Development of Block IA started in 1998, and the first missiles were delivered to the USAF in January 2001. More than 300 ALCMs have already been converted to AGM-86Cs, and Boeing has contracts to convert several hundred more to CALCM Block I/IA configuration. The DATM-86C is a handling and loading practice variant of the CALCM with completely inert warhead and propulsion sections.
The AGM-86D CALCM Block II is equipped with a new Lockheed Martin 540 kg (1200 lb) AUP (Advanced Unitary Penetrator) penetrating warhead for use against deeply buried and/or hardened targets. The first flight test of an AGM-86D occurred in November 2001, and it is currently planned to produce almost 200 CALCMs as AGM-86Ds.
AGM-86C/D CALCM versions
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-86B (except where noted):
Length 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Wingspan 3.66 m (12 ft)
Diameter 62 cm (24.5 in)
Weight 1450 kg (3200 lb)
AGM-86C Block I: 1950 kg (4300 lb)
Speed 800 km/h (500 mph)
Range 2400 km (1500 miles)
AGM-86C Block I: 1200 km (750 miles)
Propulsion Williams F107-WR-101 turbofan; 2.7 kN (600 lb)
Warhead W-80-1 thermonuclear (5-150 kT)
AGM-86C Block I: 1450 kg (3000 lb) HE blast-fragmentation
AGM-86D: 540 kg (1200 lb) hard-target penetrator
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Christopher Chant: "World Encyclopaedia of Modern Air Weapons", Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1988
[4] Hajime Ozu: "Missile 2000 - Reference Guide to World Missile Systems", Shinkigensha, 2000
[5] Boeing CALCM Website
From fas.org:
AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile [ALCM]
The AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles was developed to increase the effectiveness of B-52 bombers. The small, winged AGM-86B is powered by a turbofan jet engine that propels it at sustained subsonic speeds. After launch, the missile's folded wings, tail surfaces and engine inlet deploy. It then is able to fly complicated routes to a target through use of a terrain contour-matching guidance system. During flight, this system compares surface characteristics with maps of the planned flight route stored in on-board computers to determine the missile's location. As the missile nears its target, comparisons become more specific, guiding the missile to target with pinpoint accuracy.
The B-52 and the AGM-86B increase flexibility to attack targets. AGM-86B missiles can be air-launched in large numbers by the bomber force. The B-52H bombers carry six AGM-86B missiles on each of two externally mounted pylons and have been modified with a bomb bay rotary launcher for eight additional air-launched cruise missiles.
An enemy force would have to counterattack each of the missiles, making defense against them costly and complicated. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missiles' small size and low-altitude flight capability, which makes them difficult to detect on radar.The bomber's exposure to enemy defenses is reduced due to its extended range of effectiveness. Therefore, the missile may be launched with a large uncertainty in position, will independently navigate to the target, and initiate warhead detonation with a small Circular Error Probability (CEP).
Background
The weapon's concept was over a half-century old, but inadequate technology had prevented development of an effective missile. Two technical breakthroughs in the early 1970s transformed the concept into a practical weapon system. The first breakthrough came in computer technology, specifically a dramatic reduction in the physical size of computers coupled with equally dramatic increases in computer capabilities. These achievements fostered the development of a sophisticated guidance system that enabled the missile to fly at very low altitudes, making detection difficult. The second breakthrough, advances in propulsion, allowed engineers to decrease the missile's size while increasing its capabilities. The promise of a reliable and relatively inexpensive penetrating weapon system led to President Carter's 30 June 1977 announcement that the production of a B-1 bomber would be discontinued in favor of ALCM development.
The Air Force entered into a contract with Boeing Aerospace Company in February 1974 to develop and flight test a prototype ALCM (designated AGM-86A). The first ALCM powered flight took place on 5 March 1976 over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico when a B-52G crew ejected an ALCM from a SHAM rotary launcher. On 9 September 1976, the Air Force conducted the first fully-guided ALCM flight test. During the 30-minute flight, the ALCM successfully negotiated four terrain correlation mapped areas and completed a terrain correlation update in each area. The missile used in the flight tests was an AGM-86 "A" model which was slightly smaller than the the final production version, the AGM-86B. A production order was not placed for the Boeing model and by the time President Carter made his decision to proceed with the ALCM both Boeing and General Dynamics had developed cruise missiles. Boeing won a competitive flyoff between the two missiles and on 25 March 1980 received a contract to produce the AGM-86B.
Boeing delivered the first two ALCMs to the 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffiss AFB, New York, on 11 January 1981. These missiles were used initially by the wing for environmental testing and maintenance training. The first operational missile was assigned to the wing on 23 April 1981. On 15 August 1981, the 416th BMW received the first B-52G modified to carry the ALCM. The bomber could carry six missiles under each wing and had been outfitted with the Offensive Avionics System (OAS) to improve navigation and weapon delivery. The OAS replaced older analog computers and navigation components with a solid-state, digital system, which helped align, target, and launch the missiles. The first ALCM training flight was conducted on 15 September 1981 by the 416th BMW. On 21 September 1982, the 416th became the first operational wing to conduct an ALCM operational test launch, and on 16 December, the 416th was declared the first combat-ready ALCM-equipped wing. In July 1985, the 7th Bombardment Wing at Carswell AFB, Texas, became the first unit to receive ALCM-modified B-52H model bombers. A modified B-52H bomber could carry twenty ALCM missiles, six under each wing and eight mounted internally on a rotary launcher. By 23 August 1986, 98 B-52G aircraft had completed the cruise missile modification program. Boeing completed production of the 1,715th and last ALCM on 7 October 1986.
Specifications
Primary Function: Air-to-surface strategic missile
Contractor: Boeing Aerospace Co.
Guidance Contractors: Litton Guidance and Control
Power Plant: Williams Research Corp. F-107-WR-10 turbofan engine
Thrust: 600 pounds (270 kilograms)
Length: 20 feet, 9 inches (6.29 meters)
Weight: 3,150 pounds (1,417.5 kilograms)
Diameter: 24.5 inches (62.23 centimeter)
Wingspan: 12 feet (3.64 meters)
Range: AGM-86B: 1,500-plus miles (1,305 nautical miles)
Speed: About 550 mph (Mach 0.73)
Guidance System: Litton inertial navigation element with terrain contour-matching updates
Warheads: Nuclear capable
Sensors: A terrain contour-matching guidance system that allows the missile to fly complicated routes to a target through use of maps of the planned flight route stored in on-board computers
Unit Cost: $1 million
Date Deployed: December 1982
Inventory: Active force, 1,628; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0
From Boeing:
U.S. Air Force Successfully Tests Boeing AGM-86D CALCM
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 29, 2001 -- The U.S. Air Force recently flight-tested the new AGM-86D Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The missile was launched from a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber and flew a pre-planned flight path to its target -- a hardened, buried target complex, which the warhead penetrated prior to detonation.
Boeing is under contract to convert Air Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM) to a CALCM variant designated as AGM-86D.
"The AGM-86D will be able to destroy buried or reinforced targets from standoff ranges of hundreds of miles," said Carl Avila, Boeing ALCM/CALCM program manager. "While the penetrating warhead provides the warfighter with a critical new tool, the key enabling technology is the precision accuracy upgrade -- first fielded in the Block 1A configuration -- that puts the CALCM within meters of the target."
The AGM-86D uses an advanced unitary penetrating warhead and precision accuracy guidance to hold a portion of the hard and deeply buried target set at risk. Previous conversions have been for the AGM-86C CALCM, which has a 3,000 pound-class blast fragmentation warhead.
CALCM has become the Air Force's long-range standoff weapon of choice, principally because of its unparalleled ability to deliver very large warheads with exceptional accuracy over distances in excess of 600 miles.
The conversion process includes a total disassembly of the ALCMs -- some of which have been in storage for several years -- refurbishment or replacement of nearly every part, overhaul of the engine and other hardware, structural modification of the airframe, then reassembly with modified avionics and a new conventional warhead.
CALCM is the only air-launched, conventionally armed, long-range standoff missile deployed in the Air Force inventory today. Coupled with long-range bombers and air-refueling aircraft, the CALCM missile provides the Air Force a highly responsive capability to launch very accurate conventional attacks against targets located nearly anywhere in the world, without the support of bases located outside the continental United States.
From youtube:
And, from Wikipedia:
AGM-86 ALCM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AGM-86
AGM-86A on display at the National Air and Space Museum
Type: Air-to-ground strategic cruise missile
Place of origin: United States
Service history
In service
AGM-86B: 1,142 1982 till 1992 (out of service);
AGM-86C: 239, (Block 0- 41; Block I- 198) January 1991
Production history
Manufacturer: Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Unit cost
AGM-86B: $1 million;
AGM-86C: additional $160,000 conversion cost
Specifications
Weight: 3,200 lb (1,429 kg)
Length: 20 ft. 10 in. (6.35 m)
Diameter: 2 ft. 0 in. (0.62 m)
Warhead
AGM-86B: Nuclear capable;
AGM-86C; Block 0, 2,000 lb. (900 kg) class, Block I, 3,000 lb. (1,400 kg) class
Engine: Williams International F107-WR-101 Turbofan Engine, 600 lbf (2.7 kN) thrust
Wingspan: 12 ft 0 in. (3.65 m)
Operational range
AGM-86B: 1500+ miles (2,400+ km);
AGM-86C: classified (nominal 680 miles, 1,100 km)
Speed
AGM-86B: 550 mph (890 km/h, Mach 0.73);
AGM 86C: classified (nominal high subsonic)
Guidance system
AGM-86B: Litton inertial navigation element with terrain contour-matching updates;
AGM 86C: Litton INS element integrated with multi-channel onboard GPS
Launch platform: B-52G Stratofortress and B-52H Stratofortress bombers
The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM (AGM-86A, AGM-86B and AGM-86C) is a U.S. subsonic air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) built by Boeing Company and operated by the United States Air Force. The missiles were developed to increase the effectiveness and survivability of Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers. In combination, they dilute an enemy's forces and complicate defense of its territory.[1]
Examples of the Boeing AGM-86A and AGM-86B are on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum near Washington D.C.[2]
Design
The small, winged AGM-86B/C missile is powered by a Williams F107 turbofan jet engine that propels it at sustained subsonic speeds and can be launched from both high and low altitudes. After launch, the missile's folded wings, tail surfaces and engine inlet deploy. The nuclear AGM-86B is then able to fly complicated routes to a target through use of a terrain contour-matching guidance system (TERCOM). The conventionally armed AGM-86C uses an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) coupled with its inertial navigation system (INS) to fly. This allows the missile to guide itself to the target with pinpoint accuracy. Litton Guidance and Control, and Interstate Electronics Corp. were the guidance contractors for the C-model.
AGM-86B/C missiles increase flexibility in target selection. AGM-86B missiles can be air-launched in large numbers by the bomber force. B-52H bombers carry six AGM-86B or AGM-86C missiles on each of two externally mounted pylons and eight internally on a rotary launcher, giving the B-52H a maximum capacity of 20 missiles per aircraft.
The AGM-86C CALCM differs from the AGM-86B air launched cruise missile in that it carries a conventional blast/fragmentation payload rather than a nuclear payload.
An enemy force would have to counterattack each of the missiles, making defense against them costly and complicated. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missiles' small size and low-altitude flight capability, which makes them difficult to detect on radar.[1]
Development
AGM-86A/B
AGM-86B ALCM
In February 1974, the U.S. Air Force entered into contract to develop and flight-test the prototype or proof-of-concept vehicle AGM-86A air-launched cruise missile, which was slightly smaller than the later B and C models. The 86A model did not go into production. Instead, in January 1977, the Air Force began full-scale development of the AGM-86B, which greatly enhanced the B-52's capabilities and helped the USA maintain a strategic deterrent.
Production of the initial 225 AGM-86B missiles began in fiscal year 1980 and production of a total 1,715 missiles was completed in October 1986. The air-launched cruise missile had become operational four years earlier, in December 1982. More than 100 launches have taken place since then, with a 90% approximate success rate. The missile's flight path is pre-programmed and it becomes totally autonomous after launch.
In June 1986 a limited number of AGM-86B missiles were converted to carry a high-explosive blast/fragmentation warhead and an internal GPS. They were redesignated as the AGM-86C CALCM. This modification also replaced the B model's terrain contour-matching guidance system (TERCOM) and integrated a GPS capability with the existing inertial navigation computer system.[1]
AGM-86C/D
The AGM-86C is a Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) and is a conventional blast/fragmentation derivative of the nuclear armed AGM-86B. The AGM-86D is the Penetrator version of the CALCM which is designed to attack deeply buried targets.
In 1996 and 1997, 200 additional CALCMs were produced from excess ALCMs. These missiles, designated Block I, incorporate improvements such as a larger and improved conventional payload (3,000 pound blast class), a multi-channel GPS receiver and integration of the buffer box into the GPS receiver. The upgraded avionics package was retrofitted into all existing CALCM (Block 0) so all AGM-86C missiles are electronically identical.[1]
Testing Facilities
CFB Cold Lake
Operations
The CALCM became operational in January 1991 at the onset of Operation Desert Storm. Seven B-52Gs from Barksdale AFB launched 35 missiles at designated launch points in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility to attack high-priority targets in Iraq. These "round-robin" missions marked the beginning of the operation's air force component and are the longest known aircraft combat sorties in history (more than 14,000 miles and 35 hours of flight).
CALCM's next employment occurred in September 1996 during Operation Desert Strike. In response to Iraq's continued hostilities against the Kurds in northern Iraq, the Air Force launched 13 CALCMs in a joint attack with the Navy. This mission has put the CALCM program in the spotlight for future modifications. Operation Desert Strike was also the combat debut of the B-52H and the carriage of the CALCM on the weapons bay-mounted Common Strategic Rotary Launcher (CSRL). During the Operation Desert Storm, the CALCM had been carried on the B-52G and wing-mounted pylons.
The CALCM was also used in Operation Desert Fox in 1998, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Operation Iraqi Freedom was also the combat debut of the AGM-86D, a further development of the missile which replaced the blast/fragmentation warhead of the AGM-86C with a penetrating warhead.
Future of the ALCM
The Air Force in 2008 maintains an arsenal of 1,140 AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missiles and 460 newer and stealthy AGM-129 ACM (Advanced Cruise Missiles). The B-52 Stratofortress is the only delivery bomber for these missiles.
In 2007, the USAF announced its intention to retire all of its AGM-129 ACMs, and to reduce the ALCM fleet by more than 500 missiles, leaving 528 nuclear cruise missiles. The ALCM force will be consolidated at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and all excess cruise missile bodies will be destroyed.
The reductions are in part a result of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty requirement to go below 2,200 deployed nuclear weapons by 2012, with the AGM-129 ACM chosen because it has reliability problems and also higher maintenance costs.[3]
Even with the SLEP, the remaining AGM-86s will reach their end of service by 2020, leaving the B-52 without a nuclear mission.[4]
References
1.^ a b c d "Factsheet: AGM-86B/C/D MISSILES". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
2.^ "Missile, Cruise, Air-launched, AGM-86B". Collections Database. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
3.^ AIR FORCE Magazine, August, 2007.
4.^ Air Force Next-Generation Bomber: Background and Issues for Congress, page 8
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AGM-86 ALCM
Boeing.com ALCM/CALCM Photo Gallery
Designation Systems' Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles: AGM-86
Global Security's AGM-86C/D Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles
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The General Dynamics AGM-129A ACM (Advanced air-launched Cruise Missile)
From youtube:
From fas.org:
AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile [ACM]
The ACM is a low-observable, air- launched, strategic missile with significant improvements over the ALCM-B in range, accuracy, and survivability. Armed with a W80 warhead, it is designed to evade air and ground-based defenses in order to strike heavily defended, hardened targets at any location within any potential enemy's territory. The ACM is designed for B-52H external carriage.
Missile procurement is complete. Procurement of the AGM-129 was halted at 460 missiles in lieu of the originally planned 1,460. FY 96, FY 97 and FY98 funds are required to complete the last 15% of mission support development work.
Sources and Resources
Cruise Missile Product Group Tinker AFB
ACC releases Advanced Cruise Missile accident investigation report Jul 10, 1998 (AFNS) -- Air Combat Command has released the accident investigation report on the Advanced Cruise Missile (AGM-129) that impacted the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Grounds Dec. 10, 1997.
From designation-systems.net:
Raytheon (General Dynamics) AGM-129 ACM
The AGM-129 ACM (Advanced Cruise Missile) is a stealthy, nuclear-armed cruise missile used exclusively by B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers. It was originally planned to completely replace the AGM-86 ALCM, but limited funding led to the procurment of less than 500 missiles.
USAF studies for a new cruise missile with stealth characteristics began in 1982, when it became clear that the AGM-86 ALCM would become too easily detectable by future advanced air-defense systems. In 1983, General Dynamics was awarded the development contract for the new AGM-129A ACM. The first test missile flew in July 1985, and in June 1990, the first production missiles were delivered to the USAF.
Photo: General Dynamics
AGM-129A
The AGM-129A is powered by a Williams F112 turbofan engine, and armed with the same W-80-1 variable-yield thermonuclear warhead as the AGM-86B ALCM. Its external shape is optimized for LO (Low Observables) characteristics and includes forward-swept wings and tailplanes, a flush air intake, and a flat shielded jet exhaust. For guidance, the ACM uses an inertial navigation system together with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system. The accuracy is quoted between 30 m (100 ft) and 90 m (300 ft), but it is highly likely, that the operational missiles were upgraded with GPS receivers for further enhanced accuracy. Range of the AGM-129A is also significantly higher than that of the AGM-86B. Alhough the ACM was originally intended for the B-1B, it is now deployed only by the B-52H. A cruise-missile configured B-52H can carry up to 20 ACMs, eight on the internal rotary launcher, and 12 on two underwing pylons.
AGM-129A
Original plans called for the production of up to 2500 AGM-129 missiles, but this total was soon reduced to 1460 and later to 1000. Like many other weapon programs, the ACM was affected by the end of the Cold War. In 1992, the USAF announced to halt production of the missile after 460 rounds, and the last one was delivered in 1993. Current prime contractor for all AGM-129 activities is Raytheon Missile Systems Co.
There was also a projected AGM-129B version of the ACM. The official source [3] describes it as an "AGM-129A modified with structural and software changes and an alternate nuclear warhead for accomplishing a classified cruise missile mission." Apart from that, no further information is available, but most likely no ACMs were completed as AGM-129Bs. Reports, which attribute the AGM-129B designation to a planned, but eventually not funded, non-nuclear version of the ACM are erroneous. While a conventionally armed ACM was indeed proposed to the USAF by General Dynamics (and unofficially referred to as "AGM-129C"), this proposal was turned down.
In March 2007, the USAF announced that it will retire its entire stockpile of AGM-129 missiles (most likely until some time in 2008).
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-129A:
Length 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)
Wingspan 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
Diameter 70.5 cm (27.75 in)
Weight 1680 kg (3700 lb)
Speed subsonic
Range 3000 km (1865 miles)
Propulsion Williams F112-WR-100 turbofan; 3.25 kN (732 lb)
Warhead W-80-1 thermonuclear (5-150 kT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Hajime Ozu: "Missile 2000 - Reference Guide to World Missile Systems", Shinkigensha, 2000
[3] "DOD 4120.15-L: Model Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles", Department of Defense, 1990
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The General Dynamics BGM-109G Gryphon GLCM
From youtube:
And, from Wikipedia:
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BGM-109G Gryphon (GLCM)
Type: long-range, all-weather, subsonic tactical/strategic cruise missile
Service history
In service: 1983–1991
Production history
Manufacturer: General Dynamics
Unit cost: $1.3 mil
Specifications
Weight: 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb)
Length: Without booster:5.56 metres (18.2 ft)
Diameter: 0.52 metres (1.7 ft)
Engine: Williams International F107-WR-400 turbofan using TH-dimer fuel and a solid-fuel booster
Wingspan: 2.67 metres (8.8 ft)
Operational range: 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi)
Speed: Subsonic—880 kilometres per hour (550 mph)
Guidance system: Inertial, TERCOM
Launch platform: Transporter erector launcher
The Ground Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, (officially designated BGM-109G Gryphon) was a ground-launched cruise missile developed by the United States Air Force in the last decade of the Cold War.
It was developed as a counter to the mobile medium- and intermediate- range ballistic nuclear missiles deployed by the Soviet Union in Eastern Bloc European countries. The GLCM and the U.S. Army's Pershing II were the incentives that fostered Soviet willingness to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF treaty), and thus eventually reduced both the number and the threat of nuclear warheads in Europe. GLCM is also a generic term for any ground-launched cruise missile. Since the US deployed only one modern cruise missile in the tactical role, the GLCM name stuck. The GLCM was built by General Dynamics.
Design & employment
A conventionally-configured cruise missile, the BGM-109 was essentially a small, pilotless flying machine, powered by a turbofan engine. Unlike ballistic missiles, whose aimpoint is usually determined by gravitic trajectories, a cruise missile is capable of complicated aerial manoeuvres, and can fly a range of predetermined flight plans. Also, it flies at much lower altitudes than a ballistic missile, typically with a terrain-hugging flight plan. The trade-off for this low-observability flight is strike time; cruise missiles travel far more slowly than a ballistic weapon, and the GLCM was typical in this regard.
GLCM was developed as a ground-launched variant of the Tomahawk missile in use by the U.S. Navy (along with an undeveloped air-launched version, the Medium Range Air to Surface Missile [MRASM].) Unlike other variants of the Tomahawk, the GLCM carried only a nuclear warhead; no conventional capability was provided. The W84 warhead was a variable-yield kiloton-range weapon. Some estimates put the yield at between 10 and 50 kt. This tactical warhead contrasts with the W80 warhead found on other versions of the Tomahawk, and on the ALCM, which had a yield of 200 kt.2 The Pentagon credited the GLCM with a range of 2000–2500 kilometers. Like other US cruise missiles of this period, accuracy after more than 2000 km of flight was within half the width of a football field or 100 ft (approximately 30 meters). The missile was entirely subsonic, powered by a turbofan engine with a rocket booster assisting at launch.3
Militarily, the GLCM was targeted against fixed targets—at the outer edge of its range, the missile's flight time with its subsonic turbofan was more than 2½ hours. This contrasted sharply with Pershing II, which had a flight time of 10–15 minutes. However, the range of the GLCM gave it the ability to strike deep within then-Soviet territory, and the weapon's low-altitude flight profile, TERCOM guidance, and low RCS would have made it far more difficult to intercept a GLCM even if the launch were detected in time.
Deployment & protest
Designed to be road-mobile, the BGM-109 was carried in a four-pack on a wheeled transporter erector launcher (TEL) towed by a MAN AG 8 X 8 tractor, and could travel in convoy. A third component was a trailer mounted Launch Control Center (LCC). Normal basing was in shelters at military installations, with deployment to other sites, on- or off-road, to be carried out in an alert situation. GLCMs were deployed in the United Kingdom (at RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth), Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Comiso Air Station in Italy. Initial operating capability (or IOC) occurred in 1983. The launchers (sans warheads) were sent out on a number of simulated scrambles. Four TELs and their missiles (including reloads) made up each flight of GLCMs.4
Although deployed in the face of a range of Soviet IRBMs, including the brand-new and extremely capable SS-20 Saber, the GLCM (sometimes referred to by its phonetic nickname, Glick-em) faced widespread public protest in Europe. Many anti-nuclear Europeans felt that the United States was deploying weapons meant to win a tactical nuclear war, without adequate consideration of the effects that even a 'victory' would bring. Critics also argued that the Reagan Administration was unduly escalating tensions in Central Europe. Between them, GLCM and Pershing II made a lethal combination. GLCM missiles could be launched, undetected, followed 2 hours later by a Pershing strike, which would fly so quickly that it was possible no response could be made before the Pershings struck. Aside from presenting an attractive course of action to NATO commanders in the event of Soviet aggression, it put the Kremlin leaders (in range of the GLCM and possibly the Pershing, even in Moscow) in a position of fearing a decapitating NATO first strike, which could have moved them toward a launch on warning policy as the only way to maintain deterrence.5 However, the USSR did have submarine-launched missiles (i.e. Golf and Hotel class SSBNs armed with R-27 Zyb and SS-N-5s) available during this time, so any fears of a decapitating first strike were not necessarily justified.[1]
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) - withdrawn from service
RAF Molesworth GLCM bunkers in 1989.
A BGM-109G launch system on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford
GLCM & the INF
Ironically, and despite the protesters' fears to the contrary, the deployment of GLCM actually brought greater stability to Central Europe, and lessened the incentive/need for a tactical nuclear exchange, through the mechanism of the INF treaty. The recognition by Soviet leaders of the threat posed by the GLCM and Pershing II missiles made them far more inclined to agree to negotiate their own intermediate-range weapons, especially the SS-20, out of service, in exchange for the elimination of the threat posed by the GLCM and the Pershing II.6
Unlike SALT II or START I, which set limits to maximum nuclear arsenals, the INF Treaty banned whole categories of intermediate-range tactical nuclear weapons outright. All ground-launched cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with ranges greater than 500 but less than 5500 kilometers were barred to the U.S. and USSR under this treaty. This meant the withdrawal of GLCM and Pershing II on the American side; the Soviets withdrew the SS-4 Sandal, SS-5 Skean, SS-12 Scaleboard, SS-20 Saber, SS-22 Scaleboard B, and SS-23 Spider MRBM/IRBM/LRBM ballistic missiles, in addition to the GLCM's most direct counterpart: the SSC-4 (dubbed the Tomahawksi in the Western press) and its supersonic follow-on, the SSC-X-5 cruise missiles.7
GLCM was removed from Europe beginning in 1988, and all units were removed from service by 1991, being either destroyed or converted into displays. Eight missiles survive for static display only. No follow-on design has been authorized.8
USAF GLCM Units
38th Tactical Missile Wing - Wueschheim AB, West Germany
303d Tactical Missile Wing - RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom
485th Tactical Missile Wing - Florennes Air Base, Belgium
486th Tactical Missile Wing - Woensdrecht Air Base, Netherlands
487th Tactical Missile Wing - Comiso Air Base, Italy
501st Tactical Missile Wing - RAF Greenham Common, United Kingdom
868th Tactical Missile Training Group - Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
See also
United States Air Force portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ground Launched Cruise Missile
Tomahawk ALCM & SLCM
SSC-X-4/RK-55
List of nuclear weapons (incomplete)
References
1.^ ICBMs [1]
References
Note 1: Cochran, Thomas et al. (1984). Nuclear Weapons Databook Volume I: U.S. Nuclear Forces and Capabilities. Natural Resources Defense Council. ISBN 0-88410-173-8., pp. 179–184.
Note 2: Cochran, Thomas et al.. op. cit., pp. 79–80.
Note 3: Cochran, Thomas et al.. op. cit., pp. 179–184.
Note 4: General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas BGM-109G "Gryphon" Ground-launched Cruise Missile
Note 5: Grier, Peter. "The Short, Happy Life of the Glick-Em". Air Force Magazine 85 (July 2002): 70–74.
Note 6: Werrell, Kenneth P (1989). "The Weapon the Military Did Not Want: The Modern Strategic Cruise Missile". The Journal of Military History 53 (Oct. 1989): 419–438. doi:10.2307/1986108.
