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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1606.PDF
710 FLIGHT, 2 November 1961 MISSILES 1361 tection of combat troops. To this end, the entire weapon system is transportable by assault aircraft and helicopters, and is fully mobile across unprepared surfaces. The triple launcher can maintain a high rate of fire, loaded by the special tracked vehicle illustrated on page 693. The US Army has activated 13 battalions, which are being deployed in Germany, Okinawa and Panama Canal Zone. Each battalion has a peacetime strength of about 100, with from six to 12 triple launchers. In 1958 five NATO nations announced their adoption of Hawk, and under the management of the SETEL Company the following chief contractors are building the complete weapon system: CF Thomson-Houston, France; Finmeccanica, Italy; Telefunken, West Ger- many; Ateliers de Construction Electrique de Charleroi, Belgium; and Philips, Netherlands. Last year Sweden also chose this missile, purchasing the equipment from the US Army. Hawk battalions have been operational since early last year. Among the missile's achievements are the destruction of several other missiles, including Honest John, Little John and Corporal. MASURCA Radar-command missile for surface ships FRENCH NAVY SOLE survivor of the once numerous family of French anti-aircraft missiles, Masurca marine surface contre avions) is a fully de- veloped weapon system managed by the Ruelle naval arsenal. The missile is fired from beneath a rail launcher under the thrust of a tandem booster with 1,1001b propellant. Sustainer propulsion is provided by an end- burning 8821b charge which is fed towards the nozzle by hydraulic pressure. The missile is gathered in a pencil beam, which is then pro- gressively made coincident with the radar beam to the target, the warhead being deto- nated by ground command when the ranges of target and missile are the same. System tests from the He d'Oleron have been satis- factory, and the weapon is scheduled for new escorts, a carrier and a cruiser. MAULER Radar-homing missile for mobile deployment in forward areas us ARMY ALTHOUGH it represents no dramatic "breakthrough" in technology, this new weapon system is the first in the world designed to provide sure defence against not only low-flying, high-performance aircraft, but also against tactical guided missiles and free rockets. It is intended to be employed in amphibious or airborne assaults, and to provide immediate and continuous fire- power. Prime contractor is General Dynamics/ Pomona. Basis of the missile is a deep-drawn tube containing the two-stage plastisol motor charge, hot gas from which is bled to drive the actuators for the four control fins. Ahead of the motor is the warhead, and the radar guidance receiver is in the nose. Missiles are delivered in a rigid box of sandwich con- struction, which is mounted in groups of 12 on the XM546 tracked vehicle together with all other elements of the system. Outstanding among the latter are the Raytheon acquisition and tracking radars, which are stabilized to permit targets to be engaged while the vehicle is speeding across rough terrain. Each vehicle is entirely self-contained, with power supply, radars, Burroughs computer fire-control, missiles and crew of two, the combat weight of the system being 25,0001b. NIKE AJAX DESCRIPTIONS of this pioneer surface-to- air weapon will be found in earlier reviews, particularly that of 1956. The US Army are about 50 per cent converted to the far more effective Hercules, but Ajax missiles are deployed on over 1,500 launchers with many NATO nations, in Japan and elsewhere. NIKE HERCULES Radar-command missile for fixed/mobile deployment us ARMY (Surface/Air Missile A-25), NATIONALIST CHINESE FORCES REPLACING Nike Ajax on launchers in the USA, Germany, Okinawa, Alaska, Japan, and elsewhere, this missile has an extremely high flight performance which matches its very powerful radar guidance system. Prime con- tractor is Western Electric, assisted by Douglas Aircraft (airframe). Hercules Powder Co and Thiokol for propulsion and General Electric for guidance radar. Official figures for the number of launchers have not been given, but the figures of "approximately 80 batteries, each with nine launchers" given in our 1960 review is accurate. The new mobile launcher was first illustrated in Flight for October 12. NIKE ZEUS Radar-command anti-missile system US ARMY UNTIL very recently it seemed that no defence against an ICBM was technically feasible; and even today it is impossible without expenditure of the order of £1,500.000,000 to defend any area at all. The only weapon system capable of intercepting the incoming re-entry vehicle—and far enough out for the explosion and fall-out not to be injurious to those below—is Nike Zeus, the third gener- ation of radar-command missiles produced by the great team led by Western Electric. Critics of Zeus have pointed out that its roots go too far back in the past; neater and cleverer ideas are now in prospect, they say, and the vast expenditure which would be needed to deploy Zeus operationally is not justified. Such a viewpoint would probably be valid were it not for the importance of time; no later system could reach so advanced a degree of development for at least five years. SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES: I, Nike Zeus; 2, Typhon (long-range); 3, Nike Hercules. Jettisonable boost motors are drawn in solid black
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