SECRET
5 November 1959
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIES
to the
HOLDERS OF J.C.S. 1620/266 -
4700 (13 July 59)
(Request for Missile Firing
Results (U))
In a memorandum for the Commander in Chief, Continental Air Defense Command, dated 23 October 1959, subject: "Request for Missile Firing Results", a copy of which was furnished the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force stated:
"Reference your SRI 99-59.* Tab A** (attached) contains the information on Air Force weapon systems that is available at this Headquarters. Only test firings, of missiles in the operational configuration are included."
H, L. HILLYARD,
J. O. COBB,
Joint Secretariat.
* See Enclosure to J.C.S. 1620/266
** Enclosure hereto
SECRET2nd
N/H of JCS 1620/266
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SECRET
ENCLOSURE
MISSILE FIRING RESULTS
SECRET
2nd N/H of JCS 1620/266
Enclosure
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THOR (1)
|
MISSILE NO. |
Date |
Intended Range (NM) |
Azimuth Error (NM) |
Range Error (NM) |
Reason for Failure |
|
158 |
21 Mar 1959 |
1302 |
0.13 right |
2.86 short |
– |
|
162 |
26 Mar |
1300 |
0.82 left |
1.29 short |
– |
|
161 |
16 Apr |
1326 |
– |
95 long |
Long impact due to technician error in setting the range value into the guidance system. This resulted in a 95 NM set-in "error". Miss of "new" intended impact point was plus or minus 2 NM. |
|
176 |
23 Apr |
1300 |
1.66 right |
0.15 short |
– |
|
164 |
25 Apr |
1300 |
1.81 left |
2.33 short |
– |
|
187 |
12 May |
1300 |
1.66 left |
1.23 short |
– |
|
184 |
22 May |
1300 |
1.75 left |
0.68 short |
– |
|
191 |
16 June |
1326 |
– |
– |
Failed to program as the result of lift-off pin not being extracted from the missile. |
|
198 |
25 June |
1300 |
0.62 left |
0.28 short |
– |
|
194 |
29 June |
300 |
1.75 right |
0.50 short |
– |
|
203 |
21 July 1959 |
1300 |
– |
– |
Same as for Missile 191. |
|
202 |
24 July |
1300 |
2.40 left |
0.65 short |
– |
|
175 |
3 Aug |
1326 |
7 left |
67 long |
Gross error apparently due to failure of main engine to cut off completely so that thrust continued after vernier engine cut-off. At vernier engine cut-off the guidance equation was satisfied to give a miss of 1 NM left and 1 NM long. |
|
208 |
5 Aug |
895 |
0.50 left |
1.40 long |
– |
|
204 |
14 Aug |
1300 |
l.4 left |
1.7 short |
– |
|
190 |
14 Aug |
1326 |
7 left |
237 short |
Gross error apparently caused by propulsion system malfunction. Data indicated probable explosion in engine section due to fuel depletion. |
|
216 |
27 Aug |
1300 |
0.38 right |
1.34 short |
– |
|
217 |
9 Sept |
1300 |
0.99 left |
1.28 long |
– |
|
283 |
17 Sept |
1370 |
3.5 right |
3.5 short |
Nose cone failed to separate. |
|
222 |
22 Sept |
1300 |
Successful flight. Data unavailable as yet. |
||
|
235 |
6 Oct |
1575 |
2.6 right |
7.0 long |
Accuracy of measurement +/- 10 NM |
|
228 |
6 Oct |
1370 |
3 right |
3 short |
Accuracy of measurement +/- 5 NM |
|
221 |
l4 Oct |
1300 |
Successful flight. Data unavailable as yet. |
||
(1) In all cases:
a. Re-entry was Intended.
b. Intended Impact target was a point.
c. In general, error was established by a combination of Azusa, Guidance, Impact Predictor, and SOFAR.