Note 7: INF Theater / Operational Missiles - Russian / Soviet Nuclear Forces
Note 8: General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas BGM-109G "Gryphon" Ground-launched Cruise Missile
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The BGM-109C Tomahawk SLCM
From youtube:
From designation-systems.net:
Raytheon (General Dynamics) AGM/BGM/RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk is the U.S. Navy's multipurpose strategic and tactical long range precision-guided cruise missile. Launched from surface ships and submarines, it was used in action in all recent major U.S. military engagements, and will remain one of the most important missiles in the U.S. inventory for quite some time.
The BGM-109 missile has been developed in several distinct variations, which are described in separate sections of this article. These variations include:
SLCM (Sea-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109A/.../F, RGM/UGM-109A/.../E/H
GLCM (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109G
MRASM (Medium-Range Air-to-Surface Missile): AGM-109C/H/I/J/K/L
SLCM (Sea-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109A/.../F, RGM/UGM-109A/.../E/H Tomahawk
In 1971 the U.S. Navy began to study the possibility of a submarine-launched strategic cruise missile, either a larger design for launch from UGM-27 Polaris missile tubes or a smaller one for launch from torpedo tubes. In June 1972 the torpedo-tube missile was chosen, and design contracts were let to the industry in November that year for what was then called the SLCM (Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile). In January 1974, the two most promising designs were selected for a fly-off competition, and in 1975, the designations ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A were assigned to the designs of General Dynamics and LTV, respectively. After a few test flights by the YBGM-109A and YBGM-110A prototypes in February 1976, which included the critical transition from water to air in a sub-surface launch, the BGM-109 was declared winner of the competition. At that time, it had already been decided that the SLCM should also be launched from surface ships, and therefore the acronym was changed to Sea-Launched Cruise Missile. Flight testing of the YBGM-109A, including the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) guidance system, continued during the following years.
Photo: U.S. Navy
BGM-109 (exact model unknown)
In January 1977, the Carter administration initiated a program called JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project), which directed the USAF and the U.S. Navy to develop their cruise missiles using a common technology base. At that time, the Air Force was developing its AGM-86 ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile). One consequence of JCMP was that only one cruise missile propulsion system (the Williams F107 turbofan of the AGM-86) and TERCOM guidance system (the McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 of the BGM-109) would be further developed. Another one was a fly-off competition for the ALCM role between the AGM-86B and the AGM-109, an air-launched derivative of the YBGM-109A. After flights between July 1979 and February 1980, the AGM-86B was declared winner of the competition and the AGM-109 ALCM development was stopped.
Photo: General Dynamics
AGM-109
Development of the BGM-109 SLCM had of course continued during the ALCM evaluation. In March 1980, the first surface-ship launch of a production BGM-109A Tomahawk occurred from the USS Merrill (DD-976). This was followed in June that year by the launch of a production missile from the submarine USS Guitarro (SSN-665). Operational evaluation continued in the following years, and the Tomahawk SLCM was finally declared ready for service in March 1983. The initial versions, both also known as Tomahawk Block I, were the strategic BGM-109A TLAM-N (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Nuclear) with a thermonuclear warhead and the BGM-109B TASM (Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile) with a conventional warhead against surface-ships. Initially, the missile variants for the different launch environment options were designated by suffix letters, BGM-109A-1 and -109B-1 being surface-launched and BGM-109A-2 and -109B-2 submarine-launched. In 1986, this was changed to the use of R-for-Surface and U-for-Underwater launch environment letters:
Old Designation New Designation
BGM-109A-1 RGM-109A
BGM-109A-2 UGM-109A
BGM-109B-1 RGM-109B
BGM-109B-2 UGM-109B
The RGM-109A is launched from MK 143 box-launchers or (in newer installations) MK 41 VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells with the help of a solid-propellant rocket booster. After the missile has cleared the launcher, the four tailfins are extended, followed by the deployment of the two straight wings. When this is completed, the ventral air intake for the Williams F107-WR-400 turbofan cruise engine extends, the spent booster is jettisoned, and the turbofan started. The Tomahawk is guided to its target by a system called TAINS (TERCOM Assisted Inertial Navigation System) using a McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system. In TERCOM, altitude information obtained by a radar altimeter is continuously matched to a preprogrammed radar map of the area below the missile, so that the Tomahawk can effectively follow a detailed predetermined flight path. This path can include several waypoints to change altitude and direction, e.g. for flying around hills to be concealed from detection by point-defenses around the target for as long as possible. The accuracy of the TAINS guidance is around 80 m (260 ft) CEP, which is good enough for the RGM-109A's variable-yield (5 kT - 200 kT) W-80-0 thermonuclear warhead.
In an UGM-109 underwater launch, the missile remains enclosed in its transport canister until it has cleared the torpedo tube. The canister is then ejected, and the booster ignites to propel the missile to the surface. After it is fully airborne, some protective covers are jettisoned, and the flight procedes as in a surface launch. Newer SSNs also have vertical launch tubes for the UGM-109 missile.
Photo: U.S. Navy
UGM-109 (exact model unknown)
The BGM-109B (later RGM/UGM-109B) TASM was developed concurrently with the BGM-109A TLAM-N, and was actually the first variant to be deployed in operational status. Instead of TERCOM (which is obviously useless over water), the TASM uses a radar guidance system very similar to that of the AGM/RGM/UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, including the latter's strapdown three-axis attitude/heading reference system and AN/DSQ-28 J-band active radar seeker. The missile is launched in the general direction of the target and at some distance from the expected target position, it enters a serpentine flight pattern to search for it using both passive radar to scan enemy emissions and active radar to lock on a detected target. Once the seeker has locked on a target, the RGM/UGM-109B proceeds towards it at very low altitude (sea-skimming). Manoeuvers after lock-on can include short pop-ups to get a better fix on the target position and/or course changes to strike the target from an unexpected direction. The missile is armed with a 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-25/B high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead, and can hit the target either from the side or from the top after a terminal pop-up manoeuver.
The BGM-109C (initially BGM-109C-1 and -2, but changed in 1986 to RGM-109C and UGM-109C) TLAM-C (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Conventional) is a conventionally-armed (same WDU-25/B warhead as -109B TASM) missile for long-range strikes against high-value targets. It entered U.S. Navy operational service in 1986. The TLAM-C (also known as Tomahawk Block II) uses the same INS/TERCOM suite as the -109A TLAM-N for mid-course guidance. For higher accuracy in the terminal phase of the flight, it uses an AN/DXQ-1 DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation) system, because the conventional warhead requires higher precision to be effective. DSMAC is an electro-optical sensor system which takes images from the ground below the missile and compares these to reference images stored in the on-board computer. Any deviations lead to a course correction of the Tomahawk missile, and the system's accuracy is about 10 m (30 ft) CEP. The original TLAM-C Block II had only one mode of final approach, it always flew straight into the side of the target. Early in the development program, however, the BGM-109C software was upgraded to Block IIA. This allows pre-launch selection of two additional attack modes. The first of these is a pop-up/terminal-dive manoeuver, and the second is known as PWD (Programmed Warhead Detonation). Using PWD, the WDU-25/B warhead is detonated while the missile is flying directly over the target, making it especially effective against targets behind a protective shielding like a revetment.
Photo: U.S. Navy
RGM-109C
The Tomahawk Block IIB is designated BGM-109D (intially BGM-109D-1 and -2, but changed to RGM-109D and UGM-109D before it entered service) TLAM-D (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Dispenser). It is similar to the TLAM-C (also using the TAINS/DSMAC guidance package), but in place of the unitary WDU-25/B warhead, it uses a warhead section with 166 BLU-97/B CEB (Combined Effects Bomblet) submunitions. The BLU-97/Bs can be dispensed in partial packages to attack several targets in one mission. The RGM/UGM-109D entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1988.
Photo: Raytheon
BGM-109D
The BGM-109E was a proposed improvement of the BGM-109B anti-ship missile, and the BGM-109F was to be a TLAM variant with an anti-airfield warhead (possibly using BLU-106/B submunitions). The BGM-109E/F versions were both cancelled in the mid-1980s, but the -109E suffix was later reused for the Block IV program and then again for the Tactical Tomahawk missile (q.v. below).
Operation Desert Storm in 1991 saw the first combat use of the Tomahawk missile, with 261 TLAM-Cs and 27 TLAM-Ds fired against Iraqi targets. The overall hit rate was reported as 85%. During the 1990s, Tomahawks were used whenever the United States needed to strike tactical and strategic targets at long range. Major operations included Operation Desert Fox (Iraq, December 1998) and Operation Allied Force (Serbia, April/May 1999), when several hundred Tomahawks were launched.
In the late 1980s, McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) received a contract to develop the Block III upgrade for the TLAM-C/D. Block III had a significantly upgraded guidance unit, incorporating a GPS receiver to assist the TAINS system, and the improved DSMAC 2A which uses a wider imagery range and more scenes for the final fix. The Block III missiles were also upgraded with an improved F107-WR-402 engine with higher thrust and lower fuel consumption. The RGM/UGM-109C Block III also uses an improved WDU-36/B warhead which is smaller (thereby increasing fuel space) and lighter than the WDU-25/B but offers the same effect. The new warhead significantly increases the range of the Block III TLAM-C missile. The first launch of a Block III Tomahawk occurred in January 1991, and IOC was achieved in May 1993. All Block IIA/IIB missiles will be upgraded to Block III standard when they are due for scheduled maintenance (every 3 to 4 years).
In 1994, Hughes (now Raytheon) started to develop the Block IV upgrade, also known as TBIP (Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program), which had the goal to develop a single all-purpose missile, the RGM/UGM-109E TMMM (Tomahawk Multi-Mode Missile) for use against ships and land targets. For this purpose an imaging seeker (either a FLIR or a mm-wave radar) was to be installed, so that the computer could be fed with images of either ships or land targets. Other options under consideration for Block IV were autonomous target acquisition by the seeker and a datalink for retargeting in flight. The planned warhead was the WDU-36/B of the TLAM-C Block III, but the latter's F107 engine was to be replaced by the much cheaper Teledyne CAE J402-CA-401 turbojet. The RGM/UGM-109H THTP (Tomahawk Hard Target Penetrator) was a proposed Block IV missile with a penetrating warhead. However, the TBIP proved to be too expensive, and was cancelled in May 1996. The program was eventually replaced by the Tactical Tomahawk (q.v. below). The designations of the Block IV missiles (RGM/UGM-109E and RGM/UGM-109H) were also "transferred" to the Tactical Tomahawk program.
The latest development of the Tomahawk SLCM is the RGM-109E/UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk (a.k.a. "TacTom") variant (the -109E designations were carried over from the Block IV). It was first proposed in 1998 as a low-cost replacement for the cancelled Block IV TBIP program. Tactical Tomahawk was originally known as Block V, but has now been renumbered as Block IV. The major TacTom program goal was a missile which would cost significantly less (about one half) per production round than an up-to-date TLAM-C/D. Therefore a cheaper engine is used and the structure is lighter. The originally planned engine was the TBIP's J402-CA-401 turbojet, but this was changed during development to a Williams F415-WR-400/402 turbofan, causing a significant delay in the time schedule. Because of the lighter structure (which includes reducing the number of tailfins from four to three), the UGM-109E is unsuitable for launch from torpedo tubes, but can still be used from SSNs equipped with vertical launch systems. The RGM/UGM-109E also features a number of significant operational improvements. The missile can be reprogrammed in flight via an UHF satellite link to divert to any one of 15 pre-programmed alternate targets or to an arbitrary location defined by GPS coordinates. It can also loiter over the target area for some time while transmitting imagery from its on-board TV camera via the satellite link. The image can be used to assess battle damage and/or to retarget the missile.
RGM-109E
The first flight of a TacTom test vehicle occurred in August 2002, and the first underwater launch of a UGM-109E succeeded in November 2002. The first LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) contract was awarded to Raytheon in October 2002. IOC (Initial Operational Capability) was officially reached in May 2004, when RGM-109E missiles were installed on USS Stethem (DDG-63). In August that year, Raytheon received a five-year contract for full-scale production of Tomahawk Block IV rounds to replenish the Navy's cruise missile arsenal. The initial RGM/UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk version will be armed with the WDU-36/B blast-fragmentation warhead of the TLAM-C Block III.
UGM-109E
The second variant of the Tactical Tomahawk will be the TTPV (Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant), armed with a new WDU-43/B penetrating warhead for use against hardened and/or underground targets, like storage bunkers for weapons of mass destruction. The first test flight of the TTPV, designated RGM-109H and UGM-109H (reusing the -109H suffix of the cancelled THTP penetrator version), was successfully conducted on 21 March 2003, and IOC is currently planned for 2005.
The Tomahawk versions currently in the U.S. Navy operational inventory are the RGM/UGM-109C/D TLAM-C/D, and the RGM/UGM-109E Block IV. The original RGM/UGM-109A TLAM-N and RGM/UGM-109B TASM variants have been retired in the early 1990s. Including the ground-launched BGM-109G Gryphon, more than 4000 xGM-109 missiles of all variants have been built so far.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for RGM/UGM-109A/B/C/D:
RGM/UGM-109A RGM/UGM-109B RGM/UGM-109C RGM/UGM-109D
Length 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) (w/o booster)
6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) (incl. booster)
Wingspan 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Diameter 53.1 cm (20.9 in)
Weight 1180 kg (2600 lb) (w/o booster)
1450 kg (3200 lb) (incl. booster) 1310 kg (2900 lb) (w/o booster)
1590 kg (3500 lb) (incl. booster) 1220 kg (2700 lb) (w/o booster)
1490 kg (3300 lb) (incl. booster)
Speed 880 km/h (550 mph)
Range 2500 km (1350 nm) 460 km (250 nm) 1250 km (675 nm)
Block III: 1600 km (870 nm) 870 km (470 nm)
Propulsion Williams F107-WR-400 turbofan; 2.7 kN (600 lb)
RGM/UGM-109C/D Block III: Williams F107-WR-402 turbofan; 3.1 kN (700 lb)
Booster: Atlantic Research MK 106 solid-propellant rocket; 26.7 kN (6000 lb) for 12 s
Warhead W-80-0 thermonuclear (5-200 kT) 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-25/B blast-fragmentation
-109C Block III: 340 kg (750 lb) WDU-36/B blast-fragmentation 166 BLU-97/B CEB (Combined Effects Bomblets)
GLCM (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109G Gryphon
As early as 1971 the U.S. Air Force had tentative plans to replace the retired MGM-13 Mace with a modern GLCM (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile) with TERCOM precision guidance and a small fuel-efficient turbofan engine. The plans became more firm in 1976, and in January 1977 the USAF was allowed to develop and field a GLCM derivative of the Navy's BGM-109 Tomahawk SLCM. The first launch of the BGM-109G Gryphon (sometimes spelled Griffin) GLCM from its mobile TEL (Transporter/Erector/Launcher) occurred in May 1980, and operational testing began in May 1982. The GLCM was operationally deployed in Europe from 1983 to counter (together with the U.S. Army's MGM-31C Pershing II) the Soviet RSD-10 Pioner (SS-20 Saber) mobile IRBM system.
The BGM-109G was very similar to the Navy's nuclear-armed BGM-109A except that a different W-84 thermonuclear warhead was used. The Gryphon was launched from a mobile TEL, which could hold four missiles. Like the BGM-109A, it used an INS/TERCOM guidance system with an accuracy of about 80 m (260 ft) CEP.
Photo: USAF
BGM-109G
In December 1987, the USA and the USSR signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which abolished all medium- and intermediate-range nuclear armed missiles. Withdrawal of the GLCM began in 1988 and was completed in May 1991. A total of about 500 BGM-109G missiles had been built.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for BGM-109G:
Length 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) (w/o booster)
6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) (incl. booster)
Wingspan 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Diameter 51.8 cm (20.4 in)
Weight 1200 kg (2650 lb) (w/o booster)
1470 kg (3250 lb) (incl. booster)
Speed 880 km/h (550 mph)
Range 2500 km (1350 nm)
Propulsion Williams F107-WR-400 turbofan; 2.7 kN (600 lb)
Booster: Atlantic Research MK 106 solid-propellant rocket; 26.7 kN (6000 lb) for 12 s
Warhead W-84 thermonuclear (0.2-150 kT)
From fas.org:
BGM-109 Tomahawk
Tomahawk is an all-weather submarine or ship-launched land-attack cruise missile. After launch, a solid propellant propels the missile until a small turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of flight. Tomahawk is a highly survivable weapon. Radar detection is difficult because of the missile's small cross-section, low altitude flight. Similarly, infrared detection is difficult because the turbofan engine emits little heat. Systems include Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; an upgrade of the optical Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system; Time of Arrival (TOA) control, and improved 402 turbo engines.
The Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile has been used to attack a variety of fixed targets, including air defense and communications sites, often in high-threat environments. The land attack version of Tomahawk has inertial and terrain contour matching (TERCOM) radar guidance. The TERCOM radar uses a stored map reference to compare with the actual terrain to determine the missile's position. If necessary, a course correction is then made to place the missile on course to the target. Terminal guidance in the target area is provided by the optical Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system, which compares a stored image of target with the actual target image.
The Tomahawk missile provides a long-range, highly survivable, unmanned land attack weapon system capable of pinpoint accuracy. The Surface Navy's deep strike capability resides in the Tomahawk missile system - the proven weapon of choice for contingency missions.
Tomahawk's operational environment is changing significantly. The first operational design involved global warfare using conventional Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) against known, fixed, non-hardened targets. The strategic assumptions underlying this environment continue to change. Tomahawk Weapon System (TWS) capability is evolving into major systems with expanding capabilities. Today, Tomahawk is able to respond to rapidly developing scenarios and attack emerging land-based targets. A more diverse threat coupled with a smaller U.S. force structure place an absolute premium on system flexibility and responsiveness.
The projected operational environment for Tomahawk is now characterized by scenarios in which the U.S. Navy will most likely be called upon to defend U.S. interests in regional conflicts, in crisis response, or to execute national policy. Tomahawk will operate from littoral seas as an integral part of joint forces.
During the critical early days of a regional conflict, Tomahawk, in conjunction with other land attack systems and tactical aircraft, denies or delays forward movement of enemy forces, neutralize the enemy's ability to conduct air operations, and suppress enemy air defenses. In addition, Tomahawk attacks high value targets such as electrical generating facilities, command and control nodes, and weapons assembly/storage facilities. Thus, making Tomahawk the weapon of choice to strike reinforced, hardened targets.
The Tomahawk Weapon System (TWS) is comprised of four major components: Tomahawk Missile, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System (APS), Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TWCS) for surface ships, and Combat Control System (CCS) for submarines.
Ships and submarines have different weapon control systems (WCSs). A vertical launching system (VLS) accommodates missile stowage and launch on ships. On all attack submarines, missiles are launched from torpedo tubes (with stowage in the torpedo room); in addition, some attack submarines have VLS located forward, external to the pressure hull, which will handle both stowage and launch.
The Fire Control Systems (FCS) on both ships and submarines perform communications management, database management, engagement planning, and launch control functions. These systems provide the interface between the missile and FCS for missile initialization and launch as well as environmental protection. The FCS supporting the ship is TWCS of ATWCS (AN/SWG-3). The FCS on submarines is the CCS MK1, CCS Mk2, or AN/BSY-1.
Unified Commanders develop contingency plans in response to developing strategic situations to achieve National Command Authority directed goals. The Unified Commander passes tasking for TLAM mission development to a Cruise Missile Support Activity (CMSA) for overland mission planning. The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) provides the necessary databases for planning. Targets and maps are generated for TERCOM and DSMAC. Threat databases are provided for missile attrition analysis. Unified, Joint, and Battle Group (BG) Commanders direct the deployment and employment of the mission. Strike Planners select, task and coordinate TLAM strikes. The Launch platform FCS prepares and executes the TLAM mission. The launch platform launches the missile. The missile boosts and transitions to cruise flight, then navigates on the planned route. During flight, the missile will navigate using TERCOM and DSMAC and GPS (Block III). Enroute, some missiles may also execute a Precision Strike Tomahawk Mission (PST) transmitting its status back to a ground station via satellite communication. The missile executes its planned terminal maneuver and for TLAM-C hits a single aimpoint and for TLAM-D, single or multiple targets.
Tomahawk Variants
The Tomahawk is a mature missile weapons system with Block II and III, C (unitary warhead) and D (bomblet dispersion) versions in fleet use. These two variants of Tomahawk cruise missile are distinguished by their warhead; TLAM-C has a conventional unitary warhead, and TLAM-D has a conventional submunitions (dispense bomblets) warhead. Both are identical in appearance, but different in capabilities. The missile concept is one of a wooden round. The missile is delivered to ships and submarines as an all-up-round (AUR), which includes the missile that flies the mission, the booster that starts its flight, and the container (canister for ships and capsule for submarines) that protects it during transportation, storage and stowage, and acts as a launch tube.
Operational evaluation to support a milestone III full rate production decision on the TOMAHAWK missile began in January 1981. This OPEVAL was conducted in six phases. The first three phases all involved testing of the submarine launched TOMAHAWK missiles. The sub launched antiship version (TASM), conventional land attack missile (TLAM/C), and nuclear land attack variant (TLAM/A) were tested from January 1981 to October 1983. The last three phases tested the ship launched variants. The ship launched variants were tested from December 1983 to March 1985. In all phases , the AUR was determined to be potentially operationally effective and potentially operationally suitable, and full rate production was recommended. In April of 1988 the OPEVAL of the conventional land attack submunitions missile (TLAM/D) was tested. The missile was determined to be potentially operationally effective and potentially operationally suitable, with limited fleet introduction recommended.
As missile improvements were made, follow on test and evaluation continued. BLK II improvements were made and tested with all variants in July 1987 through September 1987. Some of these improvements included a TASM improved sea skimming variant, an improved booster rocket, cruise missile radar altimeter, and the Digital Scene Matching Area Corellator (DSMAC) Blk II. In October of 1990, the OPEVAL of the Blk III missile began. The Blk III was the first time GPS was used to aid missile guidance. The testing was performed on both surface and subsurface units under various environmental conditions, continuing through July 1994. Both conventional variants (TLAM/C and D) were tested and determined to be operationally effective and operationally suitable, with full fleet introduction recommended.
The TOMAHAWK missile performance testing is an ongoing, five year study of TLAM performance which began in 1995. The testing is run concurrently with the Operational Test Launch (OTL) program. The objective of the program is to verify, in a statistically significant manner, that missile performance, accuracy, and reliability meet operational requirements and thresholds. The program tests approximately eight missiles each year, two TLAM/N and six TLAM/C and D missiles. The testing emphasizes operationally realistic test scenarios, including battle group operations, for missiles launched from TOMAHAWK capable Block II and Block III surface ships and submarines. Full end to end testing is completed with every mission.
Tomahawk Block III Since the Gulf War, the Navy has improved its Tomahawk missile's operational responsiveness, target penetration, range, and accuracy. It has added global positioning system guidance and redesigned the warhead and engine in the missile's block III configuration that entered service in March 1993. The Tomahawk TLAM Block III system upgrade incorporated jam-resistant Global Positioning System (GPS) system receivers; provided a smaller, lighter warhead, extended range, Time of Arrival, and improved accuracy for low contrast matching of Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator. With GPS, TLAM route planning is not constrained by terrain features, and mission planning time is reduced. China Lake designed, developed, and qualified the WDU-36 warhead in 48 months to meet evolving Tomahawk requirements of insensitive munitions ordnance compliance and range enhancement, while maintaining or enhancing ordnance effectiveness. The WDU-36 uses a new warhead material based upon prior China Lake warhead technology investigations, PBXN-107 explosive, the FMU-148 fuze (developed and qualified for this application), and the BBU-47 fuze booster (developed and qualified using the new PBXN-7 explosive). Block III was first used in the September 1995 Bosnia strike (Deliberate Force) and a year later in the Iraq strike (Desert Strike).
Tomahawk Block IV Phase I The Navy�s premier strike weapon for the next generation is the Block IV Phase I Tomahawk. Current plans call for 1,253 Block IV missiles to be produced by remanufacturing currently bunkered TASMs (Tomahawk antiship variant) and upgrading Block II missiles to Block IV. Following extensive analysis of major regional conflict (MRC) Tomahawk usage and the resupply and support levels associated with it, OPNAV, in concert with fleet CINCs, developed an acquisition objective of 3,440 Block III and IV Tomahawk missiles through the completion of the Block IV program.
Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program (TBIP) The Navy will upgrade or remanufacture existing Tomahawk missiles with (1) GPS and an inertial navigation system to guide the missile throughout the mission and (2) a forward-looking terminal sensor to autonomously attack targets. These missiles are expected to enter service around 2000. This Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program (TBIP) development provides a comprehensive baseline upgrade to the Tomahawk Weapon System to improve system flexibility, responsiveness accuracy and lethality. Essential elements of the TBIP include upgrades to the guidance, navigation, control, and mission computer systems along with the associated command and control systems and weapons control systems. TBIP will provide a single variant missile, the Tomahawk Multi-Mission Missile that is capable of attacking sea- and land-based targets in near real time. TBIP will also enhance its hard target penetrating capability beyond current weapons systems thus increasing the target set. TBIP will provide UHF SATCOM and man-in-the-loop data link to enable missile to receive in-flight targeting updates, to transfer health and status messages and to broadcast Battle Damage Indication (BDI). The Advanced Tomahawk Weapons Control System (ATWCS) and Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program will provide a quick reaction response capability, real time target and aimpoint selection, autonomous terminal prosecution of the target and improve strike planning, coordination, mission tasking and lethality.
Tomahawk Block IV Phase II Future deep-strike requirements are in review and focus on technological advancements and cost reduction. Follow-on Tomahawk Block developments and replacement systems also are being reviewed. An antiarmor variant with a real-time targeting system for moving targets, using either Brilliant Antiarmor Technology or Search and Destroy Armor submunitions, is a possibility. Both submunition options leverage off U.S. Army developmental programs, reducing program costs.
TacticalTomahawk would add the capability to reprogram the missile while in-flight to strike any of 15 preprogrammed alternate targets or redirect the missile to any Global Positioning System (GPS) target coordinates. It also would be able to loiter over a target area for some hours, and with its on-board TV camera, would allow the warfighting commanders to assess battle damage of the target, and, if necessary redirect the missile to any other target. Tactical Tomahawk would permit mission planning aboard cruisers, destroyers and attack submarines for quick reaction GPS missions. If approved by Congress, the next generation of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles would cost less than $575,000 each, half the estimated cost of $1.1 - 1.4 million for the currently planned Block IV model. The cost savings and increased capability comes from eliminating many older internal systems and components built into the model currently in the Fleet. In addition, streamlined production techniques and modular components would combine to lower the cost. Tactical Tomahawk is expected to reach the Fleet by 2002 if the production proposal is approved by Congress. On 27 May 1999 Raytheon was awarded a $25,829,379 undefinitized cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee, ceiling amount contract for the modification of the Tactical Tomahawk missile to the Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant configuration as part of the Second Counter-Proliferation Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration. The Tactical Tomahawk missile will be modified to incorporate the government-furnished penetrator warhead and the hard-target smart fuze. Four Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant missiles will be assembled to conduct the advanced concept technology demonstration testing. Work will be performed in Tucson AZ and is expected to be completed by March 2003.
Tomahawk Block V Also under consideration is a proposed Block V missile that would pioneer a new production method using modular design and construction technology to dramatically lower unit costs. Payload and guidance packages would be buyer-selectable based on use and budget.
