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MGM-1 Matador
Surface-to-surface cruise missile / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile designed and built by the United States. It was developed after World War II, drawing upon their wartime experience with creating the Republic-Ford JB-2, a copy of the German V-1. The Matador was similar in concept to the V-1, but it included a radio command that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended ranges of just under 1000 km. To allow these ranges, the Matador was powered by a small turbojet engine in place of the V-1's much less efficient pulsejet.
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Martin MGM-1 Matador | |
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Type | Surface-to-surface cruise missile |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1952 - 1962 |
Production history | |
Designed | 1949 (first flight) |
Manufacturer | Glenn L. Martin Company |
No. built | 1,200[1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) |
Length | 39 ft 6 in (12.04 m) |
Diameter | 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) |
Wingspan | 28 ft 7 in (8.71 m) |
Warhead | Nuclear W-5 (50 kt yield)[1][2] |
Engine | 4,600 lbf (20,000 N) thrust Allison J33-A-37 turbojet sustainer engine; 55,000 lbf (240 kN) thrust Aerojet General solid fuel rocket, 2 s burn |
Operational range | 250 mi (400 km) (TM-61A)[1] 620 mi (1,000 km) (TM-61C)[1] |
Flight altitude | 35,000–43,000 ft (11,000–13,000 m)[1][3] |
Maximum speed | 650 mph (1,050 km/h; Mach 0.85)[1] (supersonic terminal dive)[3][4] |
Guidance system | "A" Radar directed radio command guidance system; "C" same plus Shanicle |
Accuracy | 2,700–1,600 ft (820–490 m) CEP[3] |
Launch platform | Transporter erector launcher |
Matador was armed with the W5 nuclear warhead, essentially an improved version of the Fat Man design that was lighter and had a smaller cross section. A single U.S. Air Force group, 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron, was armed with the weapon, keeping them on alert with a six-minute launch time. It could be easily retargeted, unlike weapons using inertial guidance systems. Accuracy at maximum range was about 1 mile (1.6 km), which allowed it to be used against any large target like troop concentrations or armored spearheads.
First flown in 1949, Matador entered service in 1952 and left service in 1962. Matador carried several designations during its lifetime, originally known under the War Department's system as SSM-A-1. By the time it was introduced to service, the Air Force had been created, and they referred to them as bombers and assigned it the B-61 designation.[5] It was later re-designated TM-61, for "tactical missile", and finally MGM-1 when the U.S. Department of Defense introduced the tri-service rocket and guided missile designation system in 1963.