Tomahawk Inventory
Inventory buildup of Tomahawk missiles will be achieved through manufacture of a new variant of the Tomahawk, the U/RGM-109E. Following extensive analysis on Major Regional Conflict (MRC) operational plans, Tomahawk usage and the resupply and support levels associated with them, OPNAV in concert with fleet CINCS established a requirement of 3440 missiles by FY06. The Navy currently has over 2500 BLOCK II and BLOCK III missiles. The future conventional Tomahawk inventory will be composed of BLOCK III TLAM C/D and Tactical Tomahawk missiles. BLOCK III TLAM C/D missiles will continue to represent the majority of Tomahawk inventory even after introduction of the Tactical Tomahawk missile, resulting in one-third Tactical Tomahawk, two-thirds BLOCK III split in conventional land strike missiles.
In the early 1990s there were approximately 2,500 Tomahawks in inventory. That number was reduced to about 2,000 with the use of 330 during the 4-day bombing in Operation Desert Fox in December 1998, and the use of over 160 by the Navy in Kosovo by mid-April 1999. By one estimate, the cost of restarting the Tomahawk production line would be $40 million, and it would take 2 1/2 years before new missiles would come off that line, although the Navy is seeking $113 million to remanufacture 324 older model Tomahawks under the Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program (TBIP).
On 30 April 1999 the US Department of Defense announced the possible sale to the Government of the United Kingdom of 30 conventionally armed TOMAHAWK BLOCK IIIC Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), containers, engineering technical assistance, spare and repair parts, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $100 million. The additional 30 Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missiles are in addition to an original order for 65, as replacements for those fired in the Allied Force campaign by the submarine HMS Splendid. The United Kingdom needed these missiles to augment its present operational inventory and to enhance its submarine launched capability. The United Kingdom, which already has TOMAHAWK missiles in its inventory, will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles.
Tomahawk Operational Use
Tomahawk was used extensively during Desert Storm in 1991, in Iraq in January and June 1993, in Bosnia (Deliberate Force) in 1995 and in Iraq (Desert Strike) in 1996. Four hundred Block II and Block III missiles were fired on five separate occasions.
Two submarines and a number of surface ships fired Tomahawk cruise missiles during the Gulf War. According to initial US Navy reports, of 297 attempted cruise missile launches, 290 missiles fired and 242 Tomahawks hit their targets. But TLAM performance in Desert Storm was well below the impression conveyed in DOD's report to the Congress, as well as in internal DOD estimates. During Desert Storm, a TLAM mission was loaded 307 times into a particular missile for launch from a Navy ship or submarine. Of those 307, 19 experienced prelaunch problems. Ten of the 19 problems were only temporary, thus these missile were either launched at a later time or returned to inventory. Of the 288 actual launches, 6 suffered boost failures and did not transition to cruise. Despite initial strong positive claims made for TLAM performance in Desert Storm, analysis of TLAM effectiveness was complicated by problematic bomb damage assessment data. The relatively flat, featureless, desert terrain in the theater made it difficult for the Defense Mapping Agency to produce usable TERCOM ingress routes, and TLAM demonstrated limitations in range, mission planning, lethality, and effectiveness against hard targets and targets capable of mobility.
The Gulf War and subsequent contingency operations, including the September 1996 attacks on Iraqi military installations, demonstrated that long-range missiles can carry out some of the missions of strike aircraft while they reduce the risk of pilot losses and aircraft attrition.
Although the number of ships (including attack submarines) capable of firing the Tomahawk grew only slightly--from 112 to 119--between 1991 and 1996, the Navy's overall ability to fire these land-attack missiles has grown considerably. This is because a greater number of the ships capable of firing the missile are now surface ships and surface ships are able to carry more Tomahawks than submarines. As of the beginning of 1996 the US Navy had 140 Tomahawk-capable ships with 6,266 launchers), of which there are 72 SSN's (696 launchers) and 70 surface ships (5,570 launchers). There were over 4,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the inventory in 1996.
Block III, with its improved accuracy and stand alone GPS guidance capability, was first used in the September 1995 Bosnia strike (Deliberate Force) and again in the September 1996 Iraq strike (Desert Strike). Success rates for both strikes were above 90%. In all, Tomahawks firing power shows a greater than 85% success rate
Specifications
Primary Function: Long-range subsonic cruise missile for attacking land targets.
Contractor: Hughes Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Ariz.
Power Plant: Williams International F107-WR-402 cruise turbo-fan engine; solid-fuel booster
Length: 18 feet 3 inches (5.56 meters); with booster: 20 feet 6 inches (6.25 meters)
Weight: 2,650 pounds (1192.5 kg); 3,200 pounds (1440 kg) with booster
Diameter: 20.4 inches (51.81 cm)
Wing Span: 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 meters)
Range: Land attack, conventional warhead: 600 nautical miles (690 statute miles, 1104 km)
Speed: Subsonic - about 550 mph (880 km/h)
Guidance System: Inertial and TERCOM
Warheads: Conventional: 1,000 pounds Bullpup, or
Conventional submunitions dispenser with combined effect bomblets, or
WDU-36 warhead w/ PBXN-107 explosive & FMU-148 fuze, or
200 kt. W-80 nuclear device
Date Deployed: 1983
Costs $500,000 - current production Unit Cost
$1,400,000 - average unit cost (TY$)
$11,210,000,000 - total program cost (TY$)
Total Program 4 170 missiles
And, from Wikipedia:
Tomahawk (missile)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the sounding rocket, see TE-416 Tomahawk.
Tomahawk
A BGM-109 Tomahawk
Type: Long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile
Place of origin: United States
Service history
In service: 1983-present
Production history
Manufacturer: General Dynamics (initially), Raytheon/McDonnell Douglas
Unit cost: $US 569,000 (1999)[1]
Specifications
Weight: 2,900 lb (1,300 kg)
Length
Without booster: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
With booster: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Diameter: 20.4 in (0.52 m)
Warhead: Conventional: 1,000 lb (450 kg) Bullpup, or submunitions dispenser with BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb, or a 200kt (840 Tj) W80 nuclear device (inactivated in accordance with SALT)
Detonation mechanism: FMU-148 since TLAM Block III, others for special applications
Engine: Williams International F107-WR-402 turbofan using TH-dimer fuel and a solid-fuel rocket booster
Wingspan: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Operational range: 1,350 nautical miles (2,500 km)
Speed: Subsonic - about 550 mph (880 km/h)
Guidance system: GPS, TERCOM, DSMAC
Launch platform: Vertical Launch System (VLS) and horizontal submarine torpedo tubes (known as TTL (torpedo tube launch))
The Tomahawk (UK: /ˈtɒməhɔːk/, US: /ˈtɑːməhɔːk/) is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures and acquisitions, is now made by Raytheon. Some Tomahawks were also manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security).[2][3]
Description
The Tomahawk missile family consists of a number of subsonic, jet engine-powered missiles for attacking a variety of surface targets. Although a number of launch platforms have been deployed or envisaged, only naval (both surface ship and submarine) launched variants are currently in service. Tomahawk has a modular design, allowing a wide variety of warhead, guidance and range capabilities.
Variants
There have been several variants of the BGM-109 Tomahawk employing various types of warheads.
AGM-109H/L Medium Range Air to Surface Missile (MRASM) - a shorter range, turbojet powered ASM with bomblet munitions; never entered service.
BGM-109A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Nuclear (TLAM-A) with a W80 nuclear warhead.
BGM-109C Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Conventional (TLAM-C) with a unitary warhead.
BGM-109D Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Dispenser (TLAM-D) with submunitions.
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM)- with a W84 nuclear warhead; withdrawn from service in 1987.
RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk Anti Ship Missile (TASM) - radar guided anti-shipping variant.
RGM/UGM-109E Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM Block IV) - improved version of the TLAM-C.
Ground Launch Cruise Missiles (GLCM) and their truck-like launch vehicles were employed at bases in Europe; it was withdrawn from service to comply with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Many of the anti-ship versions were converted into TLAMs at the end of the Cold War. The Block III TLAMs that entered service in 1993 can fly farther and use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to strike more precisely. Block IV TLAMs have a better Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator (DSMAC) system as well as improved turbofan engines. The F107-402 engine provided the new BLK III with a throttle control, allowing in-flight speed changes. This engine also provided better fuel economy. The Block IV Phase II TLAMs have better deep-strike capabilities and are equipped with a real-time targeting system for striking moving targets.
Enroute, some missiles may also execute a Precision Strike Tomahawk Mission (PST) transmitting its status back to a ground station via satellite communication.
Tactical Tomahawk
A major improvement to the Tomahawk is its network-centric warfare-capabilities, using data from multiple sensors (aircraft, UAVs, satellites, foot soldiers, tanks, ships) to find its target. It will also be able to send data from its sensors to these platforms. It will be a part of the networked force being implemented by the Pentagon.
"Tactical Tomahawk" equips the TLAM with a TV-camera for with loitering capability that allows commanders to assess damage to the target and to redirect the missile to an alternative target, if required. It can be reprogrammed in-flight to attack one of 15 predesignated targets with GPS coordinates stored in its memory or to any other GPS coordinates. Also, the missile can send data about its status back to the commander. It entered service with the US Navy in late 2004.
In May 2009, Raytheon Missile Systems proposed an upgrade to the Tomahawk Block IV land-attack cruise missile that would allow it to kill or disable large, hardened warships at 900 nautical miles (1,700 km) range.[4]
Launch systems
Each missile is stored and launched from a pressurized canister that protects it during transportation and storage and acts as a launch tube. These canisters are racked in Armored Box Launchers (ABL), commonly found on Iowa class battleships such as the USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin. These canisters are also in Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) in other surface ships, Capsule Launch Systems (CLS) in the later Los Angeles class submarines, and in submarines' torpedo tubes. All ABL equipped ships have been decommissioned.
For submarine-launched missiles (called UGM-109s), after being ejected by gas pressure (vertically via the VLS) or by water impulse (horizontally via the torpedo tube), the missile exits the water and a solid-fuel booster is ignited for the first few seconds of airborne flight until transition to cruise.
After achieving flight, the missile's wings are unfolded for lift, the airscoop is exposed and the turbofan engine is employed for cruise flight. Over water, the Tomahawk uses inertial guidance or GPS to follow a preset course; once over land, the missile's guidance system is aided by Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM). Terminal guidance is provided by the Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system or GPS, producing a claimed accuracy of about 10 meters.
The Tomahawk Weapon System consists of the missile, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System, and either the Tomahawk Weapon Control System (on surface ships) or Combat Control System (for submarines).
Several versions of control systems have been used, including:
v2 TWCS - Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1983), also known as "green screens," was based on an old tank computing system.
v3 ATWCS - Advanced Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1994), first Commercial Off the Shelf, uses HP-UX.
v4 TTWCS - Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System, (2003).
v5 TTWCS - Next Generation Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System. (2006)
Launch of a Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile from the USS Stethem.
The USS Missouri launching a Tomahawk missile.
Submarine launch from USS Florida.
Launch trajectory from an Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
Other details
The TLAM-D contains 166 sub-munitions in 24 canisters; 22 canisters of seven each, and two canisters of six each to conform to the dimensions of the airframe. The sub-munitions are the same type of Combined Effects Munition bomblet used in large quantities by the U.S. Air Force. The sub-munitions canisters are dispensed two at a time, one per side. The missile can perform up to five separate target segments which enables it to attack multiple targets. However in order to achieve a sufficient density of coverage typically all 24 canisters are dispensed sequentially from back to front.
TERCOM - Terrain Contour Matching. A digital representation of an area of terrain is mapped based on digital terrain elevation data or stereo imagery. This map is then inserted into a TLAM mission which is then loaded on to the missile. When the missile is in flight it compares the stored map data with radar altimeter data collected as the missile overflies the map. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.
DSMAC - Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation. A digitized image of an area is mapped and then inserted into a TLAM mission. During the flight the missile will verify that the images that it has stored correlates with the image it sees below itself. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.
Total program cost: $US 11,210,000,000[5]
Operators
Tomahawk operators
United States Navy
In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, 288 Tomahawks were launched. The first salvo was fired by the cruiser USS San Jacinto on January 17, 1991. The attack submarines USS Pittsburgh and USS Louisville followed.
This was repeated during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The United States Navy has a stockpile of around 3,500 Tomahawk cruise missiles of all variants, worth a combined total of approximately US $2.6 billion.
On 26 June 1993, 23 Tomahawks were fired at the Iraqi Intelligence Service's command and control center.
On 10 September 1995, the USS Normandy launched 13 Tomahawk missiles from the central Adriatic Sea against a key air defense radio relay tower in Bosnian Serb territory during Operation Deliberate Force.
On 3 September 1996, 44 cruise missiles between UGM-109 and B-52 launched AGM-86s, were fired at air defence targets in Southern Iraq.
On 20 August 1998, around 75 Tomahawk missiles were fired simultaneously to two separate target areas in Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation to the bombings of American embassies by Al-Quaeda.
On 16 December 1998, Tomahawk missiles were fired at key Iraqi targets in during Operation Desert Fox.
In spring 1999, 218 Tomahawk missiles were fired by US ships and a British submarine during Operation Allied Force against key targets in Yugoslavia.
In October 2001, approximately 50 Tomahawk missiles struck terrorist targets in Afghanistan in the opening hours of Operation Enduring Freedom.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, more than 725 tomahawk missiles were fired to key Iraqi targets.[6]
In 2009 the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States stated that Japan would be concerned if the TLAM-N were retired, but the government of Japan has denied that it had expressed any such view.[7]
On 19 March 2011, 124 Tomahawk missiles[8] were fired by U.S. and British forces (122 US, 2 British)[9] against at least 20 Libyan targets around Tripoli and Misrata.[10] As of 22 March 2011, 159 UGM-109 were fired by US and UK ships against Libyan targets. [11]
Royal Navy
The United States agreed to sell more than 60 Tomahawks to the United Kingdom in 1995 for use with Royal Navy nuclear submarines. The first missiles were acquired and test-fired in 1998.
All Royal Navy fleet submarines are currently (as of 2011) Tomahawk capable, including the new Astute-class attack submarine.
In 2004, the UK and US governments reached an agreement for the British to buy 64 of the new generation of Tomahawk missile—the Block IV or TacTom missile. The SYLVER vertical launch system to be fitted to the new Type 45 destroyer is claimed by its manufacturers to have the capability to fire the Tomahawk. Therefore it would appear that Tomahawk is a candidate to be fitted to the Type 45 if required. France, which also uses the SYLVER launcher, is developing a version of the Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missile capable of launch from the SYLVER system, which would give a similar land attack capability.
The Kosovo War in 1999 saw HMS Splendid become the first British submarine to fire the Tomahawk in combat. It has been reported that seventeen of the twenty Tomahawks fired by the British during that conflict hit their targets accurately.[citation needed] The Royal Navy later used them during the 2001 Afghanistan War, in Operation Telic, the British contribution to the 2003 Iraq War, and during Operation Ellamy in Libya in 2011.
The Royal Navy has purchased the Block IV tomahawk which entered service on 27 March 2008, three months ahead of schedule.[12]
Other users
The Netherlands (2005) and Spain (2002 and 2005) were interested in acquiring the Tomahawk system, but the orders were later cancelled in 2007 and 2009 respectively.[13] [14]
See also
United States Air Force portal
List of missiles
Missile of the same class RK-55 (Soviet Union)
3M-54 Klub (Soviet Union)
Raduga Kh-55 (Soviet Union)
AGM-129 ACM (US)
Nirbhay (India) (Under Development)
Hyunmoo-3 (ROK)
DH-10 (China)
Babur missile (Pakistan)
UGM-89 Perseus
ArcLight (missile)
Scalp Naval (missile) France
Tomahawk (axe)
References
1.^ The US Navy - Fact File
2.^ "McDonnell Douglas: History — New Markets," Boeing history website.
3.^ "Raytheon Tomahawk Cruise Missile," Raytheon Tomahawk Evolution Handout.
4.^ Antiship Missiles Engage Diverse Targets
5.^ FAS - BGM-109 Tomahawk
6.^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/bgm-109-operation.htm
7.^ Japanese Government Rejects TLAM/N Claim
8.^ "Live blog:allied airstrikes continue against Gadhafi forces". CNN. 2011-03-20.
9.^ . http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/international/amid-missiles-and-bombs,-libyas-latest-cease-fire-is-met-with-western-skepticism-25-ncx-20110320.
10.^ "U.S. launches first missiles against Gadhafi forces". CNN. 2011-03-19.
11.^ "U.S. aviators rescued; Gadhafi remains defiant". CNN. 11 May 2011.
12.^ Royal Navy - World-Class Missile Achieves In-Service Date
13.^ http://www.neurope.eu/articles/No-Tomahawks-for-defence-jets-up-for-sale/74095.php
14.^ http://www.infodefensa.com/esp/noticias/noticias.asp?cod=1993&n=Defensa%20comunica%20a%20EE%20UU%20que%20no%20comprar%E1%20misiles%20Tomahawk
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: BGM-109 Tomahawk
Raytheon Official site
BGM-109 Tomahawk - Global Security
Raytheon (General Dynamics) AGM/BGM/RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk - Designation Systems
Aus Air Power - Tomahawk Variants
From youtube:
And from Wikipedia:
SM-62 Snark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northrop SM-62 Snark
Place of origin: United States
Service history
In service: 1959-1961
Used by: U.S. Air Force
Production history
Manufacturer: Northrop
Produced: 1958-1961
Specifications
Weight: 48,147 lb (21,839 kg) without booster, 60,000 (27,200 kg) with booster
Length: 67 ft 2 in (20.47 m)
Warhead: Nuclear
Engine: 1× Pratt & Whitney J57 jet engine; 2 Aerojet-General solid-propellant rocket boosters
J-57: 10,500 lbf (46.7 kN) thrust, rockets: 130,000 lbf (580 kN) thrust
Wingspan: 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m)
Operational range: 5,497 nm (10,180 km)
Flight ceiling: 50,250 ft (15,320 m)
Speed: 565 kn (1,050 km/h)
Guidance system: celestial navigation
Launch platform: Mobile Launcher
The Northrop SM-62 Snark was a specialized intercontinental cruise missile with a nuclear warhead operated by the U.S. Strategic Air Command from 1958 until 1961. It takes its name from Lewis Carroll's snark.[1]
The Snark was developed to offer a nuclear deterrence to the Soviet Union at a time when ICBMs were still in development. It was the only intercontinental surface-to-surface cruise missile ever deployed by the United States Air Force. With the deployment of ICBMs, it was rendered obsolete and taken out of service.
Design and development
Work on the project began in 1946. Initially there were two missiles — a subsonic design (the MX775A Snark) and a supersonic design (the MX775B Boojum).[2] Budget reductions threatened the project in its first year, but the intervention of Jack Northrop and Carl Spaatz saved the project. Despite this, funding was low and the program was dogged by requirement changes. The expected due date of 1953 passed with the design still in testing and SAC was becoming less enthusiastic. In 1955, Eisenhower ordered top priority to the ICBM and associated missile programs. The original designation was B-62.
Despite considerable difficulties with the missile and military reservations toward it, work continued. In the 1957 tests the missile had a circular error probable (CEP) of only 17 nautical miles (31.5 km). By 1958 the celestial navigation system used by the Snark allowed its most accurate test, which appeared to fall 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) short of the target. However, this apparent failure was at least partially because the British Navigation Charts used to determine the position of Ascension Island were based on position determination techniques less accurate than those used by the Snark. The missile landed where Ascension Island would be found if more accurate navigation methods had been used when developing the chart.[3] However, even with the decreased CEP, the design was notoriously unreliable, with the majority of tests suffering mechanical failure thousands of miles before reaching the target. Other factors, such as the reduction in operating altitude from 150,000 to 55,000 feet (46 to 17 km) and the inability of the system to detect countermeasures and perform evasive maneuvers also made the Snark an undesirable strategic deterrent.
Technical description
The jet powered 20.5 m long unmanned aircraft had a top speed of 650 mph (1,046 km/h) and a maximum range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km). The complex stellar navigation guidance system gave a claimed CEP of 8,000 ft (2.4 km).
The Snark was an air-breathing design, launched from a light platform by two rocket booster engines. It switched to an internal jet engine for the remainder of its flight. The jet was a Pratt and Whitney J57, the first 10,000 lbf (44 kN) thrust design, also used in the early B-52 and the F-100. Lacking a horizontal tail, the missile used elevons as its primary flight control surfaces, and flew an unusual nose high aspect during level flight. During the final phase of flight the nuclear warhead separated from the missile's main body and followed a ballistic trajectory to the target. Upon separation, due to the abrupt shift in its center of gravity, the missile body performed an abrupt pitch-up maneuver to avoid colliding with the warhead.
A photo sequence illustrating the separation sequence
One advanced feature of the Snark was its ability to fly missions of up to 11 hours and return for a landing. If the warhead did not detach, the missile could be flown repeatedly. Lacking landing gear, it was necessary for the Snark to skid to a stop on a flat, level surface. The runway at Cape Canaveral is still today known as the Skid Strip.
Operational history
In January 1958 the Strategic Air Command began accepting delivery of operational missiles to Patrick Air Force Base in Florida for training and in 1959 the 702d Strategic Missile Wing was formed. Multiple launch failures led to the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Canaveral being described as "Snark infested waters."
On 27 May 1959, Presque Isle Air Force Base in Maine, the only Snark base, received its first operational missile. Ten months later, on March 18, 1960, a Snark officially went on alert status. Thirty are known to have been deployed."[4]
The 702nd was not declared fully operational until February 1961. In March 1961, President Kennedy declared the Snark "obsolete and of marginal military value" and on 25 June 1961 the 702d was deactivated.[1]
Aerial photo illustrating the nose-up flight attitude
Survivors
Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Albuquerque, New Mexico
See also
United States Air Force portal
Strategic Air Command
Comparable aircraft SM-64 Navaho
Related lists List of missiles
List of military aircraft of the United States
References
1.^ The poem "The Hunting of the Snark".
2.^ From the same poem: "The snark was a boojum, you see."
3.^ "Personal interview with George F. Douglas, Chief Project Engineer, ca. 1967"
4.^ Gibson, James N. Nuclear Weapons of the United States — An Illustrated History . Atglen, Pennsylvania.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1996, Library of Congress card no. 96-67282, ISBN 0-7643-0063-6, page 151.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Northrop SM-62
The Evolution of the Cruise Missile by Werrell, Kenneth P.
The Day They Lost The Snark by J.P. Anderson Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil
Excellent article on the Snark on FAS.org
Our First Guided Missileaires, July 1954, Popular Mechanics detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it
*********************************************************************
The North American Aviation SM-64 Navaho ICGLCM
From youtube:
More, from fas.org:
SM-64 Navaho
Concurrent with the Snark, another cruise missile had its brief moment in the sun. Compared to the Snark, the North American Navaho was much more dramatic and ambitious. Although the two air-breathing intercontinental missiles developed together, USAF planned to get the subsonic Snark into operations first, followed by the supersonic Navaho. Eventually, both would move aside for ballistic missiles.
In December 1945, the Technical Research Laboratory of North American Aviation submitted a proposal to the Air Force to continue German missile research, apparently in response to military requirements issued late that year. North American proposed a three stage effort: first add wings to a V-2, then substitute a turbojet-ramjet powerplant for the German rocket engine, and finally couple this missile with a booster rocket for intercontinental range. In April 1946, the Air Force bought the first part of this scheme under project MX-770, a 175- to 500 mile range surface-to-surface missile. In July 1947, it added the 1,500-mile range, supersonic ramjet to the program. By March 1948, the program called for a 1,000-mile test vehicle, a 3,000-mile test vehicle, and a 5,000-mile operational missile. In 1950, the Air Force considered launching a Navaho from a B-36, an idea dropped the next year. Finally, in September, USAF firmed up the program, that is, not further changing it. The Navaho program called first for the design, construction, and test of a turbojet test vehicle, followed by a 3,600-mile-range interim missiles and culminating in a 5,500-mile-range operational weapon.
USAF designated the first step, the turbojet test vehicle, the X-10. Two Westinghouse J40WE-1 turbojets powered the X-10, which first flew in October 1953. The missile was 70 feet long, configured with a canard, "V" tail, and 28-foot delta wing. Radio controls and landing gear permitted recovery. In all, 11 vehicles flew 27 flights. On the 19th test, the North American missile reached a maximum speed of Mach 2.05, establishing a speed record for turbojet-powered aircraft.
Unfortunately, problems hindered the follow-on (interim) missile, the XSM-64, and schedules slipped badly. In March 1952, USAF estimated that the first acceptance would occur in January 1954; it occurred in April 1956, 27 months late. Similarly, a January 1954 estimate expected the first flight in September 1954, a flight actually not attempted until November 1956. The first successful flight did not come until well into 1957. There was no single problem; difficulties seem to affect just about everything except the airframe. The most serious problems, however, centered on the ramjets and auxiliary power unit, the latter not operating successfully until February 1956.
Between the summers of 1954 and 1955, USAF considered pushing the XSM-64 into operational service, but problems and delays in the basic program killed that idea. The Air Force did accelerate the Navaho program in late 1955, giving it a priority second only to that of the ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) and IRBMs (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles), aiming to get the intercontinental- range missile operational by October 1960.
The XSM-64 resembled the X-10 in size and configuration. The big difference was a 76-foot, 3-inch long booster that was used piggy-back fashion with the XSM- 64. Together, the two measured 82 feet 5 inches in length and were launched vertically.
As impressive as the XSM-64 looked on paper and to the eye, in reality the system proved far different. The XSM-64 flight tests disappointed all, earning the project the uncomplimentary appellation, "Never go, Navaho." The first XSM-64 launch attempted in November 1956 ended in failure after a mere 26 seconds of flight. Ten unsuccessful launch attempts occurred before a second Navaho got airborne on 22 March 1957, for four minutes and 39 seconds. A 25 April attempt ended in an explosion seconds after liftoff, while a fourth flight on 26 June 1957 lasted a mere four minutes and 29 seconds.
Little wonder then, with the lack of positive results, cost pressures, schedules slippages, and increasing competition from ballistic missiles, that USAF canceled the program a few weeks later in early July 1957. The Air Force did authorize up to five more XSM-64 flights at a cost not to exceed $5 million. These tests, "Fly Five," occurred between 12 August 1957 and 25 February 1958. Although harassed by problems and failures, the vehicle exceeded Mach 3, with the longest flight lasting 42 minutes and 24 seconds. The final Navaho tests consisted of two launches in project RISE (Research in Supersonic Environment), which were equally unsuccessful. On the first flight on 11 September 1958, the ramjets did not start and on the second and last flight on 18 November 1958, the missile broke up at 77,000 feet. It cost the taxpayers over $700 million to gain less than 1 hours of flight time. So ended the Navaho project.
Nevertheless, USAF saw the Navaho project as a leap forward in the state of the art of missile technology. The Navaho required new technology that resulted in a complex missile. For example, aerodynamic heating (300 at Mach 2 and 660 at Mach 3) demanded new materials. North American used titanium alloys, much stronger than aluminum and yet 40 percent lighter than steel, as well as precious and rare metals at contact points on much of the electrical gear. Other untested technology and areas of risk included the canard configuration, ramjets, guidance, and the massive rocket booster. The situation required North American to develop and then manufacture these various pieces of new technology concurrently.
On the positive side, although the Navaho did not get into service, some of its components did. Some went into other equally unsuccessful North American projects such as the F-108 and B-70. Others fared better. The Redstone used the rocket engine concept, and the Thor and the Atlas adapted the engine. The Hound Dog, the nuclear submarine Nautilus for its epic under-the-ice passage of the North Pole, and the Navy's A3J-1 Vigilante bomber, all adapted the Navaho's inertial autonavigation system. Therefore, while the Navaho proved costly, the program did have positive benefits.
Specifications
Sources and Resources
Air Force Space & Missile Museum rolls out restored Navaho missile Jul 10, 1998 -- The Air Force Space and Missile Museum is rolling out the only Navaho missile in existence after a two-year restoration effort to repair damage from corrosion.
"Evolution of the Cruise Missile" by the USAF
And, from Wikipedia:
SM-64 Navaho
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Navaho missile on launch pad
Navaho on display at CCAFS, Florida
The North American SM-64 Navaho was a supersonic intercontinental cruise missile project built by North American Aviation. The program ran from 1946 to 1958 when it was cancelled in favor of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Development
The Navaho program began as part of a series of guided missile research efforts started in 1946. Designated MX-770, the original intent of the program was the development of a winged V-2 missile that could deliver a nuclear (fission) warhead over a distance of 500 miles (800 km). This was more than double the range of the V-2 as well as having a larger payload. Design studies showed the promise of still greater ranges and by 1950 the vehicle had evolved from a 500-mile (800 km) ground launched winged V-2, to a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) range ramjet powered winged V-2, to a 1,500-mile (2,400 km) air-launched, ramjet-powered, winged V-2 (actually designated XSSM-A-2), to finally a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) plus rocket boosted ramjet powered cruise missile. The design evolution finally ended in July 1950 with the issuing by the Air Force of Weapon System 104-A. Under this new requirement the purpose of the program was the development of a 5,500-mile (8,900 km) range nuclear missile.[1]
Under the new requirements of WS-104A, the Navaho program was broken up into three guided missile efforts. The first of these missiles was the North American X-10, a flying subrange vehicle to prove the general aerodynamics, guidance, and control technologies for vehicles two and three. The X-10 was essentially an unmanned high performance jet, powered by two afterburning J-40 turbojets and equipped with retractable landing gear for take off and landing. It was capable of speeds up to Mach 2 and could fly almost 500 miles (800 km). Its success at Edwards AFB and then at Cape Canaveral set the stage for the development of the second vehicle: XSSM-A-4, Navaho II, or G-26.
Step two, the G-26, was a nearly full-size Navaho nuclear vehicle. Launched vertically by a liquid-fuel rocket booster, the G-26 would rocket upward until it had reached a speed of approximately Mach 3 and an altitude of 50,000 ft (15,000 m). At this point the booster would be expended and the vehicle's ramjets ignited to power the vehicle to its target. The G-26 made a total of 10 launches from Launch Complex 9 (LC-9) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) between 1956 and 1957. Launch Complex 10 (LC-10) was also assigned to the Navaho program, but no G-26's were ever launched from it (it was only used for ground tests of the planned portable launcher).
The final operational version, the G-38 or XSM-64A, was the same basic design as the G-26 only larger. It incorporated numerous new technologies: Titanium, gimballed rocket engines, Kerosene/Lox fuel combination, full solid-state, etc. None were ever flown, the program being cancelled before the first example was completed. The advanced rocket booster technology went on to be used in other missiles including the intercontinental ballistic missile Atlas and the inertial guidance system was later used as the guidance system on the first U.S. nuclear powered submarines.
Development of the first stage rocket engine for the Navaho began with two refurbished V-2 engines in 1947. That same year, the phase II engine was designed, the XLR-41-NA-1, a simplified version of the V-2 engine made from American parts. The phase III engine, XLR-43-NA-1 (also called 75K), adopted a cylindrical combustion chamber with the experimental German impinging-stream injector plate. Engineers at North American were able to solve the combustion stability problem, which had prevented it being used in the V-2, and the engine was successfully tested at full power in 1951. The Phase IV engine, XLR-43-NA-3 (120K), replaced the poorly cooled heavy German engine wall with a brazed tubular ("spaghetti") construction, which was becoming the new standard method for regenerative cooling in American engines. A dual-engine version of this, XLR-71-NA-1 (240K), was used in the G-26 Navaho. With improved cooling, a more powerful kerosene-burning version was developed for the triple-engine XLR-83-NA-1 (405K), used in the G-38 Navaho. With all the elements of a modern engine (except a bell-shaped nozzle), this led to designs for the Atlas, Thor and Titan engines.
The first launch attempt, in November 1956, failed after 26 seconds of flight. Ten failed launches followed, before another got off successfully, on 22 March 1957, for 4 minutes, 39 seconds of flight. An April 25 attempt exploded seconds after liftoff, while a 26 June flight lasted only 4 minutes, 29 seconds. [2]
Officially, the program was canceled on July 13, 1957 after the first four launches ended in failure. In reality the program was obsolete by mid-1957 as the first Atlas ICBM began flight tests in June and the Jupiter and Thor IRBMs were showing great promise. These ballistic missiles however would not have been possible without the liquid fuel rocket engine developments accomplished in the Navaho program. The launch of the Soviet Satellite Sputnik in October 1957 only finished Navaho as the Air Force shifted its research money into ICBMs. But the technologies developed for the Navaho were reused in 1957 for the development of the AGM-28 Hound Dog, a nuclear cruise missile which entered in production in 1959.
The Soviet Union had been working on parallel projects, The Myasishchev "Buran" and Lavochkin "Burya" and a little later, the Tupolev Tu-123. The first two types were also large rocket-boosted ramjets while the third was a turbojet-powered machine. With the cancellation of the Navaho and the promise of ICBMs in the strategic missile role, the first two were canceled as well, though the Lavochkin project, which had some successful test flights, was carried on for R&D purposes and the Tupolev was reworked as a big, fast reconnaissance drone.
The missile is named after the Navajo Nation and is in keeping with North American Aviation's habit of naming projects with code names starting with the letters "NA".
Operators
United States: The United States Air Force canceled the program before accepting the Navaho into service.
Survivors
The only Navaho missile in existence is currently displayed outside the south entrance gate of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Specifications
General characteristics
Length: 67 ft 11 in (20.7 m)
Wingspan: 28 ft 7 in (8.71 m)
Height: ()
Loaded weight: 64,850 lb (29,420 kg)
Powerplant: 2× XRJ47-W-5 ramjets, 15,000 lbf (67 kN) each
2× XLR83-NA-1 rocket boosters, 200,000 lbf (890 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 3 (2,000 kn, 3,700 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nmi, (6,500 km)
Service ceiling: 77,000 ft (23,000 m)
Thrust/weight (jet): 0.46:1
Armament
1 × W41 nuclear warhead
See also
United States Air Force portal
Comparable aircraft SM-62 Snark
North American X-10
Related lists List of missiles
List of military aircraft of the United States
References
1.^ *Gibson, James N. "The Navaho Missile Project/ The Story of the Know-How missile of American Rocketry," Altglen, PA, Schiffer Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-7643-0048-2.
2.^ Werrell, Kenneth P., "The Evolution of the Cruise Missile", Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama, first printing 1995, second printing 1998, Library of Congress card number 85-8131, ISBN 358-174-0973, page 98.
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The Chance Vought RGM-6 Regulus I and RGM-15 Regulus II SLCMs
RGM-6
MGM-5
AIM/RIM-7
Copyright © 2001-2003 Andreas Parsch
Vought SSM-N-8/RGM-6 Regulus
The Regulus was the first strategic long-range nuclear-armed guided missile deployed by the U.S. Navy.
After using bomb-equipped remotely controlled target drones to strike heavily defended targets in late 1944, the Navy's development of proper surface-to-surface missile systems began in 1946. Initially, it was planned to use a variant of the USAAF's JB-2 (a V-1 look-alike cruise) missile as a ship/submarine-launched weapon, to be designated KGW-1 Loon. However, it soon became obvious that Loon was ill-suited as a tactical weapon, and it was used instead as a research vehicle (designated KUW-1, and later LTV-N-2) to test guidance and launching principles between 1947 and 1950. The Vought company was originally tasked to develop a short-range SSM, but Vought instead proposed a 320 km (200 mile) range missile, which was accepted by the Navy. In June 1946 the Navy awarded Vought a contract to develop the SSM-8 (changed to SSM-N-8 in early 1948) Regulus guided missile.
The Regulus was a turbojet-powered cruise missile, which could be launched by solid-rocket boosters from surface ships or surfaced submarines. It used a radio-command guidance system, and the missile was remotely-controlled for the whole flight by ground stations, aircraft, or ships along the flight-path. The usual procedure for a maximum range flight was that control was handed over from one controller to the next up to 3 times.
The XSSM-N-8 Regulus flight test vehicles had a retractable landing gear to make the missile reusable. The first flight of an XSSM-N-8 occurred in March 1951, the first shipboard launch succeeded in November 1952, and the first submarine launch was done in July 1953 by the USS Tunny. At about the same time, the SSM-N-8 Regulus was renamed as Regulus I, to distinguish it from the forthcoming SSM-N-9/RGM-15 Regulus II.
SSM-N-8 (RGM-6A)
In May 1954, the Regulus I was declared operational. The tactical missiles, designated SSM-N-8a, were of course not equipped with a landing gear, the space being used for additional fuel. A visible difference between the SSM-N-8 and the SSM-N-8a was the slightly bulged chin of the SSM-N-8a, which was necessary to provide a common warhead section for the W-5 and W-27 nuclear warheads. By 1957, 16 ships (10 Essex-class carriers, 4 destroyers, and 2 submarines) were equipped to launch the Regulus. Additionally, many more submarines were equipped with Regulus guidance equipment.
Landing gear equipped Regulus rounds continued to be used as training missiles and target drones, with the designations SSM-N-8 (training) and KDU-1 (target).
Photo: Vought Photo: U.S. Navy
SSM-N-8a (RGM-6B) KDU-1 (BQM-6C)
The Regulus I had severe inherent shortcomings. A launching submarine had to surface and sit dead in the water, the guidance method was very susceptible to electronic jamming, and the missile itself flew at subsonic speeds, making interception relatively easy. In 1960, Regulus I was no longer used on carriers (it had never been popular, being regarded as a competitor to manned aircraft), but the submarine force had increased to five ships. However, at that time the UGM-27 Polaris SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) system became operational, which rendered the Regulus completely obsolete.
In 1963, shortly before retirement, the Regulus I was redesignated in the RGM-6 series as follows:
Old Designation New Designation
SSM-N-8 RGM-6A
SSM-N-8a RGM-6B
KDU-1 BQM-6C
The last Regulus submarine was retired in 1964, and many missiles were converted into BQM-6C targets afterwards. In total, about 500 Regulus I missiles of all types were built.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for SSM-N-8a (RGM-6B):
Length (w/o booster) 10.1 m (33 ft 4 in)
Diameter 1.4 m (56 in)
Wingspan 6.4 m (21 ft)
Weight (w/o booster) 4670 kg (10300 lb); booster: 790 kg (1750 lb)
Speed 960 km/h (600 mph); Mach 1.1 in terminal dive
Ceiling 12200 m (40000 ft)
Range 925 km (500 nm)
Propulsion Cruise: Allison J33-A-18A turbojet; 20 kN (4600 lb)
Booster: 2x Aerojet General solid-fueled rocket; 146 kN (33000 lb) each
Warhead W-5 nuclear fission (40 kT); optional W-27 thermonuclear (2 MT) warhead available from 1958
Main Sources
[1] Norman Friedman: "US Naval Weapons", Conway Maritime Press, 1983
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[4] Vought Heritage Website
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the Chance Vought RGM-15 Regulus II SLCM
from designation-systems.net:
Vought SSM-N-9/RGM-15 Regulus II
In June 1953 Vought received a contract to develop a supersonic successor to the SSM-N-8/RGM-6 Regulus cruise missile. The new missile was named Regulus II (although it was a completely new missile, and not a development of Regulus) and received the designation SSM-N-9. The SSM-N-9 designator had been previously assigned temporarily to the MGM-18 Lacrosse missile, before the latter was transferred to the Army as SSM-G-12.
The XRSSM-N-9 Regulus II prototypes had a retractable landing gear for missile recovery, and an interim Wright J65-W-6 engine, which didn't allow flight at the design speed of Mach 2. The first flight of an XRSSM-N-9 occurred in May 1956, and the testing of this model continued until the end of 1957. In 1958 testing continued with the improved XRSSM-N-9a prototypes, which still had the landing gear, but were equipped with the General Electric J79-GE-3 engine intended for the tactical missiles. The first launch of a Regulus II from a submarine occurred in September 1958. The designations YTSSM-N-9a and TSSM-N-9a were reserved for evaluation and production models of the landing gear equipped Regulus II, to be used for training purposes.
XRSSM-N-9a
Regulus II was a Mach 2 cruise missile design, which could also attain a significantly higher altitude and range than the SSM-N-8 Regulus I. The radio command guidance of the Regulus I was dropped in favour of an inertial guidance system, making the SSM-N-9 much less prone to electronic jamming. Despite these advantages, the Regulus II would have been hopelessly obsolete with the advent of the UGM-27 Polaris SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile), and therefore the tactical SSM-N-9 Regulus II cruise missile was cancelled in late 1958. Nevertheless the evaluation of the missile's performance continued, and the first XSSM-N-9 tactical prototype (substituting the landing gear for additional fuel, allowing full range and Mach 2 capability) was launched in November 1959, followed by YSSM-N-9 evaluation models. Interestingly, the SSM-N-9 was redesignated as RGM-15A in June 1963, more than 4 years after the program had been cancelled.
XSSM-N-9 (RGM-15A)
In the final stages of the Regulus II program, around 1958, it was apparently proposed to equip the missile with a radar map matching guidance system. In this system, which is generally known as TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching), the radar map of the terrain below the missile's flight path is constantly matched with preloaded radar maps, allowing the missile to follow a precise preprogrammed path. For evaluation missiles equipped with this guidance system, the designations YTSSM-N-9b and YSSM-N-9a were allocated to improved YTSSM-N-9a and YSSM-N-9, respectively. However, none of these variants were built.
After program cancellation, the remaining flight test missiles were used as KD2U-1 supersonic target drones by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. The latter used the KD2U-1 extensively during testing of the IM-99/CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air missile. In June 1963, the KD2U-1 was redesignated as MQM-15A. Late in their career, some runway-launched MQM-15A drones were redesignated as GQM-15A.
KD2U-1 (MQM-15A) (note rarely used ventral fin)
Only 54 Regulus II test missiles were built before production was cancelled.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for XRSSM-N-9 and XSSM-N-9 (RGM-15A):
XRSSM-N-9 XSSM-N-9 (RGM-15A)
Length (w/o pitot tube) 17.52 m (57 ft 6 in); incl. pitot tube: 19.53 m (64 ft 1 in)
Diameter 1.27 m (50 in)
Wingspan 6.12 m (20 ft 1 in)
Weight (w/o booster) 10400 kg (23000 lb); booster: 3170 kg (7000 lb)
Speed Mach 1.8 Mach 2
Ceiling 14300 m (47000 ft) 18000 m (59000 ft)
Range 550 km (300 nm) 1850 km (1000 nm)
Propulsion Cruise: Wright J65-W-6 turbojet; 65 kN (14600 lb)
Booster: Aerojet General solid-fueled rocket; 511 kN (115000 lb) Cruise: General Electric J79-GE-3 turbojet; 69 kN (15600 lb)
Booster: Rocketdyne solid-fueled rocket; 600 kN (135000 lb)
Warhead none W-27 thermonuclear (2 MT)
Main Sources
[1] Norman Friedman: "US Naval Weapons", Conway Maritime Press, 1983
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[4] Vought Heritage Website
[5] BuAer Instruction 05030.4A: "Model Designation of Naval Aircraft, KD Targets, and BuAer Guided Missiles", Dept. of the Navy, 1958
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The North American Aviation AGM-28 Hound Dog ALCM
from designation-systems.net:
North American GAM-77/AGM-28 Hound Dog
The Hound Dog was the first fully operational standoff attack missile deployed by U.S. strategic bombers.
In 1956, the USAF decided that its new B-52 Stratofortress bombers should have the option to use nuclear armed long-range standoff missiles to avoid direct overflight of heavily defended targets. By early 1957, the project was known as Weapon System 131B. The design competition was won by North American, and in October 1957, the designation GAM-77 was allocated to the WS-131B missile. The first powered flight of an XGAM-77 Hound Dog prototype occurred in April 1959, and the first fully guided flight succeeded in August in August 1959. The GAM-77 Hound Dog production missile was declared operational with SAC in December 1959. The quick development of the GAM-77 was made possible by the use of existing technology and components. The canard/delta layout of the airframe was proven by North American's own X-10 and XSM-64 Navaho vehicles, and the Pratt & Whitney J52 engine and W-28 thermonuclear warhead were also no new developments.
Photo: USAF
XGAM-77
The GAM-77 was a turbo-jet powered air-launched cruise missile deployed by B-52G/H Stratofortress bombers, which could carry two missiles on underwing pylons. It used an inertial guidance system, whose data was continuously updated until immediately before launch by Kollsman KS-120 astro-trackers mounted in the launch pylons. The missile's navigation system could even be used by the B-52 crew, should the bomber's own system fail. The Hound Dog could fly high- and low-level missions, including pre-programmed changes in course and altitude. Maximum range for pure high-altitude flights was about 1100 km (700 miles).
Photo: USAF
GAM-77 (AGM-28A)
The initial operational tests exposed some shortcomings, which led to the development of the improved GAM-77A version. In this version, the KS-120 astro-trackers were replaced by improved Kollsman KS-140 units, which were located in the missile. The GAM-77A also featured a radar altimeter to improve low-level performance, and a slightly larger fuel tank. The first XGAM-77A flew in June 1961, and the GAM-77A became operational in September that year.
Photo: Boeing
AGM-28B
In June 1963, the GAM-77 and GAM-77A were redesignated as AGM-28A and AGM-28B, respectively.
It was originally planned to replace Hound Dog in the mid-1960s by the AGM-48 Skybolt ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile), but the latter was cancelled in 1962. Therefore the AGM-28 remained in service until the 1970s, much longer than anticipated. Tests occurred with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) guidance system in 1971, and an anti-radiation seeker head in 1973. These features were not incorporated in any operational Hound Dogs, although the designation AGM-28C was reportedly reserved for a TERCOM-equipped Hound Dog. Beginning in 1972 the Hound Dog was replaced by the AGM-69 SRAM, and in 1976 the last AGM-28 was retired from USAF service. Between 1959 and 1963, North American had built more than 700 Hound Dog missiles, with a peak deployment level of about 600 in 1963.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-28B:
Length 12.95 m (42 ft 6 in)
Wingspan 3.66 m (12 ft)
Diameter 0.71 m (28 in)
Weight 4500 kg (10000 lb)
Speed Mach 2.1
Ceiling 16800 m (55000 ft)
Range 1100 km (700 miles)
Propulsion Pratt & Whitney J52-P-3 turbojet; 33 kN (7500 lb)
Warhead W-28 thermonuclear (1.1 MT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Dennis R. Jenkins, Brian Rogers: "Boeing B-52G/H Stratofortress", Aerofax, 1990
From youtube:
North American AGM-28B Hound Dog, from Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:
AGM-28 Hound Dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Hound Dog (disambiguation).
AGM-28 Hound Dog
AGM-28 in flight. Note the nose-high attitude.
Type: Cruise Missile
Service history
In service: September 13, 1960
Production history
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
Unit cost: $690,073
Produced: April 1959
Specifications
Weight: 10,147 lb (4,603 kg)
Length: 42 ft 6 in ( 12.95 m)
Height: 9 ft 4 in ( 2.8 m).
Warhead: 1,742 lb (790 kg) W28 thermonuclear warhead.
Detonation mechanism: Airburst or Contact
Engine: Pratt & Whitney J52-P-3 turbojet; 7,500 lb (33 kN).
Wingspan: 12 ft 2 in ( 3.7 m).
Operational range: 785 miles (1,263 km)
Flight ceiling: 56,200 ft (17,130 m)
Flight altitude: 200 ft (61 m) to 56,200 ft (17,130 m).
Speed: Mach 2.1
Guidance system: Inertial Navigation System with star-tracker correction.
Launch platform: B-52 Stratofortress.
The North American Aviation Corporation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a rather primitive, supersonic, jet propelled, air-launched cruise missile. The Hound Dog missile was first given the designation B-77, then redesignated the GAM-77, and finally designated the AGM-28, permanently. The Hound Dog was originally conceived as a temporary stand-off weapon for the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, to be used until the proposed AGM-48 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile was available. Instead, the Skybolt missile was canceled within a few years, and the Hound Dog was deployed for 15 years until the missile was replaced by newer weapons, including the SRAM missile and the USAF Air-Launched Cruise Miss
Development
During the 1950s the United States became aware of developments the Soviet Union's surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), notably at a circle of large installations being constructed around their capital city of Moscow. At the time the entire nuclear deterrent of the United States was based on manned strategic bombers, both with the U.S. Air Force and with the U.S. Navy, and the deployment of large numbers of SAMs placed this force at some risk of being rendered ineffective. The importance of having the ability to penetrate the Soviet air-defense system was later described by Senator John F. Kennedy in a speech to the American Legion convention in Miami, Florida, on October 18, 1960: "We must take immediate steps to protect our present nuclear striking force from surprise attack. Today, more than 90 percent of our retaliatory capacity is made up of aircraft and missiles which have fixed, un-protectable bases whose location is known to the Russians. We can only do this by providing SAC with the capability of maintaining a continuous airborne alert, and by pressing projects such as the Hound Dog air-ground missile, which will enable manned bombers to penetrate Soviet defenses with their weapons".[1]
The Air Force's solution to this problem was the introduction of stand-off missiles. Since the Soviet air-defenses were static and easy to spot from aerial reconnaissance or satellite reconnaissance photos, the plan was to use a long-range cruise missile to attack these air-defense bases before the bombers got into range of them. The SA-2 Guideline missile had a maximum range of about 30 kilometers at that time, but since the bombers would be approaching the sites, their own guided missiles would have to be launched well-before it entered this SAM range. If the American missile was to be used to attack enemy air bases as well, an extended range of several hundred kilometers would be needed. A missile with these capabilities was called for in General Operational Requirement 148, which was released on March 15, 1956.[2][3] GOR 148 called for a supersonic air-to-surface cruise missile with a weight of not more than 12,500 lb (fully fueled and armed) to be carried in pairs by the B-52 Stratofortress.[4] Each B-52 would carry two of the missiles, one under each wing, on a pylon located between the B-52's fuselage and its inboard pair of engines.[5]
Both Chance Vought and North American Aviation submitted GAM-77 proposals to the USAF in July 1957, and both based on their earlier work on long-range ground-launched cruise missiles. Vought's submission was for an air-launched version of the Regulus missile, developed for the U.S. Navy,[4] while North American's was adapted from their Navajo missile.[6] On August 21, 1957, North American Aviation was awarded a contract to develop Weapon System 131B, which included the Hound Dog missile.[6]
Design
Hound Dog and its mounting pylon, which includes electronics and refueling systems.
The Hound Dog missile's engine, airframe, and warhead were all adaptations of technology developed in the Navajo missile, adapted for launching from the B-52.[6][7] The Hound Dog's design was based on that of the Navajo G-38 missile, which featured small delta wings and forward canards.[4]
A Pratt & Whitney J52-P-3 turbojet propelled the Hound Dog, replacing the Navajo's ramjet engine. The J52 engine was located in a pod located beneath the rear fuselage, giving it an appearance similar to the Lockheed X-7 high-speed experimental drone. The J52-P-3 used in the Hound Dog, unlike J52's installed in aircraft like the A-4 Skyhawk or the A-6 Intruder, was optimized to run at maximum power during the missile's flight. As a result, the Hound Dog's version of the J52 had a short operating lifetime of only six hours.[1] However, in combat, the Hound Dog was expected to self-destruct in less than six hours.
A derivative of the Navajo's NAA Autonetics Division N-6 inertial navigation system (INS), the N5G, was used in the Hound Dog. A Kollsman Instruments Company star-tracker located in the B-52's pylon was used to correct inertial orientation errors with celestial observations while the Hound Dog was being carried by the B-52.[4] The INS could also be used to determine the bomber's position after the initial calibration and "leveling" process, which took about 90 minutes. The Hound Dog had a circular error probable (CEP) of 2.2 miles (3.7 km), which was acceptable for weapon equipped with a nuclear warhead.[2]
The thermonuclear warhead carried by the Hound Dog was the W28 Class D bomb.[1] The W28 warhead could be preset to yield an explosive power of between 70 kilotons and 1.45 megatons. Detonation of the Hound Dog's W28 warhead could be programmed to occur on impact or air burst at a preset altitude. An air burst would have been used against a large area, soft target. A surface impact would have been used against a hard target such as a missile site or command and control center.
The Hound Dog could be launched from the B-52 Stratofortress at high altitudes or low altitudes, but not below 5,000 feet in altitude. Initially, three different flight profiles for the Hound Dog were available for selection by the commander and the bombardier of the bomber (though other options were added later):
High Altitude Attack: The Hound Dog would have flown at a high altitude (up to 56,000 ft (17070 meters) depending on the amount of jet fuel on-board the missile) all the way to the immediate area of its target, then dove down to its nuclear warhead's preset detonation altitude.
Low Altitude Attack: The Hound Dog would have flown at a low altitude - below 5,000 feet (1525 meters) (air-pressure altitude) to its target where its nuclear warhead would have detonated. In this mode of operation, the Hound Dog had a shortened range of about 400 miles (645 km) when this flight profile was used. The missile would not carry out terrain following in this flight profile. No major terrain obstructions could exist at the preset altitude along the missile's flight path.
A Dogleg Attack: The Hound Dog would have flown along a designated heading (at either high or low altitudes) to a preset location. At that location the missile would have turned left or right and then proceeded to its target. The intention of this maneuver was to attempt to draw defensive fighter planes away from the missile's target.
The first air-drop test of a dummy Hound Dog was carried out in November 1958. 52 GAM-77A missiles were launched for testing and training purposes between 23 April 1959 and 30 August 1965. Hound Dog launches occurred at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.[4]
The Hound Dog missile's development was completed in only 30 months.[7] North American received a production contract to build Hound Dogs on 16 October 1958.[5] The first production Hound Dog missile was then delivered to the Air Force on 21 December 1959. 722 Hound Dog missiles were produced by North American Aviation before its production of them ended in March 1963.[4]
In May 1961, an improved Hound Dog missile was test-flown for the first time. This upgrade incorporated improvements to reduce its radar cross-section.[8] The Hound Dog already had a low head-on radar cross-section because of its highly swept delta wings and canards. This low radar cross-section was lowered further by replacing its nose cap, its engine intake spike, its engine duct with new components that scattered or absorbed radar energy. It has been reported that these radar cross-section improvements were removed as Hound Dogs were withdrawn from service.
The GAM-77A version of the GAM-77 also included a new Kollsman Instruments KS-140 star-tracker that was integrated with the N-6 inertial navigation system. This unit replaced the celestial navigation star-tracker that had been located in the B-52's wing pylon. The fuel capacity of the GAM-77A was increased during this upgrade. A radar altimeter was added to the missile to provide (vertical) terrain-following capability to the Hound Dog. 428 Hound Dog missiles were upgraded to the GAM-77A configuration by North American.[9]
66 GAM-77A Hound Dog missiles were launched for testing and training up through April 1973.[1]
In June 1963 the GAM-77 and GAM-77A were re-designated AGM-28A and AGM-28B, respectively.
In 1971, a Hound Dog missile was test-flown with a newly-developed Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) navigation system. Reportedly, the designation AGM-28C was reserved for this version of the Hound dog if development had been continued. While a Hound Dog with TERCOM was never deployed, this technology, with much better electronics and digital computers, was later used in both the Air Force's Air Launched Cruise Missile and the Navy's Tomahawk missile.[10]
In 1972, the Bendix Corporation was awarded a contract to develop a passive anti-radiation missile radio seeker to guide the Hound Dog missile to antennas transmitting radar signals. A Hound Dog with this radar seeker was test-flown in 1973, but never mass-produced.[11]
Operational history
B-52F takeoff with AGM-28 Hound Dog Missiles
On December 21, 1959, General Thomas S. Power, the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), formally accepted the first production Hound Dog missile.[5] Just two months later in February, SAC test-launched its first unarmed Hound Dog at Eglin Air Force Base.
In July 1960, the Hound Dog reached initial operational capability with the first B-52 unit. The Hound Dog was used on airborne alert for the first time in January 1962. In 1962, SAC activated missile maintenance squadrons to provide maintenance for both the Hound Dog and the ADM-20 Quail decoy missile. Full operational capability was achieved in August 1963 when 29 B-52 bomber wings were operational with the Hound Dog.
In 1960, SAC developed procedures so that the B-52 could use the Hound Dog's J52 engine for additional thrust while the missile was located on the bomber's two pylons. This helped heavily-laden B-52s into the air. The Hound Dog could then be refueled from the B-52's wing fuel tanks.[9]
One Hound Dog missile crashed near the town of Samson, Alabama, when it failed to self-destruct after a test launch from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[1] In 1962, a Hound Dog was accidentally dropped to the ground during an underwing systems check.[1]
In May 1962, operation "Silk Hat" was conducted at Eglin Air Force Base. During this exercise, a Hound Dog test launch was conducted before an audience of national and international dignitaries headed by President John F. Kennedy and Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson.[1]
On September 22, 1966, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara recommended retiring all of the remaining Hound Dog missiles, within a few years. The Hound Dogs would be retained pending the outcome of the Terrain Correlation Matching (TERCOM) guidance system development program. Secretary McNamara's recommendation was not acted upon, and the Hound Dog remained in service [1]
After thirteen years of service with the Air Force, the last Hound Dog missile was removed from alert deployment on June 30, 1975. The Hound Dog missiles were kept in dead storage for a number of years. The last Hound Dog was retired for scrapping on June 15, 1978, from the 42nd Bomb Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine.[5]
No Hound Dog missile was ever used in combat, since it was strictly a weapon for nuclear warfare.
Missile Tail Numbers
GAM-77
GAM-77A
59-2791 to 59–2867
60–5574 to 60–5603
60–2078 to 60–2247
60–6691 to 60–6699
61–2118 to 61–2357
62–0030 to 62–0206
[2]
Numbers in Service
The number of Hound Dog missiles in service, by year:
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1
54
230
547
593
593
542
548
477
312
349
345
340
338
329
327
308
288
249
0
Variants
B-77 — Redesignated GAM-77 prior to production.
XGAM-77 — 25 prototype missiles produced
GAM-77 — 697 missiles produced.
GAM-77A — 452 missiles upgraded from GAM-77 to GAM-77A configuration.
AGM-28A — The GAM-77 was redesignated the AGM-28A in June 1963
AGM-28B — The GAM-77A was redesignated the AGM-28B in June 1963
AGM-28C — Proposed Hound Dog that would have been equipped with a TERCOM guidance system.
Operator
United States United States Air Force
Units using the Hound Dog
2d Bombardment Wing – Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
20th Bombardment Squadron
62d Bombardment Squadron
596th Bombardment Squadron
5th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Travis AFB, California / Minot AFB, North Dakota 23d Bombardment Squadron
6th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Walker AFB, New Mexico 24th Bombardment Squadron
40th Bombardment Squadron
11th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Altus AFB, Oklahoma 26th Bombardment Squadron
17th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 34th Bombardment Squadron
19th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Homestead AFB, Florida / Robins AFB Georgia 28th Bombardment Squadron
28th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota 77th Bombardment Squadron
39th Bombardment Wing – Eglin AFB, Florida 62d Bombardment Squadron
42d Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Loring AFB, Maine 69th Bombardment Squadron
70th Bombardment Squadron
68th Bombardment Wing – Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina 51st Bombardment Squadron
70th Bombardment Wing – Clinton-Sherman AFB, Oklahoma 6th Bombardment Squadron
72d Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico 60th Bombardment Squadron
92d Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Fairchild AFB, Washington 325th Bombardment Squadron
97th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Blytheville AFB, Arkansas 340th Bombardment Squadron
306th Bombardment Wing – McCoy AFB, Florida 367th Bombardment Squadron
319th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota 46th Bombardment Squadron
320th Bombardment Wing – Mather AFB, California 441st Bombardment Squadron
340th Bombardment Wing – Bergstrom AFB, Texas 486th Bombardment Squadron
379th Bombardment Wing, Heavy – Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan 524th Bombardment Squadron
397th Bombardment Wing – Dow AFB, Maine 341st Bombardment Squadron
410th Bombardment Wing – K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan 644th Bombardment Squadron
416th Bombardment Wing – Griffiss AFB, New York 668th Bombardment Squadron
449th Bombardment Wing – Kincheloe AFB, Michigan 716th Bombardment Squadron
450th Bombardment Wing – Minot AFB, North Dakota 721st Bombardment Squadron
454th Bombardment Wing – Columbus AFB, Georgia 736th Bombardment Squadron
456th Bombardment Wing – Beale AFB, California 744th Bombardment Squadron
465th Bombardment Wing – Robins AFB Georgia 781st Bombardment Squadron
484th Bombardment Wing – Turner AFB Georgia 864th Bombardment Squadron
4038th Strategic Wing – Dow AFB, Maine 341st Bombardment Squadron
4039th Strategic Wing – Griffiss AFB, New York 75th Bombardment Squadron
4042d Strategic Wing – K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan 526th Bombardment Squadron
4043d Strategic Wing – Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 42d Bombardment Squadron
4047th Strategic Wing – McCoy AFB, Florida 347th Bombardment Squadron
4123d Strategic Wing – Clinton-Sherman AFB, Oklahoma 98th Bombardment Squadron
4126th Strategic Wing – Beale AFB, California 31st Bombardment Squadron – Beale AFB, California
4130th Strategic Wing – Bergstrom AFB, Texas 335th Bombardment Squadron
4133d Strategic Wing – Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota 30th Bombardment Squadron
4134th Strategic Wing – Mather AFB, California 72d Bombardment Squadron
4135th Strategic Wing – Eglin AFB, Florida 301st Bombardment Squadron
4136th Strategic Wing – Minot AFB, North Dakota 525th Bombardment Squadron
4137th Strategic Wing – Robins AFB, Georgia 342d Bombardment Squadron
4138th Strategic Wing – Turner AFB, Georgia 336th Bombardment Squadron
4228th Strategic Wing – Columbus AFB, Mississippi 492d Bombardment Squadron
4238th Strategic Wing – Barksdale AFB, Louisiana 436th Bombardment Squadron
4239th Strategic Wing – Kincheloe AFB, Michigan 93d Bombardment Squadron
4241st Strategic Wing – Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina 73d Bombardment Squadron
[12]
[13]
Survivors
AGM-28 S/N 60-2176 located at the Eighth Air Force Museum, Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Aerospace Museum of California, Sacramento, California, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 33792 located at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 62-0003 located at the Castle Air Museum, Atwater, California, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2192 located at the Dyess Linear Air Park, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, United States.
AGM-28 marked as S/N 59-2794, located at the Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, United States.
AGM-28 located at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark, Palmdale, California, United States
AGM-28 located at Mars Hill Town Park, Mars Hill, North Carolina, United States
AGM-28 S/N 61-2206 located at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, United States
AGM-28 S/N 60-2141 located at the National Atomic Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 62-0007 located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was transferred to the museum in 1975.
AGM-28 S/N 60-505 located at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2796 located at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, Illinois, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2866 located at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2092 located at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Pratt & Whitney Air Museum and Hangar, East Hartford, Connecticut, United States.
AGM-28 located at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2599 in Presque Isle, Maine, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 61-2148 located at the Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2791 located at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2110 located at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama, United States.
AGM-28 located at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
AGM-28 located at the American Legion in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, United States.
XGAM-77 located at the Travis Air Museum, Travis Air Force Base, California, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 59-2847 located at the Veterans Home of Wyoming in Buffalo, Wyoming, United States.
AGM-28 located at the White Sands Missile Range Missile Park, New Mexico, United States.
AGM-28 S/N 60-2971 located at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, Horseheads[disambiguation needed], New York, United States.
Popular culture
Where it received the name Hound Dog has been the source of argument for decades. In recent years however people have given credit to fans of Elvis Presley in the Air Force.[4]
See also
United States Air Force portal
Comparable aircraft P-270 Moskit
Raduga Kh-20
Raduga K-10S
Related lists List of military aircraft of the United States
List of missiles
References
Citations
1.^ a b c d e f g h "AGM-28 Missile Memos" [1] Access date: 8 October 2007.
2.^ a b c "AGM-28 Missile Hound Dog Missile Hound Dog" [2] Access date: 8 October 2007.
3.^ "AGM-28A Hound Dog" [3] Access date: 8 October 2007.
4.^ a b c d e f g "A Brief Account of the Beginning of the Hounddog (GAM 77)" [4] Access date: 28 October 2007.
5.^ a b c d "AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile" [5] Access date: 8 October 2007.
6.^ a b c Mark Wade. "Navaho". Encyclopedia Astronautica Website. [6] Access date: 20 October 2007.
7.^ a b Mongrel Makes GoodTime Magazine. [7] Access date: 21 October 2007.
8.^ David C. Aronstein and Albert C. Piccirillo. Have Blue and the F-117A: Evolution of the Stealth Fighter, AIAA, 1997, ISBN 1-56347-245-7.
9.^ a b National Museum of the Air Force. North American AGM-28B Hound Dog. [8] Access date: 20 October 2007.
10.^ Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. AGM-28. [9] Access date: 28 October 2007.
11.^ IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WEBSITE. [3.0] Cruise Missiles Of The 1950s & 1960s. [10] Access date: 28 October 2007.
12.^ Dorr, R. & Peacock, L.B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior, Osprey Aviation: Great Britain. ISBN 1-84176-097-8
13.^ http://www.ammsalumni.org/html/amms_bases.html
Bibliography Hound Dog, Historical Essay by Andreas Parsch, Encyclopedia Astronautica website, retrieved October 8, 2007.
Indoor Exhibits, Travis Air Museum website, retrieved October 8, 2007
The Navaho Project – A Look Back, North American Aviation Retirees Bulletin, Summer 2007.
Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapon Archive Website, retrieved October 13, 2007.
B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior, Dorr, R. & Peacock, L., Osprey Aviation: Great Britain. ISBN 1-84176-097-8
Hound Dog Fact Sheet, Space Line Website, retrieved on October 14, 2007
Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon, Mike Gray, Penguin, 1994, ISBN 978-0-14-023280-6
GAM-77 Hound Dog Missile, Boeing Corporate Website, retrieved on October 14, 2007,
North American AGM-28B Hound Dog, Aviation Enthusiast Corner Website, retrieved on October 21, 2007.
The USAF and the Cruise Missile Opportunity or Threat, Kenneth P. Werrell, Technology and the Air Force A Retrospective Assessment, Air Force History and Museums Program, 1997
Airpower Theory and Practice, Edited by John Gooch, Frank Cass Publishing, 1995, ISBN-0-7146-4186-3.
Association of the Air Force Missileers: "Victors in the Cold War, Turner Publishing Company, 1998, ISBN 1-56311-455-0
******************************************************************
The Douglas AGM-48 Skybolt ALBM
From youtube:
From designation-systems.net:
Douglas GAM-87/AGM-48 Skybolt
After studies in 1958 had shown that it was feasible to air-launch ballistic missiles from high-flying strategic bombers, the USAF issued a requirement in 1959 for a long-range ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile). In May 1959, Douglas was awarded a development contract for the WS (Weapons System) 138A missile, designated GAM-87 Skybolt. Douglas subsequently awarded development subcontracts to Nortronics (guidance system), Aerojet General (propulsion), and General Electric (reentry vehicle). The GAM-87 was intended for use by the B-52H Statofortress and the British Vulcan B.2. Full-scale development was approved in February 1960, and in January 1961, the first drop tests of unpowered Skybolts occurred. Powered and guided flight tests of XGAM-87A prototypes began in April 1962, but the first five tests were all failures. The first fully successful Skybolt flight occurred on 19 December 1962, but on that same day the whole program was cancelled and the production of the operational GAM-87A stopped. Although Skybolt certainly had its technical difficulties and was well behind schedule, the cancellation was also very much influenced by economical and political factors.
Photo: USAF
XGAM-87A (XAGM-48A)
The XGAM-87A was ballistic missile powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor and guided by a stellar-inertial navigation system. Each B-52H was to carry four GAM-87As, two each side-by-side on two underwing pylons. While on the pylon, the Skybolt was fitted with a tail cone to reduce aerodynamic drag. For launch, the missile was dropped from the pylon, the tail cone was ejected, and the first motor stage ignited. After first stage burnout, the Skybolt coasted for a while before the second stage ignited. First stage control was by movable tail fins, while the second stage was equipped with a gimballed nozzle.
Limited flight tests with the remaining XGAM-87A missiles continued after program cancellation, and in June 1963, the XGAM-87A was redesignated as XAGM-48A. In total, Douglas built less than 100 Skybolt missiles.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for XGAM-87A (XAGM-48A):
Length 11.66 m (38 ft 3 in)
Finspan 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Diameter 89 cm (35 in)
Weight 5000 kg (11000 lb)
Speed 15300 km/h (9500 mph)
Ceiling 480+ km (300+ miles)
Range 1850 km (1150 miles)
Propulsion Aerojet Genaral two-stage solid-fueled rocket
Warhead W-59 thermonuclear (1.2 MT)
Main Sources
[1] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[2] Dennis R. Jenkins, Brian Rogers: "Boeing B-52G/H Stratofortress", Aerofax, 1990
From Wikipedia:
GAM-87 Skybolt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GAM-87 Skybolt
Type: Air-launched ballistic missile
Production history
Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft, Northrop
Specifications
Weight: 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg)
Length: 38 feet 3 inches (11.66 m)
Diameter: 35 inches (890 mm)
Warhead: W59 thermonuclear (1.2 MT)
Engine: Aerojet General two-stage solid-fueled rocket
Wingspan: 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m)
Operational range: 1,150 miles (1,850 km)
Flight ceiling: >300 miles (480 km)
Speed: 9,500 miles per hour (15,300 km/h)
Guidance system: inertial platform
Launch platform: Aircraft
The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1962 Tri-service system) was an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed during the late 1950s. The UK joined the program in 1960, intending to use it on their V bomber force. A series of test failures and the development of submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) eventually led to its cancellation in the mid-1960s. The UK had decided to base its entire 1960s deterrent force on Skybolt, and its cancellation led to a major confrontation between the UK and US, known today as the "Skybolt Crisis". This was solved during a series of meetings that led to the Royal Navy gaining the UGM-27 Polaris missile and construction of the Resolution class submarines to launch them.
History
Background
Nuclear weapons theorists had speculated about how to integrate the flexibility and positive control (over the attack) of the manned bomber with the invulnerability (in the attack) of the ballistic missile. The introduction of useful surface-to-air missiles in the 1950s rendered flight over enemy territory much more dangerous. Yet the Air Force and military planners were, in the mid-1950s, reluctant to simply hand over the nuclear strike capability to missiles, which after launch were no longer under positive control, could not be recalled or redirected, and would reach their targets within a matter of minutes after the order to fire. The missiles of the day were all required to be loaded with their fuels prior to launch (they all used nonstorable propellants); and they could only be launched from above ground (after long pre-launch checkouts) launch pads, making them vulnerable to attack - the first ICBMs, Atlas 1 and Titan 1 were of this type.
In addition, the inaccuracy of missiles in the 1950s made them useless as precision strike weapons. They could attack area targets like cities, but could not reliably and accurately attack precision strike targets like enemy bomber bases, hardened command and control centers, naval bases, or weapons storage areas. Initially, western ballistic missiles could not even reach such targets, which would be located deep within interior of the Sino-Soviet land mass in Asia. Therefore the potential integration of aircraft with the invulnerability of the ballistic missile was intriguing prospect to 1950s military planners.
Basing the strike package on aircraft offered a flexibility that missiles could not match. For instance, the bombers could stand off from the targets and wait for instructions from secure command centers to attack targets that were missed in an initial strike. Additionally, the bombers could use long-range weapons to strike known air defenses, and then overfly them to deliver precision strikes with conventional bombs.
Secondly, and most importantly, this mode of deployment meant that the strike force was rendered almost invulnerable. The bombers could fly to staging areas well outside the range of even the longest-legged defenses, and strike with impunity. This allowed for gradual escalation and a possible backing down through diplomacy. A ground-based missile cannot be used in the same fashion; it is either launched or not. If threatened with a nuclear strike, this presents their owners with the 'use them or lose them' predicament.
For the British, their dilemma was a matter of geography and financial resources. No fixed land based ballistic missile system could be credibly installed in the British Isles; they were well within the range of Soviet air strikes. The limited land mass available meant it would be relatively easy for missile sites to be spotted no matter what security measures were taken. Suitable locations for construction also carried a social and political cost. Fixed land based ballistic missile sites need many thousands of acres per squadron (typically ten missiles); and the squadrons need to be apportioned over many thousands of square miles, so that no single attack could conceivably destroy them all in one strike.
Development
In 1958 several US contractors demonstrated that large ballistic missiles could be launched from strategic bombers at high altitude. The use of astronavigation systems for mid-flight corrections of an inertial guidance platform, similar to that of the US Navy's SLBM systems, led to an accuracy similar to that of their existing ground-based missiles.
The USAF was interested and began accepting bids for development systems in early 1959. Douglas Aircraft received the prime contract in May, and in turn subcontracted to Northrop for the guidance system, Aerojet for the propulsion system, and General Electric for the reentry vehicle. The system was initially known as WS-138A and was given the official name GAM-87 Skybolt in 1960.
Skybolt at RAF Museum Cosford Showing the RAF roundel and the manufacturer, Douglas Aircraft, logo
At the same time the Royal Air Force was having problems with their IRBM missile project, the Blue Streak, which was long overdue. At the same time, they faced the same problems with the dwindling survivability of their existing nuclear deterrent, the V-bomber fleet. The long-range Skybolt would eliminate the need for both the Blue Streak and the Blue Steel II standoff missile, then under development.
Prime Minister Macmillan met President Eisenhower in May 1960 and agreed to purchase 144 Skybolts for the RAF, and Blue Streak and Blue Steel II were both cancelled. By agreement, British funding for research and development was limited to that required to modify the V-bombers to take the missile.
Tests
By 1961, several test articles were ready for testing from USAF B-52 bombers, with drop-tests starting in January. In Britain compatibility trials with mockups started on the Vulcan. Powered tests started in April 1962, but the test series went badly, with the first five trials ending in failure of one sort or another. The first fully successful flight occurred on December 19, 1962.
Cancellation
By this point the value of the Skybolt system had been seriously eroded. The US Navy's Polaris Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missle had recently gone into service, with overall capabilities similar to Skybolt, but with "loiter times" on the order of months instead of hours. Additionally, the US Air Force itself was well into the process of developing the Minuteman missile, whose improved accuracy reduced the need for any bomber attacks. Robert McNamara was particularly opposed to the bomber force and repeatedly stated he felt that the combination of SLBMs and ICBMs would render them useless. He pressed for the cancellation of Skybolt as an unnecessary program.
The British, on the other hand, had cancelled all other projects to concentrate fully on Skybolt. When McNamara informed them that they were considering cancelling the program in November 1962, a firestorm of protest broke out in the House of Commons. Jo Grimond noted "Does not this mark the absolute failure of the policy of the independent deterrent? Is it not the case that everybody else in the world knew this, except the Conservative Party in this country?"[1] As the political row grew into a major crisis, an emergency meeting between parties from the US and UK was called, leading to the Nassau agreement.
Over the next few days a new plan was hammered out that saw the UK purchase the Polaris SLBM, but equipped with British warheads that lacked the dual-key system. The UK would thus retain its independent deterrent force, although its control passed from the RAF largely to the Royal Navy. The Polaris, a much better weapon system for the UK, was a major "scoop" and has been referred to as “almost the bargain of the century”[2] The RAF kept a tactical nuclear capability with the WE.177 which armed V-bombers and later the Panavia Tornado force. The "Skybolt Crisis" was a major event in the eventual downfall of the Macmillan administration.
Limited flight tests with the remaining XGAM-87A missiles continued after program cancellation. In June 1963, the XGAM-87A was redesignated as XAGM-48A.
Description
The GAM-87 was powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor. Each B-52H was to carry four missiles, two under each wing on side-by-side pylons, while the Avro Vulcan carried one each on smaller pylons. The missile was fitted with a tailcone to reduce drag while on the pylon, which was ejected shortly after being dropped from the plane. After first stage burnout, the Skybolt coasted for a while before the second stage ignited. First stage control was by eight movable tail fins, while the second stage was equipped with a gimballed nozzle.
Guidance was entirely by inertial platform. The current position was constantly updated from the host aircraft though accurate fixes, meaning that the accuracy of the platform inside the missile was not as critical.
Survivors
RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire (GAM-87)
See also
List of military aircraft of the United States
List of missiles by nation
References
1.^ "Hansard 17 December 1962, SKYBOLT MISSILE (TALKS)", Hansard, 17 December 1962
2.^ John Dumbrell, "A special relationship: Anglo-American relations from the Cold War to Iraq", Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p. 174
Further reading
Neustadt, Richard E. Report to JFK: The Skybolt Crisis in Perspective. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8014-3622-2.
******************************************************************
The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM ASM
From youtube:
From designation-systems.net:
Boeing AGM-69 SRAM
The SRAM (Short Range Attack Missile) was a relatively small standoff missile for use by USAF's B-52 and FB-111A strategic bombers. On the B-52, it replaced the AGM-28 Hound Dog.
After the cancellation of the GAM-87/AGM-48 Skybolt ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile) in December 1962, the USAF had to find another way to modernize the strike capabilities of its strategic bomber force. In March 1964, SOR (Specific Operational Requirement) 212 for a short-range attack missile was submitted by the USAF, and in March 1965, development was approved by the Department of Defense. SRAM was known as WS (Weapon System) 140A, and the missile designator ZAGM-69A was assigned. The following design competition was won by Boeing, who received a development contract for the SRAM in October 1966. The SRAM was to be used by the B-52, the FB-111A, and the then forthcoming AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft, later designated as B-1). The first powered flight of an AGM-69A occurred in July 1969, and in January 1971, full scale production of the SRAM was approved. In August 1972, the SRAM was operational with SAC units, and quickly replaced the AGM-28 Hound Dog as the B-52's standoff attack missile.
Photo: Greg Goebel
AGM-69A
The AGM-69A was a ballistic-type air-to-ground missile powered by a Lockheed SR75-LP-1 two-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor, and armed with a 200 kT W-69 thermonuclear warhead. The first motor stage propelled the missile to Mach 3 after launch, and the second stage was ignited near the target for a powered terminal approach. Maximum range varied from 55 km (35 miles) for low-altitude launches to 160 km (100 miles) for high-altitude firings. The SRAM was guided by an General Precision/Kearfott KT-76 inertial navigation system, assisted by a Stewart-Warner terrain clearance sensor, and could achieve an accuracy of about 430 m (1400 ft) CEP. The B-52 Stratofortress could carry 8 SRAMs on a rotary launcher in the bomb bay, and up to 12 more on two external 6-missile pylons. The FB-111A could carry up to 6 SRAMs. When carried externally, an expendable tail faring was used on the missile to reduce drag. The AGM-69A greatly increased the number of targets which could be attacked by a single bomber, and made it possible to attack known (fixed) air-defense installations en route to the primary target.
Photo: Boeing
AGM-69A
Several proposals were made to improve the versatility of the AGM-69A, including a radar guidance system to use it as an air-to-air missile, or an anti-radiation seeker to attack mobile air-defense radars, but none of these features were adopted. In the mid-1970s, however, storability problems with the rocket motor surfaced, and in 1976 Thiokol was awarded a contract to develop a new motor for SRAM. In 1977, the new motor was combined with other upgrades, including an improved guidance system (with enhanced computing capability) and the W-80 warhead of the AGM-86 ALCM. The new SRAM missile, designated AGM-69B SRAM B, was intended for use by the B-1A. In 1978, however, the B-1A was cancelled, and the USAF found a way to extend the lifespan of the old motor to the originally planned 5 years, and these two events killed the AGM-69B program. Instead, it was then planned to eventually replace the AGM-69A with the AGM-86 ALCM and the forthcoming ASALM (Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile). The latter, however, was also cancelled in 1980. When the B-1 program was resurrected (as B-1B) in 1981, it was decided to develop an entirely new weapon, later to be known as AGM-131 SRAM II.
Photo: USAF
AGM-69A
In June 1990, the AGM-69A SRAM was retired from the USAF inventory. Various reasons have been quoted, including unreliability of the warhead and the rocket motor. The AGM-131 SRAM II was cancelled the following year, leaving effectively a gap in the capability of the USAF's B-52 bomber force. A total of about 1500 AGM-69A missiles were built by Boeing until production ended in 1975.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-69A:
Length 4.27 m (14 ft) (4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) with tail fairing)
Fin Halfspan 38 cm (15 in) (fin tip to centerline)
Diameter 45 cm (17.5 in)
Weight 1010 kg (2230 lb)
Speed Mach 3
Range 160 km (100 miles)
Propulsion Lockheed Propulsion Co. SR75-LP-1 two-pulse solid-fueled rocket
Warhead W-69 thermonuclear (200 kT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Christopher Chant: "World Encyclopaedia of Modern Air Weapons", Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1988
From Wikipedia:
AGM-69 SRAM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AGM-69A SRAM being loaded into B-1B bomb bay.
The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile) was a nuclear air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog stand-off missile.
The requirement for the weapon was issued by the Strategic Air Command of the USAF in 1964, and the resultant AGM-69A SRAM entered service in 1972. It was carried by the B-52, the FB-111A, and, for a very short period starting in 1986, by the B-1Bs based at Dyess AFB in Texas. SRAMs were also carried by the B-1Bs based at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota, and McConnell AFB in Kansas up until late 1993.
SRAM had an inertial navigation system as well as a radar altimeter which enabled the missile to be launched in either a semi-ballistic or terrain-following flight path. The SRAM was also capable of performing one "major maneuver" during its flight which gave the missile the capability of reversing its course and attacking targets that were behind it, sometimes called an "over-the-shoulder" launch. The missile had a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of about 1,400 ft (430 m) and a maximum range of 110 nautical miles (200 km). The SRAM used a single W69 nuclear warhead with a variable yield of 17 kilotons as a fission weapon, or 210 kilotons as a fusion weapon with Tritium boost enabled. The aircrew could turn a switch on the Class III command to select the destructive yield required.
The SRAM missile was completely coated with 2 cm of soft rubber, used to absorb radar energy and also dissipate heat during flight. The three fins on the tail were made of a phenolic material, also designed to minimize any reflected radar energy. All electronics, wiring, and several safety devices were routed along the top of the missile, inside a raceway.
On the B-52, SRAMs were carried externally on 2 wing pylons (6 missiles on each pylon) and internally on an eight-round rotary launcher mounted in the bomb bay; maximum loadout was 20 missiles. The B-1B could carry 8 missiles on up to three rotary launchers (one in each of its three stores bays) for a maximum loadout of 24 missiles. The FB-111A could carry two missiles internally and four more missiles under the aircraft's swing-wing. On the FB-111A, the externally-mounted missiles required the addition of a tailcone to reduce aerodynamic drag during supersonic flight. Upon rocket motor ignition, this tailcone was blown away by the exhaust plume.
About 1,500 missiles were built at a cost of about $592,000 each by the time production ended in 1975. The Boeing Company sub-contracted with the Lockheed Propulsion Company for the propellants, which subsequently closed with the end of the SRAM program.
An upgraded AGM-69B was proposed in the late 1970s, with an upgraded motor to be built by Thiokol and a W80 warhead, but it was cancelled (along with the B-1A) in 1978. Various plans for alternative guidance schemes, including an anti-radar seeker for use against air defense installations and even a possible air-to-air missile version, came to nothing.
A new weapon, the AGM-131 SRAM II, began development in 1981, intended to arm the resurrected B-1B, but it was cancelled in 1991 by then president George H. W. Bush along with most of the U.S. Strategic Modernization effort (including Peacekeeper Mobile (Rail) Garrison, Small ICBM and Minuteman III modernization) in an effort by the U.S. to ease nuclear pressure on the disintegrating Soviet Union.
The AGM-69A was finally retired in 1993 over growing concerns about the safety of its warhead and rocket motor. With the end of the Cold War it is unlikely to be replaced in the immediate future. There were serious concerns about the solid rocket motor, when several motors suffered cracking of the propellant, thought to occur due to the hot/cold cycling year after year. Cracks in the propellant could cause catastrophic failure once ignited.
The SRAM was effectively replaced by the ALCM cruise missile, which has longer range, though easier to intercept.
Service history
The number of AGM-69 missiles in service, by year:
1972 - 227
1973 - 651
1974 - 1149
1975 - 1451
1976 - 1431
1977 - 1415
1978 - 1408
1979 - 1396
1980 - 1383
1981 - 1374
1982 - 1332
1983 - 1327
1984 - 1309
1985 - 1309
1986 - 1128
1987 - 1125
1988 - 1138
1989 - 1120
1990 - 1048 (deactivated by President George H.W. Bush)
Specifications
Length: 190 in. (4.83 m) with tail fairing, 168 in. (4.27 m) without tail fairing
Diameter: 17.5 in. (445 mm)
Wing span: 30 in (760 mm)
Launch weight: 2,230 lb (1010 kg)
Maximum speed: Mach 3.5
Maximum range: 35-105 statute miles (56–169 km) depending on flight profile
Powerplant: 1 × Lockheed SR75-LP-1 two stage solid-fuel rocket motor
Guidance: General Precision/Kearfott KT-76 inertial and Stewart-Warner radar altimeter
CEP: 1,400 ft (430 m)
Warhead: W69 thermonuclear (170-200 kt of TNT)
References
Gunston, Bill (1979). Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Rockets & Missiles. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 0-517-26870-1
Jim Rusch, CMSgt (Ret) USAF 380th Bomb Wing and 509th Bomb Wing
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The Boeing AGM-131 SRAM II ASM
From designation-systems.net:
Boeing AGM-131 SRAM II
The SRAM II (Short-Range Attack Missile) was intended as a replacement for the AGM-69 SRAM, but it was not produced in quantity.
In 1977, the USAF planned to develop an upgrade of the SRAM for the forthcoming B-1A bomber as AGM-69B SRAM B. When the B-1A was cancelled in 1978, the AGM-69B was dropped, too. After the resurrection of the B-1 program (as B-1B) in 1981, it was decided to develop an entirely new weapon, the SRAM II. In 1986, Boeing was finally awarded a development contract for the AGM-131A SRAM II. The AGM-131A was planned to have only about 2/3 the size of an AGM-69A, so that 36 missiles could be carried by the B-1B, as compared to 24 AGM-69As. One new feature of SRAM II was a lighter, simpler, and more reliable rocket motor by Thiokol for increased range. The SRAM II also used a new W-89 thermonuclear warhead, which was much safer to operate than the W-69 of the AGM-69. Initial Operational Capability for the AGM-131A was planned for 1993, but after flight tests in the late 1980s, the program was cancelled in 1991. Stated reasons include technical (difficulties with the rocket motor) and political (nuclear arms reduction) ones.
Photo: U.S. Air Force Museum
AGM-131A
The AGM-131B SRAM-T (SRAM-Tactical) was a version intended for use by the F-15E Eagle tactical strike aircraft. The SRAM-T reached the flight-test stage, but was eventually cancelled, too.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-131A (except where noted):
Length 3.18 m (10 ft 5 in)
Diameter 39 cm (15.3 in)
Weight 900 kg (2000 lb)
Speed Mach 2+
Range 400 km (250 miles)
Propulsion Thiokol solid-fueled rocket
Warhead W-89 thermonuclear (200 kT)
AGM-131B: W-91 thermonuclear (10 kT, 100 kT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Christopher Chant: "World Encyclopaedia of Modern Air Weapons", Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1988
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The Boeing AGM-86A, B, C & D ALCM
From designation-systems.net:
Boeing AGM-86 ALCM
The AGM-86 ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile) is the major long-range standoff attack missile of the U.S. Air Force's B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers. With the conversion of nuclear armed rounds to conventional warheads, the AGM-86 will remain a very important weapon for the foreseeable future.
Development of the ALCM can be traced back to January 1968, when the USAF drew up a requirement for a vehicle called SCAD (Subsonic Cruise Aircraft Decoy). SCAD was to be a decoy missile carried by B-52 and B-1A bombers, which was to simulate the bombers on radar to disrupt enemy air-defense systems. As such, it was essentially a follow-on to the ADM-20 Quail decoy. Early in the concept phase it became clear that SCAD could also be fitted with a small nuclear warhead, and the acronym was accordingly changed to Subsonic Cruise Armed Decoy. Full scale development was approved in July 1970, and the designation ZAGM-86A was assigned to SCAD. In the early 1970s, however, the expected cost of SCAD's advanced electronic systems rose dramatically. In June 1973, development was halted after it had become clear that it was more cost effective to develop a pure attack cruise missile without any decoy capability.
Following SCAD's cancellation, the USAF immediately started a new program for a long-range nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile, using SCAD as a starting point. In September 1974, Boeing was awarded a contract to develop the new missile. The designation AGM-86A was retained, because the new ALCM was essentially an armed SCAD. The AGM-86A was only 4.3 m (14 ft) long and could therefore be used with the same launchers as the AGM-69 SRAM. The first powered flight occured in March 1976, and the first fully guided flight succeeded in September that year. The AGM-86A used an inertial navigation system together with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system.
Photo: Aviation History Online Museum
AGM-86A
During AGM-86A development, the USAF had already issued a requirement for an extended range (2400 km (1500 miles)) missile. There were two viable options to achieve this, either by using external fuel tanks with an essentially unchanged AGM-86A, or with a new lengthened missile called ERV (Extended Range Vehicle). The ERV had the drawback that existing external AGM-69 SRAM launchers could not be used, and that the missile would fit no longer into the bomb bay of the B-1A. The Air Force therefore decided to field the AGM-86A first, later to be followed by either the external tank missile or the ERV. In January 1977, the AGM-86A was cleared for full-scale production, but this was not to be, because 1977 saw another drastic change in the direction of the ALCM program.
Under a program called JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project), the USAF and the U.S. Navy were directed to develop their cruise missiles using a common technology base. At that time the Navy had just declared the BGM-109 Tomahawk as winner of its SLCM (Sea-Launched Cruise Missile) competition. One consequence of JCMP was that only one cruise missile propulsion system (the Williams F107 turbofan of the AGM-86) and TERCOM guidance system (the McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 of the BGM-109) would be further developed. Another one was the cancellation of the short-range AGM-86A, together with a directive to select a long-range ALCM from a competition between the ERV ALCM (now designated AGM-86B) and an AGM-109 air-launched version of Tomahawk. The first flight of an AGM-86B occurred in August 1979, and in March 1980 the AGM-86B was declared winner of the fly-off with the AGM-109. Full-scale production started soon after, and in August 1981, the ALCM was operational with the B-52G/H Stratofortress.
AGM-86B
The AGM-86B is powered by a single Williams F107-WR-100 or -101 turbofan engine, and armed with a W-80-1 variable-yield thermonuclear warhead. It is equipped with a Litton P-1000 inertial navigation system, which is updated until immediately before launch by the B-52's INS. The wings and control surfaces are folded to the fuselage, and are unfolded in about 2 seconds after launch. Once at low-level, the AGM-86B uses its McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 TERCOM system to find its way to the target. In a TERCOM system, altitude information obtained by a radar altimeter is continuously matched to a preprogrammed radar map of the area below the missile, so that the ALCM can effectively follow a detailed predetermined flight path. The accuracy of the whole guidance system is probably between 30 m (100 ft) and 90 m (300 ft) CEP. B-52Hs equipped with the new CSRL (Common Strategic Rotary Launcher) in the bomb bay can carry up to 20 ALCMs, 8 on the CSRL and a further 12 on two wing pylons.
When production ended in 1986, Boeing had delivered more than 1700 AGM-86B ALCMs. Because the intended successor, the AGM-129 ACM was built in much smaller numbers than anticipated, the AGM-86 will remain in the USAF's arsenal for the quite some time, although most of them will be converted to CALCMs, which see below.
In 1986, Boeing began converting some AGM-86Bs to AGM-86C standard. The main change is the substitution of the nuclear warhead with a conventional 900 kg (2000 lb) class blast-fragmentation warhead, and the AGM-86C is therefore also known as CALCM (Conventional ALCM). It is rather convenient that the C suffix of the designation can also be read as "Conventional", but other than most press releases may suggest, this is pure coincidence. The AGM-86C is also equipped with a GPS receiver for significantly increased accuracy. The AGM-86C was used very successfully during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and in the NATO's war against Serbia in 1999. Because the CALCM is heavier than the nuclear ALCM, range is significantly reduced.
Photo: Boeing
AGM-86C
The original AGM-86C is known as CALCM Block 0. A new Block I configuration, using improved avionics and GPS receiver and a larger 1450 kg (3000 lb) blast-fragmentation warhead, was successfully tested in 1996, and all existing Block 0 missiles were upgraded to Block I configuration. Block IA is a further improvement to achieve very high precision terminal guidance. It features an extremely accurate optimized multi-channel GPS receiver, and also incorporates enhanced shallow and steep terminal dive capability. The projected accuracy is said to be 3 m (10 ft). Development of Block IA started in 1998, and the first missiles were delivered to the USAF in January 2001. More than 300 ALCMs have already been converted to AGM-86Cs, and Boeing has contracts to convert several hundred more to CALCM Block I/IA configuration. The DATM-86C is a handling and loading practice variant of the CALCM with completely inert warhead and propulsion sections.
The AGM-86D CALCM Block II is equipped with a new Lockheed Martin 540 kg (1200 lb) AUP (Advanced Unitary Penetrator) penetrating warhead for use against deeply buried and/or hardened targets. The first flight test of an AGM-86D occurred in November 2001, and it is currently planned to produce almost 200 CALCMs as AGM-86Ds.
AGM-86C/D CALCM versions
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-86B (except where noted):
Length 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Wingspan 3.66 m (12 ft)
Diameter 62 cm (24.5 in)
Weight 1450 kg (3200 lb)
AGM-86C Block I: 1950 kg (4300 lb)
Speed 800 km/h (500 mph)
Range 2400 km (1500 miles)
AGM-86C Block I: 1200 km (750 miles)
Propulsion Williams F107-WR-101 turbofan; 2.7 kN (600 lb)
Warhead W-80-1 thermonuclear (5-150 kT)
AGM-86C Block I: 1450 kg (3000 lb) HE blast-fragmentation
AGM-86D: 540 kg (1200 lb) hard-target penetrator
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[3] Christopher Chant: "World Encyclopaedia of Modern Air Weapons", Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1988
[4] Hajime Ozu: "Missile 2000 - Reference Guide to World Missile Systems", Shinkigensha, 2000
[5] Boeing CALCM Website
From fas.org:
AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile [ALCM]
The AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles was developed to increase the effectiveness of B-52 bombers. The small, winged AGM-86B is powered by a turbofan jet engine that propels it at sustained subsonic speeds. After launch, the missile's folded wings, tail surfaces and engine inlet deploy. It then is able to fly complicated routes to a target through use of a terrain contour-matching guidance system. During flight, this system compares surface characteristics with maps of the planned flight route stored in on-board computers to determine the missile's location. As the missile nears its target, comparisons become more specific, guiding the missile to target with pinpoint accuracy.
The B-52 and the AGM-86B increase flexibility to attack targets. AGM-86B missiles can be air-launched in large numbers by the bomber force. The B-52H bombers carry six AGM-86B missiles on each of two externally mounted pylons and have been modified with a bomb bay rotary launcher for eight additional air-launched cruise missiles.
An enemy force would have to counterattack each of the missiles, making defense against them costly and complicated. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missiles' small size and low-altitude flight capability, which makes them difficult to detect on radar.The bomber's exposure to enemy defenses is reduced due to its extended range of effectiveness. Therefore, the missile may be launched with a large uncertainty in position, will independently navigate to the target, and initiate warhead detonation with a small Circular Error Probability (CEP).
Background
The weapon's concept was over a half-century old, but inadequate technology had prevented development of an effective missile. Two technical breakthroughs in the early 1970s transformed the concept into a practical weapon system. The first breakthrough came in computer technology, specifically a dramatic reduction in the physical size of computers coupled with equally dramatic increases in computer capabilities. These achievements fostered the development of a sophisticated guidance system that enabled the missile to fly at very low altitudes, making detection difficult. The second breakthrough, advances in propulsion, allowed engineers to decrease the missile's size while increasing its capabilities. The promise of a reliable and relatively inexpensive penetrating weapon system led to President Carter's 30 June 1977 announcement that the production of a B-1 bomber would be discontinued in favor of ALCM development.
The Air Force entered into a contract with Boeing Aerospace Company in February 1974 to develop and flight test a prototype ALCM (designated AGM-86A). The first ALCM powered flight took place on 5 March 1976 over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico when a B-52G crew ejected an ALCM from a SHAM rotary launcher. On 9 September 1976, the Air Force conducted the first fully-guided ALCM flight test. During the 30-minute flight, the ALCM successfully negotiated four terrain correlation mapped areas and completed a terrain correlation update in each area. The missile used in the flight tests was an AGM-86 "A" model which was slightly smaller than the the final production version, the AGM-86B. A production order was not placed for the Boeing model and by the time President Carter made his decision to proceed with the ALCM both Boeing and General Dynamics had developed cruise missiles. Boeing won a competitive flyoff between the two missiles and on 25 March 1980 received a contract to produce the AGM-86B.
Boeing delivered the first two ALCMs to the 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffiss AFB, New York, on 11 January 1981. These missiles were used initially by the wing for environmental testing and maintenance training. The first operational missile was assigned to the wing on 23 April 1981. On 15 August 1981, the 416th BMW received the first B-52G modified to carry the ALCM. The bomber could carry six missiles under each wing and had been outfitted with the Offensive Avionics System (OAS) to improve navigation and weapon delivery. The OAS replaced older analog computers and navigation components with a solid-state, digital system, which helped align, target, and launch the missiles. The first ALCM training flight was conducted on 15 September 1981 by the 416th BMW. On 21 September 1982, the 416th became the first operational wing to conduct an ALCM operational test launch, and on 16 December, the 416th was declared the first combat-ready ALCM-equipped wing. In July 1985, the 7th Bombardment Wing at Carswell AFB, Texas, became the first unit to receive ALCM-modified B-52H model bombers. A modified B-52H bomber could carry twenty ALCM missiles, six under each wing and eight mounted internally on a rotary launcher. By 23 August 1986, 98 B-52G aircraft had completed the cruise missile modification program. Boeing completed production of the 1,715th and last ALCM on 7 October 1986.
Specifications
Primary Function: Air-to-surface strategic missile
Contractor: Boeing Aerospace Co.
Guidance Contractors: Litton Guidance and Control
Power Plant: Williams Research Corp. F-107-WR-10 turbofan engine
Thrust: 600 pounds (270 kilograms)
Length: 20 feet, 9 inches (6.29 meters)
Weight: 3,150 pounds (1,417.5 kilograms)
Diameter: 24.5 inches (62.23 centimeter)
Wingspan: 12 feet (3.64 meters)
Range: AGM-86B: 1,500-plus miles (1,305 nautical miles)
Speed: About 550 mph (Mach 0.73)
Guidance System: Litton inertial navigation element with terrain contour-matching updates
Warheads: Nuclear capable
Sensors: A terrain contour-matching guidance system that allows the missile to fly complicated routes to a target through use of maps of the planned flight route stored in on-board computers
Unit Cost: $1 million
Date Deployed: December 1982
Inventory: Active force, 1,628; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0
From Boeing:
U.S. Air Force Successfully Tests Boeing AGM-86D CALCM
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 29, 2001 -- The U.S. Air Force recently flight-tested the new AGM-86D Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The missile was launched from a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber and flew a pre-planned flight path to its target -- a hardened, buried target complex, which the warhead penetrated prior to detonation.
Boeing is under contract to convert Air Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM) to a CALCM variant designated as AGM-86D.
"The AGM-86D will be able to destroy buried or reinforced targets from standoff ranges of hundreds of miles," said Carl Avila, Boeing ALCM/CALCM program manager. "While the penetrating warhead provides the warfighter with a critical new tool, the key enabling technology is the precision accuracy upgrade -- first fielded in the Block 1A configuration -- that puts the CALCM within meters of the target."
The AGM-86D uses an advanced unitary penetrating warhead and precision accuracy guidance to hold a portion of the hard and deeply buried target set at risk. Previous conversions have been for the AGM-86C CALCM, which has a 3,000 pound-class blast fragmentation warhead.
CALCM has become the Air Force's long-range standoff weapon of choice, principally because of its unparalleled ability to deliver very large warheads with exceptional accuracy over distances in excess of 600 miles.
The conversion process includes a total disassembly of the ALCMs -- some of which have been in storage for several years -- refurbishment or replacement of nearly every part, overhaul of the engine and other hardware, structural modification of the airframe, then reassembly with modified avionics and a new conventional warhead.
CALCM is the only air-launched, conventionally armed, long-range standoff missile deployed in the Air Force inventory today. Coupled with long-range bombers and air-refueling aircraft, the CALCM missile provides the Air Force a highly responsive capability to launch very accurate conventional attacks against targets located nearly anywhere in the world, without the support of bases located outside the continental United States.
From youtube:
And, from Wikipedia:
AGM-86 ALCM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AGM-86
AGM-86A on display at the National Air and Space Museum
Type: Air-to-ground strategic cruise missile
Place of origin: United States
Service history
In service
AGM-86B: 1,142 1982 till 1992 (out of service);
AGM-86C: 239, (Block 0- 41; Block I- 198) January 1991
Production history
Manufacturer: Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Unit cost
AGM-86B: $1 million;
AGM-86C: additional $160,000 conversion cost
Specifications
Weight: 3,200 lb (1,429 kg)
Length: 20 ft. 10 in. (6.35 m)
Diameter: 2 ft. 0 in. (0.62 m)
Warhead
AGM-86B: Nuclear capable;
AGM-86C; Block 0, 2,000 lb. (900 kg) class, Block I, 3,000 lb. (1,400 kg) class
Engine: Williams International F107-WR-101 Turbofan Engine, 600 lbf (2.7 kN) thrust
Wingspan: 12 ft 0 in. (3.65 m)
Operational range
AGM-86B: 1500+ miles (2,400+ km);
AGM-86C: classified (nominal 680 miles, 1,100 km)
Speed
AGM-86B: 550 mph (890 km/h, Mach 0.73);
AGM 86C: classified (nominal high subsonic)
Guidance system
AGM-86B: Litton inertial navigation element with terrain contour-matching updates;
AGM 86C: Litton INS element integrated with multi-channel onboard GPS
Launch platform: B-52G Stratofortress and B-52H Stratofortress bombers
The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM (AGM-86A, AGM-86B and AGM-86C) is a U.S. subsonic air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) built by Boeing Company and operated by the United States Air Force. The missiles were developed to increase the effectiveness and survivability of Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers. In combination, they dilute an enemy's forces and complicate defense of its territory.[1]
Examples of the Boeing AGM-86A and AGM-86B are on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum near Washington D.C.[2]
Design
The small, winged AGM-86B/C missile is powered by a Williams F107 turbofan jet engine that propels it at sustained subsonic speeds and can be launched from both high and low altitudes. After launch, the missile's folded wings, tail surfaces and engine inlet deploy. The nuclear AGM-86B is then able to fly complicated routes to a target through use of a terrain contour-matching guidance system (TERCOM). The conventionally armed AGM-86C uses an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) coupled with its inertial navigation system (INS) to fly. This allows the missile to guide itself to the target with pinpoint accuracy. Litton Guidance and Control, and Interstate Electronics Corp. were the guidance contractors for the C-model.
AGM-86B/C missiles increase flexibility in target selection. AGM-86B missiles can be air-launched in large numbers by the bomber force. B-52H bombers carry six AGM-86B or AGM-86C missiles on each of two externally mounted pylons and eight internally on a rotary launcher, giving the B-52H a maximum capacity of 20 missiles per aircraft.
The AGM-86C CALCM differs from the AGM-86B air launched cruise missile in that it carries a conventional blast/fragmentation payload rather than a nuclear payload.
An enemy force would have to counterattack each of the missiles, making defense against them costly and complicated. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missiles' small size and low-altitude flight capability, which makes them difficult to detect on radar.[1]
Development
AGM-86A/B
AGM-86B ALCM
In February 1974, the U.S. Air Force entered into contract to develop and flight-test the prototype or proof-of-concept vehicle AGM-86A air-launched cruise missile, which was slightly smaller than the later B and C models. The 86A model did not go into production. Instead, in January 1977, the Air Force began full-scale development of the AGM-86B, which greatly enhanced the B-52's capabilities and helped the USA maintain a strategic deterrent.
Production of the initial 225 AGM-86B missiles began in fiscal year 1980 and production of a total 1,715 missiles was completed in October 1986. The air-launched cruise missile had become operational four years earlier, in December 1982. More than 100 launches have taken place since then, with a 90% approximate success rate. The missile's flight path is pre-programmed and it becomes totally autonomous after launch.
In June 1986 a limited number of AGM-86B missiles were converted to carry a high-explosive blast/fragmentation warhead and an internal GPS. They were redesignated as the AGM-86C CALCM. This modification also replaced the B model's terrain contour-matching guidance system (TERCOM) and integrated a GPS capability with the existing inertial navigation computer system.[1]
AGM-86C/D
The AGM-86C is a Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) and is a conventional blast/fragmentation derivative of the nuclear armed AGM-86B. The AGM-86D is the Penetrator version of the CALCM which is designed to attack deeply buried targets.
In 1996 and 1997, 200 additional CALCMs were produced from excess ALCMs. These missiles, designated Block I, incorporate improvements such as a larger and improved conventional payload (3,000 pound blast class), a multi-channel GPS receiver and integration of the buffer box into the GPS receiver. The upgraded avionics package was retrofitted into all existing CALCM (Block 0) so all AGM-86C missiles are electronically identical.[1]
Testing Facilities
CFB Cold Lake
Operations
The CALCM became operational in January 1991 at the onset of Operation Desert Storm. Seven B-52Gs from Barksdale AFB launched 35 missiles at designated launch points in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility to attack high-priority targets in Iraq. These "round-robin" missions marked the beginning of the operation's air force component and are the longest known aircraft combat sorties in history (more than 14,000 miles and 35 hours of flight).
CALCM's next employment occurred in September 1996 during Operation Desert Strike. In response to Iraq's continued hostilities against the Kurds in northern Iraq, the Air Force launched 13 CALCMs in a joint attack with the Navy. This mission has put the CALCM program in the spotlight for future modifications. Operation Desert Strike was also the combat debut of the B-52H and the carriage of the CALCM on the weapons bay-mounted Common Strategic Rotary Launcher (CSRL). During the Operation Desert Storm, the CALCM had been carried on the B-52G and wing-mounted pylons.
The CALCM was also used in Operation Desert Fox in 1998, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Operation Iraqi Freedom was also the combat debut of the AGM-86D, a further development of the missile which replaced the blast/fragmentation warhead of the AGM-86C with a penetrating warhead.
Future of the ALCM
The Air Force in 2008 maintains an arsenal of 1,140 AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missiles and 460 newer and stealthy AGM-129 ACM (Advanced Cruise Missiles). The B-52 Stratofortress is the only delivery bomber for these missiles.
In 2007, the USAF announced its intention to retire all of its AGM-129 ACMs, and to reduce the ALCM fleet by more than 500 missiles, leaving 528 nuclear cruise missiles. The ALCM force will be consolidated at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and all excess cruise missile bodies will be destroyed.
The reductions are in part a result of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty requirement to go below 2,200 deployed nuclear weapons by 2012, with the AGM-129 ACM chosen because it has reliability problems and also higher maintenance costs.[3]
Even with the SLEP, the remaining AGM-86s will reach their end of service by 2020, leaving the B-52 without a nuclear mission.[4]
References
1.^ a b c d "Factsheet: AGM-86B/C/D MISSILES". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
2.^ "Missile, Cruise, Air-launched, AGM-86B". Collections Database. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
3.^ AIR FORCE Magazine, August, 2007.
4.^ Air Force Next-Generation Bomber: Background and Issues for Congress, page 8
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AGM-86 ALCM
Boeing.com ALCM/CALCM Photo Gallery
Designation Systems' Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles: AGM-86
Global Security's AGM-86C/D Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles
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The General Dynamics AGM-129A ACM (Advanced air-launched Cruise Missile)
From youtube:
From fas.org:
AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile [ACM]
The ACM is a low-observable, air- launched, strategic missile with significant improvements over the ALCM-B in range, accuracy, and survivability. Armed with a W80 warhead, it is designed to evade air and ground-based defenses in order to strike heavily defended, hardened targets at any location within any potential enemy's territory. The ACM is designed for B-52H external carriage.
Missile procurement is complete. Procurement of the AGM-129 was halted at 460 missiles in lieu of the originally planned 1,460. FY 96, FY 97 and FY98 funds are required to complete the last 15% of mission support development work.
Sources and Resources
Cruise Missile Product Group Tinker AFB
ACC releases Advanced Cruise Missile accident investigation report Jul 10, 1998 (AFNS) -- Air Combat Command has released the accident investigation report on the Advanced Cruise Missile (AGM-129) that impacted the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Grounds Dec. 10, 1997.
From designation-systems.net:
Raytheon (General Dynamics) AGM-129 ACM
The AGM-129 ACM (Advanced Cruise Missile) is a stealthy, nuclear-armed cruise missile used exclusively by B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers. It was originally planned to completely replace the AGM-86 ALCM, but limited funding led to the procurment of less than 500 missiles.
USAF studies for a new cruise missile with stealth characteristics began in 1982, when it became clear that the AGM-86 ALCM would become too easily detectable by future advanced air-defense systems. In 1983, General Dynamics was awarded the development contract for the new AGM-129A ACM. The first test missile flew in July 1985, and in June 1990, the first production missiles were delivered to the USAF.
Photo: General Dynamics
AGM-129A
The AGM-129A is powered by a Williams F112 turbofan engine, and armed with the same W-80-1 variable-yield thermonuclear warhead as the AGM-86B ALCM. Its external shape is optimized for LO (Low Observables) characteristics and includes forward-swept wings and tailplanes, a flush air intake, and a flat shielded jet exhaust. For guidance, the ACM uses an inertial navigation system together with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system. The accuracy is quoted between 30 m (100 ft) and 90 m (300 ft), but it is highly likely, that the operational missiles were upgraded with GPS receivers for further enhanced accuracy. Range of the AGM-129A is also significantly higher than that of the AGM-86B. Alhough the ACM was originally intended for the B-1B, it is now deployed only by the B-52H. A cruise-missile configured B-52H can carry up to 20 ACMs, eight on the internal rotary launcher, and 12 on two underwing pylons.
AGM-129A
Original plans called for the production of up to 2500 AGM-129 missiles, but this total was soon reduced to 1460 and later to 1000. Like many other weapon programs, the ACM was affected by the end of the Cold War. In 1992, the USAF announced to halt production of the missile after 460 rounds, and the last one was delivered in 1993. Current prime contractor for all AGM-129 activities is Raytheon Missile Systems Co.
There was also a projected AGM-129B version of the ACM. The official source [3] describes it as an "AGM-129A modified with structural and software changes and an alternate nuclear warhead for accomplishing a classified cruise missile mission." Apart from that, no further information is available, but most likely no ACMs were completed as AGM-129Bs. Reports, which attribute the AGM-129B designation to a planned, but eventually not funded, non-nuclear version of the ACM are erroneous. While a conventionally armed ACM was indeed proposed to the USAF by General Dynamics (and unofficially referred to as "AGM-129C"), this proposal was turned down.
In March 2007, the USAF announced that it will retire its entire stockpile of AGM-129 missiles (most likely until some time in 2008).
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-129A:
Length 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)
Wingspan 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
Diameter 70.5 cm (27.75 in)
Weight 1680 kg (3700 lb)
Speed subsonic
Range 3000 km (1865 miles)
Propulsion Williams F112-WR-100 turbofan; 3.25 kN (732 lb)
Warhead W-80-1 thermonuclear (5-150 kT)
Main Sources
[1] James N. Gibson: "Nuclear Weapons of the United States", Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996
[2] Hajime Ozu: "Missile 2000 - Reference Guide to World Missile Systems", Shinkigensha, 2000
[3] "DOD 4120.15-L: Model Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles", Department of Defense, 1990
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The General Dynamics BGM-109G Gryphon GLCM
From youtube:
And, from Wikipedia:
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BGM-109G Gryphon (GLCM)
Type: long-range, all-weather, subsonic tactical/strategic cruise missile
Service history
In service: 1983–1991
Production history
Manufacturer: General Dynamics
Unit cost: $1.3 mil
Specifications
Weight: 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb)
Length: Without booster:5.56 metres (18.2 ft)
Diameter: 0.52 metres (1.7 ft)
Engine: Williams International F107-WR-400 turbofan using TH-dimer fuel and a solid-fuel booster
Wingspan: 2.67 metres (8.8 ft)
Operational range: 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi)
Speed: Subsonic—880 kilometres per hour (550 mph)
Guidance system: Inertial, TERCOM
Launch platform: Transporter erector launcher
The Ground Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, (officially designated BGM-109G Gryphon) was a ground-launched cruise missile developed by the United States Air Force in the last decade of the Cold War.
It was developed as a counter to the mobile medium- and intermediate- range ballistic nuclear missiles deployed by the Soviet Union in Eastern Bloc European countries. The GLCM and the U.S. Army's Pershing II were the incentives that fostered Soviet willingness to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF treaty), and thus eventually reduced both the number and the threat of nuclear warheads in Europe. GLCM is also a generic term for any ground-launched cruise missile. Since the US deployed only one modern cruise missile in the tactical role, the GLCM name stuck. The GLCM was built by General Dynamics.
Design & employment
A conventionally-configured cruise missile, the BGM-109 was essentially a small, pilotless flying machine, powered by a turbofan engine. Unlike ballistic missiles, whose aimpoint is usually determined by gravitic trajectories, a cruise missile is capable of complicated aerial manoeuvres, and can fly a range of predetermined flight plans. Also, it flies at much lower altitudes than a ballistic missile, typically with a terrain-hugging flight plan. The trade-off for this low-observability flight is strike time; cruise missiles travel far more slowly than a ballistic weapon, and the GLCM was typical in this regard.
GLCM was developed as a ground-launched variant of the Tomahawk missile in use by the U.S. Navy (along with an undeveloped air-launched version, the Medium Range Air to Surface Missile [MRASM].) Unlike other variants of the Tomahawk, the GLCM carried only a nuclear warhead; no conventional capability was provided. The W84 warhead was a variable-yield kiloton-range weapon. Some estimates put the yield at between 10 and 50 kt. This tactical warhead contrasts with the W80 warhead found on other versions of the Tomahawk, and on the ALCM, which had a yield of 200 kt.2 The Pentagon credited the GLCM with a range of 2000–2500 kilometers. Like other US cruise missiles of this period, accuracy after more than 2000 km of flight was within half the width of a football field or 100 ft (approximately 30 meters). The missile was entirely subsonic, powered by a turbofan engine with a rocket booster assisting at launch.3
Militarily, the GLCM was targeted against fixed targets—at the outer edge of its range, the missile's flight time with its subsonic turbofan was more than 2½ hours. This contrasted sharply with Pershing II, which had a flight time of 10–15 minutes. However, the range of the GLCM gave it the ability to strike deep within then-Soviet territory, and the weapon's low-altitude flight profile, TERCOM guidance, and low RCS would have made it far more difficult to intercept a GLCM even if the launch were detected in time.
Deployment & protest
Designed to be road-mobile, the BGM-109 was carried in a four-pack on a wheeled transporter erector launcher (TEL) towed by a MAN AG 8 X 8 tractor, and could travel in convoy. A third component was a trailer mounted Launch Control Center (LCC). Normal basing was in shelters at military installations, with deployment to other sites, on- or off-road, to be carried out in an alert situation. GLCMs were deployed in the United Kingdom (at RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth), Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Comiso Air Station in Italy. Initial operating capability (or IOC) occurred in 1983. The launchers (sans warheads) were sent out on a number of simulated scrambles. Four TELs and their missiles (including reloads) made up each flight of GLCMs.4
Although deployed in the face of a range of Soviet IRBMs, including the brand-new and extremely capable SS-20 Saber, the GLCM (sometimes referred to by its phonetic nickname, Glick-em) faced widespread public protest in Europe. Many anti-nuclear Europeans felt that the United States was deploying weapons meant to win a tactical nuclear war, without adequate consideration of the effects that even a 'victory' would bring. Critics also argued that the Reagan Administration was unduly escalating tensions in Central Europe. Between them, GLCM and Pershing II made a lethal combination. GLCM missiles could be launched, undetected, followed 2 hours later by a Pershing strike, which would fly so quickly that it was possible no response could be made before the Pershings struck. Aside from presenting an attractive course of action to NATO commanders in the event of Soviet aggression, it put the Kremlin leaders (in range of the GLCM and possibly the Pershing, even in Moscow) in a position of fearing a decapitating NATO first strike, which could have moved them toward a launch on warning policy as the only way to maintain deterrence.5 However, the USSR did have submarine-launched missiles (i.e. Golf and Hotel class SSBNs armed with R-27 Zyb and SS-N-5s) available during this time, so any fears of a decapitating first strike were not necessarily justified.[1]
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) - withdrawn from service
RAF Molesworth GLCM bunkers in 1989.
A BGM-109G launch system on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford
GLCM & the INF
Ironically, and despite the protesters' fears to the contrary, the deployment of GLCM actually brought greater stability to Central Europe, and lessened the incentive/need for a tactical nuclear exchange, through the mechanism of the INF treaty. The recognition by Soviet leaders of the threat posed by the GLCM and Pershing II missiles made them far more inclined to agree to negotiate their own intermediate-range weapons, especially the SS-20, out of service, in exchange for the elimination of the threat posed by the GLCM and the Pershing II.6
Unlike SALT II or START I, which set limits to maximum nuclear arsenals, the INF Treaty banned whole categories of intermediate-range tactical nuclear weapons outright. All ground-launched cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with ranges greater than 500 but less than 5500 kilometers were barred to the U.S. and USSR under this treaty. This meant the withdrawal of GLCM and Pershing II on the American side; the Soviets withdrew the SS-4 Sandal, SS-5 Skean, SS-12 Scaleboard, SS-20 Saber, SS-22 Scaleboard B, and SS-23 Spider MRBM/IRBM/LRBM ballistic missiles, in addition to the GLCM's most direct counterpart: the SSC-4 (dubbed the Tomahawksi in the Western press) and its supersonic follow-on, the SSC-X-5 cruise missiles.7
GLCM was removed from Europe beginning in 1988, and all units were removed from service by 1991, being either destroyed or converted into displays. Eight missiles survive for static display only. No follow-on design has been authorized.8
USAF GLCM Units
38th Tactical Missile Wing - Wueschheim AB, West Germany
303d Tactical Missile Wing - RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom
485th Tactical Missile Wing - Florennes Air Base, Belgium
486th Tactical Missile Wing - Woensdrecht Air Base, Netherlands
487th Tactical Missile Wing - Comiso Air Base, Italy
501st Tactical Missile Wing - RAF Greenham Common, United Kingdom
868th Tactical Missile Training Group - Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
See also
United States Air Force portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ground Launched Cruise Missile
Tomahawk ALCM & SLCM
SSC-X-4/RK-55
List of nuclear weapons (incomplete)
References
1.^ ICBMs [1]
References
Note 1: Cochran, Thomas et al. (1984). Nuclear Weapons Databook Volume I: U.S. Nuclear Forces and Capabilities. Natural Resources Defense Council. ISBN 0-88410-173-8., pp. 179–184.
Note 2: Cochran, Thomas et al.. op. cit., pp. 79–80.
Note 3: Cochran, Thomas et al.. op. cit., pp. 179–184.
Note 4: General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas BGM-109G "Gryphon" Ground-launched Cruise Missile
Note 5: Grier, Peter. "The Short, Happy Life of the Glick-Em". Air Force Magazine 85 (July 2002): 70–74.
Note 6: Werrell, Kenneth P (1989). "The Weapon the Military Did Not Want: The Modern Strategic Cruise Missile". The Journal of Military History 53 (Oct. 1989): 419–438. doi:10.2307/1986108.
Note 7: INF Theater / Operational Missiles - Russian / Soviet Nuclear Forces
Note 8: General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas BGM-109G "Gryphon" Ground-launched Cruise Missile
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The BGM-109C Tomahawk SLCM
From youtube:
From designation-systems.net:
Raytheon (General Dynamics) AGM/BGM/RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk is the U.S. Navy's multipurpose strategic and tactical long range precision-guided cruise missile. Launched from surface ships and submarines, it was used in action in all recent major U.S. military engagements, and will remain one of the most important missiles in the U.S. inventory for quite some time.
The BGM-109 missile has been developed in several distinct variations, which are described in separate sections of this article. These variations include:
SLCM (Sea-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109A/.../F, RGM/UGM-109A/.../E/H
GLCM (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109G
MRASM (Medium-Range Air-to-Surface Missile): AGM-109C/H/I/J/K/L
SLCM (Sea-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109A/.../F, RGM/UGM-109A/.../E/H Tomahawk
In 1971 the U.S. Navy began to study the possibility of a submarine-launched strategic cruise missile, either a larger design for launch from UGM-27 Polaris missile tubes or a smaller one for launch from torpedo tubes. In June 1972 the torpedo-tube missile was chosen, and design contracts were let to the industry in November that year for what was then called the SLCM (Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile). In January 1974, the two most promising designs were selected for a fly-off competition, and in 1975, the designations ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A were assigned to the designs of General Dynamics and LTV, respectively. After a few test flights by the YBGM-109A and YBGM-110A prototypes in February 1976, which included the critical transition from water to air in a sub-surface launch, the BGM-109 was declared winner of the competition. At that time, it had already been decided that the SLCM should also be launched from surface ships, and therefore the acronym was changed to Sea-Launched Cruise Missile. Flight testing of the YBGM-109A, including the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) guidance system, continued during the following years.
Photo: U.S. Navy
BGM-109 (exact model unknown)
In January 1977, the Carter administration initiated a program called JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project), which directed the USAF and the U.S. Navy to develop their cruise missiles using a common technology base. At that time, the Air Force was developing its AGM-86 ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile). One consequence of JCMP was that only one cruise missile propulsion system (the Williams F107 turbofan of the AGM-86) and TERCOM guidance system (the McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 of the BGM-109) would be further developed. Another one was a fly-off competition for the ALCM role between the AGM-86B and the AGM-109, an air-launched derivative of the YBGM-109A. After flights between July 1979 and February 1980, the AGM-86B was declared winner of the competition and the AGM-109 ALCM development was stopped.
Photo: General Dynamics
AGM-109
Development of the BGM-109 SLCM had of course continued during the ALCM evaluation. In March 1980, the first surface-ship launch of a production BGM-109A Tomahawk occurred from the USS Merrill (DD-976). This was followed in June that year by the launch of a production missile from the submarine USS Guitarro (SSN-665). Operational evaluation continued in the following years, and the Tomahawk SLCM was finally declared ready for service in March 1983. The initial versions, both also known as Tomahawk Block I, were the strategic BGM-109A TLAM-N (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Nuclear) with a thermonuclear warhead and the BGM-109B TASM (Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile) with a conventional warhead against surface-ships. Initially, the missile variants for the different launch environment options were designated by suffix letters, BGM-109A-1 and -109B-1 being surface-launched and BGM-109A-2 and -109B-2 submarine-launched. In 1986, this was changed to the use of R-for-Surface and U-for-Underwater launch environment letters:
Old Designation New Designation
BGM-109A-1 RGM-109A
BGM-109A-2 UGM-109A
BGM-109B-1 RGM-109B
BGM-109B-2 UGM-109B
The RGM-109A is launched from MK 143 box-launchers or (in newer installations) MK 41 VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells with the help of a solid-propellant rocket booster. After the missile has cleared the launcher, the four tailfins are extended, followed by the deployment of the two straight wings. When this is completed, the ventral air intake for the Williams F107-WR-400 turbofan cruise engine extends, the spent booster is jettisoned, and the turbofan started. The Tomahawk is guided to its target by a system called TAINS (TERCOM Assisted Inertial Navigation System) using a McDonnell Douglas AN/DPW-23 TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system. In TERCOM, altitude information obtained by a radar altimeter is continuously matched to a preprogrammed radar map of the area below the missile, so that the Tomahawk can effectively follow a detailed predetermined flight path. This path can include several waypoints to change altitude and direction, e.g. for flying around hills to be concealed from detection by point-defenses around the target for as long as possible. The accuracy of the TAINS guidance is around 80 m (260 ft) CEP, which is good enough for the RGM-109A's variable-yield (5 kT - 200 kT) W-80-0 thermonuclear warhead.
In an UGM-109 underwater launch, the missile remains enclosed in its transport canister until it has cleared the torpedo tube. The canister is then ejected, and the booster ignites to propel the missile to the surface. After it is fully airborne, some protective covers are jettisoned, and the flight procedes as in a surface launch. Newer SSNs also have vertical launch tubes for the UGM-109 missile.
Photo: U.S. Navy
UGM-109 (exact model unknown)
The BGM-109B (later RGM/UGM-109B) TASM was developed concurrently with the BGM-109A TLAM-N, and was actually the first variant to be deployed in operational status. Instead of TERCOM (which is obviously useless over water), the TASM uses a radar guidance system very similar to that of the AGM/RGM/UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, including the latter's strapdown three-axis attitude/heading reference system and AN/DSQ-28 J-band active radar seeker. The missile is launched in the general direction of the target and at some distance from the expected target position, it enters a serpentine flight pattern to search for it using both passive radar to scan enemy emissions and active radar to lock on a detected target. Once the seeker has locked on a target, the RGM/UGM-109B proceeds towards it at very low altitude (sea-skimming). Manoeuvers after lock-on can include short pop-ups to get a better fix on the target position and/or course changes to strike the target from an unexpected direction. The missile is armed with a 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-25/B high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead, and can hit the target either from the side or from the top after a terminal pop-up manoeuver.
The BGM-109C (initially BGM-109C-1 and -2, but changed in 1986 to RGM-109C and UGM-109C) TLAM-C (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Conventional) is a conventionally-armed (same WDU-25/B warhead as -109B TASM) missile for long-range strikes against high-value targets. It entered U.S. Navy operational service in 1986. The TLAM-C (also known as Tomahawk Block II) uses the same INS/TERCOM suite as the -109A TLAM-N for mid-course guidance. For higher accuracy in the terminal phase of the flight, it uses an AN/DXQ-1 DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation) system, because the conventional warhead requires higher precision to be effective. DSMAC is an electro-optical sensor system which takes images from the ground below the missile and compares these to reference images stored in the on-board computer. Any deviations lead to a course correction of the Tomahawk missile, and the system's accuracy is about 10 m (30 ft) CEP. The original TLAM-C Block II had only one mode of final approach, it always flew straight into the side of the target. Early in the development program, however, the BGM-109C software was upgraded to Block IIA. This allows pre-launch selection of two additional attack modes. The first of these is a pop-up/terminal-dive manoeuver, and the second is known as PWD (Programmed Warhead Detonation). Using PWD, the WDU-25/B warhead is detonated while the missile is flying directly over the target, making it especially effective against targets behind a protective shielding like a revetment.
Photo: U.S. Navy
RGM-109C
The Tomahawk Block IIB is designated BGM-109D (intially BGM-109D-1 and -2, but changed to RGM-109D and UGM-109D before it entered service) TLAM-D (Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Dispenser). It is similar to the TLAM-C (also using the TAINS/DSMAC guidance package), but in place of the unitary WDU-25/B warhead, it uses a warhead section with 166 BLU-97/B CEB (Combined Effects Bomblet) submunitions. The BLU-97/Bs can be dispensed in partial packages to attack several targets in one mission. The RGM/UGM-109D entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1988.
Photo: Raytheon
BGM-109D
The BGM-109E was a proposed improvement of the BGM-109B anti-ship missile, and the BGM-109F was to be a TLAM variant with an anti-airfield warhead (possibly using BLU-106/B submunitions). The BGM-109E/F versions were both cancelled in the mid-1980s, but the -109E suffix was later reused for the Block IV program and then again for the Tactical Tomahawk missile (q.v. below).
Operation Desert Storm in 1991 saw the first combat use of the Tomahawk missile, with 261 TLAM-Cs and 27 TLAM-Ds fired against Iraqi targets. The overall hit rate was reported as 85%. During the 1990s, Tomahawks were used whenever the United States needed to strike tactical and strategic targets at long range. Major operations included Operation Desert Fox (Iraq, December 1998) and Operation Allied Force (Serbia, April/May 1999), when several hundred Tomahawks were launched.
In the late 1980s, McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) received a contract to develop the Block III upgrade for the TLAM-C/D. Block III had a significantly upgraded guidance unit, incorporating a GPS receiver to assist the TAINS system, and the improved DSMAC 2A which uses a wider imagery range and more scenes for the final fix. The Block III missiles were also upgraded with an improved F107-WR-402 engine with higher thrust and lower fuel consumption. The RGM/UGM-109C Block III also uses an improved WDU-36/B warhead which is smaller (thereby increasing fuel space) and lighter than the WDU-25/B but offers the same effect. The new warhead significantly increases the range of the Block III TLAM-C missile. The first launch of a Block III Tomahawk occurred in January 1991, and IOC was achieved in May 1993. All Block IIA/IIB missiles will be upgraded to Block III standard when they are due for scheduled maintenance (every 3 to 4 years).
In 1994, Hughes (now Raytheon) started to develop the Block IV upgrade, also known as TBIP (Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program), which had the goal to develop a single all-purpose missile, the RGM/UGM-109E TMMM (Tomahawk Multi-Mode Missile) for use against ships and land targets. For this purpose an imaging seeker (either a FLIR or a mm-wave radar) was to be installed, so that the computer could be fed with images of either ships or land targets. Other options under consideration for Block IV were autonomous target acquisition by the seeker and a datalink for retargeting in flight. The planned warhead was the WDU-36/B of the TLAM-C Block III, but the latter's F107 engine was to be replaced by the much cheaper Teledyne CAE J402-CA-401 turbojet. The RGM/UGM-109H THTP (Tomahawk Hard Target Penetrator) was a proposed Block IV missile with a penetrating warhead. However, the TBIP proved to be too expensive, and was cancelled in May 1996. The program was eventually replaced by the Tactical Tomahawk (q.v. below). The designations of the Block IV missiles (RGM/UGM-109E and RGM/UGM-109H) were also "transferred" to the Tactical Tomahawk program.
The latest development of the Tomahawk SLCM is the RGM-109E/UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk (a.k.a. "TacTom") variant (the -109E designations were carried over from the Block IV). It was first proposed in 1998 as a low-cost replacement for the cancelled Block IV TBIP program. Tactical Tomahawk was originally known as Block V, but has now been renumbered as Block IV. The major TacTom program goal was a missile which would cost significantly less (about one half) per production round than an up-to-date TLAM-C/D. Therefore a cheaper engine is used and the structure is lighter. The originally planned engine was the TBIP's J402-CA-401 turbojet, but this was changed during development to a Williams F415-WR-400/402 turbofan, causing a significant delay in the time schedule. Because of the lighter structure (which includes reducing the number of tailfins from four to three), the UGM-109E is unsuitable for launch from torpedo tubes, but can still be used from SSNs equipped with vertical launch systems. The RGM/UGM-109E also features a number of significant operational improvements. The missile can be reprogrammed in flight via an UHF satellite link to divert to any one of 15 pre-programmed alternate targets or to an arbitrary location defined by GPS coordinates. It can also loiter over the target area for some time while transmitting imagery from its on-board TV camera via the satellite link. The image can be used to assess battle damage and/or to retarget the missile.
RGM-109E
The first flight of a TacTom test vehicle occurred in August 2002, and the first underwater launch of a UGM-109E succeeded in November 2002. The first LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) contract was awarded to Raytheon in October 2002. IOC (Initial Operational Capability) was officially reached in May 2004, when RGM-109E missiles were installed on USS Stethem (DDG-63). In August that year, Raytheon received a five-year contract for full-scale production of Tomahawk Block IV rounds to replenish the Navy's cruise missile arsenal. The initial RGM/UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk version will be armed with the WDU-36/B blast-fragmentation warhead of the TLAM-C Block III.
UGM-109E
The second variant of the Tactical Tomahawk will be the TTPV (Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant), armed with a new WDU-43/B penetrating warhead for use against hardened and/or underground targets, like storage bunkers for weapons of mass destruction. The first test flight of the TTPV, designated RGM-109H and UGM-109H (reusing the -109H suffix of the cancelled THTP penetrator version), was successfully conducted on 21 March 2003, and IOC is currently planned for 2005.
The Tomahawk versions currently in the U.S. Navy operational inventory are the RGM/UGM-109C/D TLAM-C/D, and the RGM/UGM-109E Block IV. The original RGM/UGM-109A TLAM-N and RGM/UGM-109B TASM variants have been retired in the early 1990s. Including the ground-launched BGM-109G Gryphon, more than 4000 xGM-109 missiles of all variants have been built so far.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for RGM/UGM-109A/B/C/D:
RGM/UGM-109A RGM/UGM-109B RGM/UGM-109C RGM/UGM-109D
Length 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) (w/o booster)
6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) (incl. booster)
Wingspan 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Diameter 53.1 cm (20.9 in)
Weight 1180 kg (2600 lb) (w/o booster)
1450 kg (3200 lb) (incl. booster) 1310 kg (2900 lb) (w/o booster)
1590 kg (3500 lb) (incl. booster) 1220 kg (2700 lb) (w/o booster)
1490 kg (3300 lb) (incl. booster)
Speed 880 km/h (550 mph)
Range 2500 km (1350 nm) 460 km (250 nm) 1250 km (675 nm)
Block III: 1600 km (870 nm) 870 km (470 nm)
Propulsion Williams F107-WR-400 turbofan; 2.7 kN (600 lb)
RGM/UGM-109C/D Block III: Williams F107-WR-402 turbofan; 3.1 kN (700 lb)
Booster: Atlantic Research MK 106 solid-propellant rocket; 26.7 kN (6000 lb) for 12 s
Warhead W-80-0 thermonuclear (5-200 kT) 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-25/B blast-fragmentation
-109C Block III: 340 kg (750 lb) WDU-36/B blast-fragmentation 166 BLU-97/B CEB (Combined Effects Bomblets)
GLCM (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109G Gryphon
As early as 1971 the U.S. Air Force had tentative plans to replace the retired MGM-13 Mace with a modern GLCM (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile) with TERCOM precision guidance and a small fuel-efficient turbofan engine. The plans became more firm in 1976, and in January 1977 the USAF was allowed to develop and field a GLCM derivative of the Navy's BGM-109 Tomahawk SLCM. The first launch of the BGM-109G Gryphon (sometimes spelled Griffin) GLCM from its mobile TEL (Transporter/Erector/Launcher) occurred in May 1980, and operational testing began in May 1982. The GLCM was operationally deployed in Europe from 1983 to counter (together with the U.S. Army's MGM-31C Pershing II) the Soviet RSD-10 Pioner (SS-20 Saber) mobile IRBM system.
The BGM-109G was very similar to the Navy's nuclear-armed BGM-109A except that a different W-84 thermonuclear warhead was used. The Gryphon was launched from a mobile TEL, which could hold four missiles. Like the BGM-109A, it used an INS/TERCOM guidance system with an accuracy of about 80 m (260 ft) CEP.
Photo: USAF
BGM-109G
In December 1987, the USA and the USSR signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which abolished all medium- and intermediate-range nuclear armed missiles. Withdrawal of the GLCM began in 1988 and was completed in May 1991. A total of about 500 BGM-109G missiles had been built.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for BGM-109G:
Length 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) (w/o booster)
6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) (incl. booster)
Wingspan 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Diameter 51.8 cm (20.4 in)
Weight 1200 kg (2650 lb) (w/o booster)
1470 kg (3250 lb) (incl. booster)
Speed 880 km/h (550 mph)
Range 2500 km (1350 nm)
Propulsion Williams F107-WR-400 turbofan; 2.7 kN (600 lb)
Booster: Atlantic Research MK 106 solid-propellant rocket; 26.7 kN (6000 lb) for 12 s
Warhead W-84 thermonuclear (0.2-150 kT)
From fas.org:
BGM-109 Tomahawk
Tomahawk is an all-weather submarine or ship-launched land-attack cruise missile. After launch, a solid propellant propels the missile until a small turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of flight. Tomahawk is a highly survivable weapon. Radar detection is difficult because of the missile's small cross-section, low altitude flight. Similarly, infrared detection is difficult because the turbofan engine emits little heat. Systems include Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; an upgrade of the optical Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system; Time of Arrival (TOA) control, and improved 402 turbo engines.
The Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile has been used to attack a variety of fixed targets, including air defense and communications sites, often in high-threat environments. The land attack version of Tomahawk has inertial and terrain contour matching (TERCOM) radar guidance. The TERCOM radar uses a stored map reference to compare with the actual terrain to determine the missile's position. If necessary, a course correction is then made to place the missile on course to the target. Terminal guidance in the target area is provided by the optical Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system, which compares a stored image of target with the actual target image.
The Tomahawk missile provides a long-range, highly survivable, unmanned land attack weapon system capable of pinpoint accuracy. The Surface Navy's deep strike capability resides in the Tomahawk missile system - the proven weapon of choice for contingency missions.
Tomahawk's operational environment is changing significantly. The first operational design involved global warfare using conventional Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) against known, fixed, non-hardened targets. The strategic assumptions underlying this environment continue to change. Tomahawk Weapon System (TWS) capability is evolving into major systems with expanding capabilities. Today, Tomahawk is able to respond to rapidly developing scenarios and attack emerging land-based targets. A more diverse threat coupled with a smaller U.S. force structure place an absolute premium on system flexibility and responsiveness.
The projected operational environment for Tomahawk is now characterized by scenarios in which the U.S. Navy will most likely be called upon to defend U.S. interests in regional conflicts, in crisis response, or to execute national policy. Tomahawk will operate from littoral seas as an integral part of joint forces.
During the critical early days of a regional conflict, Tomahawk, in conjunction with other land attack systems and tactical aircraft, denies or delays forward movement of enemy forces, neutralize the enemy's ability to conduct air operations, and suppress enemy air defenses. In addition, Tomahawk attacks high value targets such as electrical generating facilities, command and control nodes, and weapons assembly/storage facilities. Thus, making Tomahawk the weapon of choice to strike reinforced, hardened targets.
The Tomahawk Weapon System (TWS) is comprised of four major components: Tomahawk Missile, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System (APS), Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TWCS) for surface ships, and Combat Control System (CCS) for submarines.
Ships and submarines have different weapon control systems (WCSs). A vertical launching system (VLS) accommodates missile stowage and launch on ships. On all attack submarines, missiles are launched from torpedo tubes (with stowage in the torpedo room); in addition, some attack submarines have VLS located forward, external to the pressure hull, which will handle both stowage and launch.
The Fire Control Systems (FCS) on both ships and submarines perform communications management, database management, engagement planning, and launch control functions. These systems provide the interface between the missile and FCS for missile initialization and launch as well as environmental protection. The FCS supporting the ship is TWCS of ATWCS (AN/SWG-3). The FCS on submarines is the CCS MK1, CCS Mk2, or AN/BSY-1.
Unified Commanders develop contingency plans in response to developing strategic situations to achieve National Command Authority directed goals. The Unified Commander passes tasking for TLAM mission development to a Cruise Missile Support Activity (CMSA) for overland mission planning. The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) provides the necessary databases for planning. Targets and maps are generated for TERCOM and DSMAC. Threat databases are provided for missile attrition analysis. Unified, Joint, and Battle Group (BG) Commanders direct the deployment and employment of the mission. Strike Planners select, task and coordinate TLAM strikes. The Launch platform FCS prepares and executes the TLAM mission. The launch platform launches the missile. The missile boosts and transitions to cruise flight, then navigates on the planned route. During flight, the missile will navigate using TERCOM and DSMAC and GPS (Block III). Enroute, some missiles may also execute a Precision Strike Tomahawk Mission (PST) transmitting its status back to a ground station via satellite communication. The missile executes its planned terminal maneuver and for TLAM-C hits a single aimpoint and for TLAM-D, single or multiple targets.
Tomahawk Variants
The Tomahawk is a mature missile weapons system with Block II and III, C (unitary warhead) and D (bomblet dispersion) versions in fleet use. These two variants of Tomahawk cruise missile are distinguished by their warhead; TLAM-C has a conventional unitary warhead, and TLAM-D has a conventional submunitions (dispense bomblets) warhead. Both are identical in appearance, but different in capabilities. The missile concept is one of a wooden round. The missile is delivered to ships and submarines as an all-up-round (AUR), which includes the missile that flies the mission, the booster that starts its flight, and the container (canister for ships and capsule for submarines) that protects it during transportation, storage and stowage, and acts as a launch tube.
Operational evaluation to support a milestone III full rate production decision on the TOMAHAWK missile began in January 1981. This OPEVAL was conducted in six phases. The first three phases all involved testing of the submarine launched TOMAHAWK missiles. The sub launched antiship version (TASM), conventional land attack missile (TLAM/C), and nuclear land attack variant (TLAM/A) were tested from January 1981 to October 1983. The last three phases tested the ship launched variants. The ship launched variants were tested from December 1983 to March 1985. In all phases , the AUR was determined to be potentially operationally effective and potentially operationally suitable, and full rate production was recommended. In April of 1988 the OPEVAL of the conventional land attack submunitions missile (TLAM/D) was tested. The missile was determined to be potentially operationally effective and potentially operationally suitable, with limited fleet introduction recommended.
As missile improvements were made, follow on test and evaluation continued. BLK II improvements were made and tested with all variants in July 1987 through September 1987. Some of these improvements included a TASM improved sea skimming variant, an improved booster rocket, cruise missile radar altimeter, and the Digital Scene Matching Area Corellator (DSMAC) Blk II. In October of 1990, the OPEVAL of the Blk III missile began. The Blk III was the first time GPS was used to aid missile guidance. The testing was performed on both surface and subsurface units under various environmental conditions, continuing through July 1994. Both conventional variants (TLAM/C and D) were tested and determined to be operationally effective and operationally suitable, with full fleet introduction recommended.
The TOMAHAWK missile performance testing is an ongoing, five year study of TLAM performance which began in 1995. The testing is run concurrently with the Operational Test Launch (OTL) program. The objective of the program is to verify, in a statistically significant manner, that missile performance, accuracy, and reliability meet operational requirements and thresholds. The program tests approximately eight missiles each year, two TLAM/N and six TLAM/C and D missiles. The testing emphasizes operationally realistic test scenarios, including battle group operations, for missiles launched from TOMAHAWK capable Block II and Block III surface ships and submarines. Full end to end testing is completed with every mission.
Tomahawk Block III Since the Gulf War, the Navy has improved its Tomahawk missile's operational responsiveness, target penetration, range, and accuracy. It has added global positioning system guidance and redesigned the warhead and engine in the missile's block III configuration that entered service in March 1993. The Tomahawk TLAM Block III system upgrade incorporated jam-resistant Global Positioning System (GPS) system receivers; provided a smaller, lighter warhead, extended range, Time of Arrival, and improved accuracy for low contrast matching of Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator. With GPS, TLAM route planning is not constrained by terrain features, and mission planning time is reduced. China Lake designed, developed, and qualified the WDU-36 warhead in 48 months to meet evolving Tomahawk requirements of insensitive munitions ordnance compliance and range enhancement, while maintaining or enhancing ordnance effectiveness. The WDU-36 uses a new warhead material based upon prior China Lake warhead technology investigations, PBXN-107 explosive, the FMU-148 fuze (developed and qualified for this application), and the BBU-47 fuze booster (developed and qualified using the new PBXN-7 explosive). Block III was first used in the September 1995 Bosnia strike (Deliberate Force) and a year later in the Iraq strike (Desert Strike).
Tomahawk Block IV Phase I The Navy�s premier strike weapon for the next generation is the Block IV Phase I Tomahawk. Current plans call for 1,253 Block IV missiles to be produced by remanufacturing currently bunkered TASMs (Tomahawk antiship variant) and upgrading Block II missiles to Block IV. Following extensive analysis of major regional conflict (MRC) Tomahawk usage and the resupply and support levels associated with it, OPNAV, in concert with fleet CINCs, developed an acquisition objective of 3,440 Block III and IV Tomahawk missiles through the completion of the Block IV program.
Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program (TBIP) The Navy will upgrade or remanufacture existing Tomahawk missiles with (1) GPS and an inertial navigation system to guide the missile throughout the mission and (2) a forward-looking terminal sensor to autonomously attack targets. These missiles are expected to enter service around 2000. This Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program (TBIP) development provides a comprehensive baseline upgrade to the Tomahawk Weapon System to improve system flexibility, responsiveness accuracy and lethality. Essential elements of the TBIP include upgrades to the guidance, navigation, control, and mission computer systems along with the associated command and control systems and weapons control systems. TBIP will provide a single variant missile, the Tomahawk Multi-Mission Missile that is capable of attacking sea- and land-based targets in near real time. TBIP will also enhance its hard target penetrating capability beyond current weapons systems thus increasing the target set. TBIP will provide UHF SATCOM and man-in-the-loop data link to enable missile to receive in-flight targeting updates, to transfer health and status messages and to broadcast Battle Damage Indication (BDI). The Advanced Tomahawk Weapons Control System (ATWCS) and Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program will provide a quick reaction response capability, real time target and aimpoint selection, autonomous terminal prosecution of the target and improve strike planning, coordination, mission tasking and lethality.
Tomahawk Block IV Phase II Future deep-strike requirements are in review and focus on technological advancements and cost reduction. Follow-on Tomahawk Block developments and replacement systems also are being reviewed. An antiarmor variant with a real-time targeting system for moving targets, using either Brilliant Antiarmor Technology or Search and Destroy Armor submunitions, is a possibility. Both submunition options leverage off U.S. Army developmental programs, reducing program costs.
TacticalTomahawk would add the capability to reprogram the missile while in-flight to strike any of 15 preprogrammed alternate targets or redirect the missile to any Global Positioning System (GPS) target coordinates. It also would be able to loiter over a target area for some hours, and with its on-board TV camera, would allow the warfighting commanders to assess battle damage of the target, and, if necessary redirect the missile to any other target. Tactical Tomahawk would permit mission planning aboard cruisers, destroyers and attack submarines for quick reaction GPS missions. If approved by Congress, the next generation of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles would cost less than $575,000 each, half the estimated cost of $1.1 - 1.4 million for the currently planned Block IV model. The cost savings and increased capability comes from eliminating many older internal systems and components built into the model currently in the Fleet. In addition, streamlined production techniques and modular components would combine to lower the cost. Tactical Tomahawk is expected to reach the Fleet by 2002 if the production proposal is approved by Congress. On 27 May 1999 Raytheon was awarded a $25,829,379 undefinitized cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee, ceiling amount contract for the modification of the Tactical Tomahawk missile to the Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant configuration as part of the Second Counter-Proliferation Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration. The Tactical Tomahawk missile will be modified to incorporate the government-furnished penetrator warhead and the hard-target smart fuze. Four Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant missiles will be assembled to conduct the advanced concept technology demonstration testing. Work will be performed in Tucson AZ and is expected to be completed by March 2003.
Tomahawk Block V Also under consideration is a proposed Block V missile that would pioneer a new production method using modular design and construction technology to dramatically lower unit costs. Payload and guidance packages would be buyer-selectable based on use and budget.
Tomahawk Inventory
Inventory buildup of Tomahawk missiles will be achieved through manufacture of a new variant of the Tomahawk, the U/RGM-109E. Following extensive analysis on Major Regional Conflict (MRC) operational plans, Tomahawk usage and the resupply and support levels associated with them, OPNAV in concert with fleet CINCS established a requirement of 3440 missiles by FY06. The Navy currently has over 2500 BLOCK II and BLOCK III missiles. The future conventional Tomahawk inventory will be composed of BLOCK III TLAM C/D and Tactical Tomahawk missiles. BLOCK III TLAM C/D missiles will continue to represent the majority of Tomahawk inventory even after introduction of the Tactical Tomahawk missile, resulting in one-third Tactical Tomahawk, two-thirds BLOCK III split in conventional land strike missiles.
In the early 1990s there were approximately 2,500 Tomahawks in inventory. That number was reduced to about 2,000 with the use of 330 during the 4-day bombing in Operation Desert Fox in December 1998, and the use of over 160 by the Navy in Kosovo by mid-April 1999. By one estimate, the cost of restarting the Tomahawk production line would be $40 million, and it would take 2 1/2 years before new missiles would come off that line, although the Navy is seeking $113 million to remanufacture 324 older model Tomahawks under the Tomahawk Baseline Improvement Program (TBIP).
On 30 April 1999 the US Department of Defense announced the possible sale to the Government of the United Kingdom of 30 conventionally armed TOMAHAWK BLOCK IIIC Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), containers, engineering technical assistance, spare and repair parts, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $100 million. The additional 30 Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missiles are in addition to an original order for 65, as replacements for those fired in the Allied Force campaign by the submarine HMS Splendid. The United Kingdom needed these missiles to augment its present operational inventory and to enhance its submarine launched capability. The United Kingdom, which already has TOMAHAWK missiles in its inventory, will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles.
Tomahawk Operational Use
Tomahawk was used extensively during Desert Storm in 1991, in Iraq in January and June 1993, in Bosnia (Deliberate Force) in 1995 and in Iraq (Desert Strike) in 1996. Four hundred Block II and Block III missiles were fired on five separate occasions.
Two submarines and a number of surface ships fired Tomahawk cruise missiles during the Gulf War. According to initial US Navy reports, of 297 attempted cruise missile launches, 290 missiles fired and 242 Tomahawks hit their targets. But TLAM performance in Desert Storm was well below the impression conveyed in DOD's report to the Congress, as well as in internal DOD estimates. During Desert Storm, a TLAM mission was loaded 307 times into a particular missile for launch from a Navy ship or submarine. Of those 307, 19 experienced prelaunch problems. Ten of the 19 problems were only temporary, thus these missile were either launched at a later time or returned to inventory. Of the 288 actual launches, 6 suffered boost failures and did not transition to cruise. Despite initial strong positive claims made for TLAM performance in Desert Storm, analysis of TLAM effectiveness was complicated by problematic bomb damage assessment data. The relatively flat, featureless, desert terrain in the theater made it difficult for the Defense Mapping Agency to produce usable TERCOM ingress routes, and TLAM demonstrated limitations in range, mission planning, lethality, and effectiveness against hard targets and targets capable of mobility.
The Gulf War and subsequent contingency operations, including the September 1996 attacks on Iraqi military installations, demonstrated that long-range missiles can carry out some of the missions of strike aircraft while they reduce the risk of pilot losses and aircraft attrition.
Although the number of ships (including attack submarines) capable of firing the Tomahawk grew only slightly--from 112 to 119--between 1991 and 1996, the Navy's overall ability to fire these land-attack missiles has grown considerably. This is because a greater number of the ships capable of firing the missile are now surface ships and surface ships are able to carry more Tomahawks than submarines. As of the beginning of 1996 the US Navy had 140 Tomahawk-capable ships with 6,266 launchers), of which there are 72 SSN's (696 launchers) and 70 surface ships (5,570 launchers). There were over 4,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the inventory in 1996.
Block III, with its improved accuracy and stand alone GPS guidance capability, was first used in the September 1995 Bosnia strike (Deliberate Force) and again in the September 1996 Iraq strike (Desert Strike). Success rates for both strikes were above 90%. In all, Tomahawks firing power shows a greater than 85% success rate
Specifications
Primary Function: Long-range subsonic cruise missile for attacking land targets.
Contractor: Hughes Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Ariz.
Power Plant: Williams International F107-WR-402 cruise turbo-fan engine; solid-fuel booster
Length: 18 feet 3 inches (5.56 meters); with booster: 20 feet 6 inches (6.25 meters)
Weight: 2,650 pounds (1192.5 kg); 3,200 pounds (1440 kg) with booster
Diameter: 20.4 inches (51.81 cm)
Wing Span: 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 meters)
Range: Land attack, conventional warhead: 600 nautical miles (690 statute miles, 1104 km)
Speed: Subsonic - about 550 mph (880 km/h)
Guidance System: Inertial and TERCOM
Warheads: Conventional: 1,000 pounds Bullpup, or
Conventional submunitions dispenser with combined effect bomblets, or
WDU-36 warhead w/ PBXN-107 explosive & FMU-148 fuze, or
200 kt. W-80 nuclear device
Date Deployed: 1983
Costs $500,000 - current production Unit Cost
$1,400,000 - average unit cost (TY$)
$11,210,000,000 - total program cost (TY$)
Total Program 4 170 missiles
And, from Wikipedia:
Tomahawk (missile)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the sounding rocket, see TE-416 Tomahawk.
Tomahawk
A BGM-109 Tomahawk
Type: Long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile
Place of origin: United States
Service history
In service: 1983-present
Production history
Manufacturer: General Dynamics (initially), Raytheon/McDonnell Douglas
Unit cost: $US 569,000 (1999)[1]
Specifications
Weight: 2,900 lb (1,300 kg)
Length
Without booster: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
With booster: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Diameter: 20.4 in (0.52 m)
Warhead: Conventional: 1,000 lb (450 kg) Bullpup, or submunitions dispenser with BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb, or a 200kt (840 Tj) W80 nuclear device (inactivated in accordance with SALT)
Detonation mechanism: FMU-148 since TLAM Block III, others for special applications
Engine: Williams International F107-WR-402 turbofan using TH-dimer fuel and a solid-fuel rocket booster
Wingspan: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Operational range: 1,350 nautical miles (2,500 km)
Speed: Subsonic - about 550 mph (880 km/h)
Guidance system: GPS, TERCOM, DSMAC
Launch platform: Vertical Launch System (VLS) and horizontal submarine torpedo tubes (known as TTL (torpedo tube launch))
The Tomahawk (UK: /ˈtɒməhɔːk/, US: /ˈtɑːməhɔːk/) is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures and acquisitions, is now made by Raytheon. Some Tomahawks were also manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security).[2][3]
Description
The Tomahawk missile family consists of a number of subsonic, jet engine-powered missiles for attacking a variety of surface targets. Although a number of launch platforms have been deployed or envisaged, only naval (both surface ship and submarine) launched variants are currently in service. Tomahawk has a modular design, allowing a wide variety of warhead, guidance and range capabilities.
Variants
There have been several variants of the BGM-109 Tomahawk employing various types of warheads.
AGM-109H/L Medium Range Air to Surface Missile (MRASM) - a shorter range, turbojet powered ASM with bomblet munitions; never entered service.
BGM-109A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Nuclear (TLAM-A) with a W80 nuclear warhead.
BGM-109C Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Conventional (TLAM-C) with a unitary warhead.
BGM-109D Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Dispenser (TLAM-D) with submunitions.
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM)- with a W84 nuclear warhead; withdrawn from service in 1987.
RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk Anti Ship Missile (TASM) - radar guided anti-shipping variant.
RGM/UGM-109E Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM Block IV) - improved version of the TLAM-C.
Ground Launch Cruise Missiles (GLCM) and their truck-like launch vehicles were employed at bases in Europe; it was withdrawn from service to comply with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Many of the anti-ship versions were converted into TLAMs at the end of the Cold War. The Block III TLAMs that entered service in 1993 can fly farther and use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to strike more precisely. Block IV TLAMs have a better Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator (DSMAC) system as well as improved turbofan engines. The F107-402 engine provided the new BLK III with a throttle control, allowing in-flight speed changes. This engine also provided better fuel economy. The Block IV Phase II TLAMs have better deep-strike capabilities and are equipped with a real-time targeting system for striking moving targets.
Enroute, some missiles may also execute a Precision Strike Tomahawk Mission (PST) transmitting its status back to a ground station via satellite communication.
Tactical Tomahawk
A major improvement to the Tomahawk is its network-centric warfare-capabilities, using data from multiple sensors (aircraft, UAVs, satellites, foot soldiers, tanks, ships) to find its target. It will also be able to send data from its sensors to these platforms. It will be a part of the networked force being implemented by the Pentagon.
"Tactical Tomahawk" equips the TLAM with a TV-camera for with loitering capability that allows commanders to assess damage to the target and to redirect the missile to an alternative target, if required. It can be reprogrammed in-flight to attack one of 15 predesignated targets with GPS coordinates stored in its memory or to any other GPS coordinates. Also, the missile can send data about its status back to the commander. It entered service with the US Navy in late 2004.
In May 2009, Raytheon Missile Systems proposed an upgrade to the Tomahawk Block IV land-attack cruise missile that would allow it to kill or disable large, hardened warships at 900 nautical miles (1,700 km) range.[4]
Launch systems
Each missile is stored and launched from a pressurized canister that protects it during transportation and storage and acts as a launch tube. These canisters are racked in Armored Box Launchers (ABL), commonly found on Iowa class battleships such as the USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin. These canisters are also in Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) in other surface ships, Capsule Launch Systems (CLS) in the later Los Angeles class submarines, and in submarines' torpedo tubes. All ABL equipped ships have been decommissioned.
For submarine-launched missiles (called UGM-109s), after being ejected by gas pressure (vertically via the VLS) or by water impulse (horizontally via the torpedo tube), the missile exits the water and a solid-fuel booster is ignited for the first few seconds of airborne flight until transition to cruise.
After achieving flight, the missile's wings are unfolded for lift, the airscoop is exposed and the turbofan engine is employed for cruise flight. Over water, the Tomahawk uses inertial guidance or GPS to follow a preset course; once over land, the missile's guidance system is aided by Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM). Terminal guidance is provided by the Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system or GPS, producing a claimed accuracy of about 10 meters.
The Tomahawk Weapon System consists of the missile, Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC)/Afloat Planning System, and either the Tomahawk Weapon Control System (on surface ships) or Combat Control System (for submarines).
Several versions of control systems have been used, including:
v2 TWCS - Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1983), also known as "green screens," was based on an old tank computing system.
v3 ATWCS - Advanced Tomahawk Weapon Control System (1994), first Commercial Off the Shelf, uses HP-UX.
v4 TTWCS - Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System, (2003).
v5 TTWCS - Next Generation Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System. (2006)
Launch of a Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile from the USS Stethem.
The USS Missouri launching a Tomahawk missile.
Submarine launch from USS Florida.
Launch trajectory from an Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
Other details
The TLAM-D contains 166 sub-munitions in 24 canisters; 22 canisters of seven each, and two canisters of six each to conform to the dimensions of the airframe. The sub-munitions are the same type of Combined Effects Munition bomblet used in large quantities by the U.S. Air Force. The sub-munitions canisters are dispensed two at a time, one per side. The missile can perform up to five separate target segments which enables it to attack multiple targets. However in order to achieve a sufficient density of coverage typically all 24 canisters are dispensed sequentially from back to front.
TERCOM - Terrain Contour Matching. A digital representation of an area of terrain is mapped based on digital terrain elevation data or stereo imagery. This map is then inserted into a TLAM mission which is then loaded on to the missile. When the missile is in flight it compares the stored map data with radar altimeter data collected as the missile overflies the map. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.
DSMAC - Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation. A digitized image of an area is mapped and then inserted into a TLAM mission. During the flight the missile will verify that the images that it has stored correlates with the image it sees below itself. Based on comparison results the missile's inertial navigation system is updated and the missile corrects its course.
Total program cost: $US 11,210,000,000[5]
Operators
Tomahawk operators
United States Navy
In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, 288 Tomahawks were launched. The first salvo was fired by the cruiser USS San Jacinto on January 17, 1991. The attack submarines USS Pittsburgh and USS Louisville followed.
This was repeated during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The United States Navy has a stockpile of around 3,500 Tomahawk cruise missiles of all variants, worth a combined total of approximately US $2.6 billion.
On 26 June 1993, 23 Tomahawks were fired at the Iraqi Intelligence Service's command and control center.
On 10 September 1995, the USS Normandy launched 13 Tomahawk missiles from the central Adriatic Sea against a key air defense radio relay tower in Bosnian Serb territory during Operation Deliberate Force.
On 3 September 1996, 44 cruise missiles between UGM-109 and B-52 launched AGM-86s, were fired at air defence targets in Southern Iraq.
On 20 August 1998, around 75 Tomahawk missiles were fired simultaneously to two separate target areas in Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation to the bombings of American embassies by Al-Quaeda.
On 16 December 1998, Tomahawk missiles were fired at key Iraqi targets in during Operation Desert Fox.
In spring 1999, 218 Tomahawk missiles were fired by US ships and a British submarine during Operation Allied Force against key targets in Yugoslavia.
In October 2001, approximately 50 Tomahawk missiles struck terrorist targets in Afghanistan in the opening hours of Operation Enduring Freedom.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, more than 725 tomahawk missiles were fired to key Iraqi targets.[6]
In 2009 the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States stated that Japan would be concerned if the TLAM-N were retired, but the government of Japan has denied that it had expressed any such view.[7]
On 19 March 2011, 124 Tomahawk missiles[8] were fired by U.S. and British forces (122 US, 2 British)[9] against at least 20 Libyan targets around Tripoli and Misrata.[10] As of 22 March 2011, 159 UGM-109 were fired by US and UK ships against Libyan targets. [11]
Royal Navy
The United States agreed to sell more than 60 Tomahawks to the United Kingdom in 1995 for use with Royal Navy nuclear submarines. The first missiles were acquired and test-fired in 1998.
All Royal Navy fleet submarines are currently (as of 2011) Tomahawk capable, including the new Astute-class attack submarine.
In 2004, the UK and US governments reached an agreement for the British to buy 64 of the new generation of Tomahawk missile—the Block IV or TacTom missile. The SYLVER vertical launch system to be fitted to the new Type 45 destroyer is claimed by its manufacturers to have the capability to fire the Tomahawk. Therefore it would appear that Tomahawk is a candidate to be fitted to the Type 45 if required. France, which also uses the SYLVER launcher, is developing a version of the Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missile capable of launch from the SYLVER system, which would give a similar land attack capability.
The Kosovo War in 1999 saw HMS Splendid become the first British submarine to fire the Tomahawk in combat. It has been reported that seventeen of the twenty Tomahawks fired by the British during that conflict hit their targets accurately.[citation needed] The Royal Navy later used them during the 2001 Afghanistan War, in Operation Telic, the British contribution to the 2003 Iraq War, and during Operation Ellamy in Libya in 2011.
The Royal Navy has purchased the Block IV tomahawk which entered service on 27 March 2008, three months ahead of schedule.[12]
Other users
The Netherlands (2005) and Spain (2002 and 2005) were interested in acquiring the Tomahawk system, but the orders were later cancelled in 2007 and 2009 respectively.[13] [14]
See also
United States Air Force portal
List of missiles
Missile of the same class RK-55 (Soviet Union)
3M-54 Klub (Soviet Union)
Raduga Kh-55 (Soviet Union)
AGM-129 ACM (US)
Nirbhay (India) (Under Development)
Hyunmoo-3 (ROK)
DH-10 (China)
Babur missile (Pakistan)
UGM-89 Perseus
ArcLight (missile)
Scalp Naval (missile) France
Tomahawk (axe)
References
1.^ The US Navy - Fact File
2.^ "McDonnell Douglas: History — New Markets," Boeing history website.
3.^ "Raytheon Tomahawk Cruise Missile," Raytheon Tomahawk Evolution Handout.
4.^ Antiship Missiles Engage Diverse Targets
5.^ FAS - BGM-109 Tomahawk
6.^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/bgm-109-operation.htm
7.^ Japanese Government Rejects TLAM/N Claim
8.^ "Live blog:allied airstrikes continue against Gadhafi forces". CNN. 2011-03-20.
9.^ . http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/international/amid-missiles-and-bombs,-libyas-latest-cease-fire-is-met-with-western-skepticism-25-ncx-20110320.
10.^ "U.S. launches first missiles against Gadhafi forces". CNN. 2011-03-19.
11.^ "U.S. aviators rescued; Gadhafi remains defiant". CNN. 11 May 2011.
12.^ Royal Navy - World-Class Missile Achieves In-Service Date
13.^ http://www.neurope.eu/articles/No-Tomahawks-for-defence-jets-up-for-sale/74095.php
14.^ http://www.infodefensa.com/esp/noticias/noticias.asp?cod=1993&n=Defensa%20comunica%20a%20EE%20UU%20que%20no%20comprar%E1%20misiles%20Tomahawk
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: BGM-109 Tomahawk
Raytheon Official site
BGM-109 Tomahawk - Global Security
Raytheon (General Dynamics) AGM/BGM/RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk - Designation Systems
Aus Air Power - Tomahawk Variants
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