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JUPITER (1)
|
MISSILE NO. |
Date |
Intended Range (NM) |
Azimuth Error (NM) |
Range Error (NM) |
Reason for Failure |
|
CM-22A |
3 Apr 1959 |
1302 |
5 left |
0.5 short |
Guidance malfunction. |
|
12 |
6 May |
1302 |
4.9 right |
68.9 short |
High thrust in proper operation of thrust controller and propellant mixture value resulted in fuel or LOX depletion. |
|
17 |
13 May |
1302 |
0.4 left |
0.26 long |
-- |
|
18 |
28 May |
1302 |
0.1 right |
0.1 long |
-- |
|
15 |
9 July |
1302 |
0.7 right |
0.2 short |
-- |
|
19 |
26 Aug |
300 |
0.22 right |
0.03 short |
-- |
|
23 |
16 Sept |
1302 |
-- |
-- |
Unknown at present. Missile destroyed soon after lift-off because of erratic motion in roll and pitch. |
|
24 |
30 Sept |
1300 |
Preliminary data indicates impact less than 1 NM from target. |
||
1. In all cases:
a. Re-entry was Intended.
b. Intended Impact target was a point c. In general, error was established by a combination of Azusa, Guidance, Impact Predictor, and SOFAB.
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ATLAS (1)
|
MISSILE NO. |
Date |
Intended Range (NM) |
Azimuth Error (NM) |
Range Error (NM) |
Reason for Failure |
|
3D |
14 Apr 1959 |
4385 |
– |
– |
Failure caused by the LOX fill and drain valve remaining on open position at lift-off. |
|
7D |
18 May |
4385 |
– |
– |
Attributed to low pressure helium pressurization lines which were ruptured when the airborne stock absorber malfunctioned. |
|
5D |
6 June |
4385 |
– |
– |
Failure in the area of the fuel staging disconnect valve resulted in a premature mixing of propellents and explosion. |
|
11D |
28 July |
4385 |
0.55 left |
0.5 long |
– |
|
14D |
11 Aug |
4385 |
0.31 right |
0.84 long |
– |
|
12D |
9 Sept |
3899 |
1.0 right |
1.20 short |
– |
|
17D |
9 Sept |
4384 |
0.5 left |
5 short |
Vernier system malfunctioned. |
|
18D |
6 Oct |
4385 |
Successful flight. Data unavailable as yet. |
||
|
22D |
9 Oct |
4385 |
Successful flight. Data unavailable as yet. |
||
1. In all cases:
a. Re-entry was intended.
b. Intended impact target was a point.
c. In general, error was established by a combination of Azusa, Guidance, Impact Predictor, and sofar.
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MACE (1)
(Results of Unit Operational Test --
Phase III)
|
Missile No. |
Date |
Azimuth Error (ft) (2) |
Range Error (ft) (2) |
Reason for Failure |
|
93 |
1 Apr 1959 |
4500 left |
28,000 long |
(Gross error) |
|
100 |
3 Apr |
-- |
-- |
Failed to lock-on |
|
66 |
6 Apr |
1700 right |
8200 long |
|
|
82 |
10 Apr |
-- |
-- |
Programmed too low; impacted prematurely. |
|
92 |
10 Apr |
1500 right |
4500 long |
|
|
90 |
13 Apr |
-- |
-- |
Partial tracking |
|
94 |
14 Apr |
500 left |
1400 long |
|
|
86 |
17 Apr |
1200 right |
4600 long |
|
|
89 |
29 Apr |
1600 left |
7000 long |
|
|
79 |
30 Apr |
-- |
-- |
Partial tracking |
|
81 |
1 May |
-- |
-- |
Tracked 95%. Failed to follow programmed trajectory. |
|
107 |
8 May |
-- |
-- |
Failed to track all the way. |
|
72 |
15 May |
-- |
-- |
Failed to track all the way. |
|
108 |
19 May |
2000 right |
4000 long |
|
|
75 |
21 May |
-- |
-- |
Altitude program too low. Failed to go total distance. |
|
70 |
8 June |
Tracked, recovered, but not scored. |
||
|
77 |
12 June |
-- |
-- |
Failed to track all the way |
|
74 |
15 June |
Successful flight. Score not available. |
||
1/ In all cases:
a. Re-entry was not intended; missile does not leave atmosphere.
b. Intended impact point was a point in space.
c. Error was established by telemetry signal which indicated where the fuze did or would have detonated the warhead.
d. Range was approximately 425 NM.
e. ATRAN (map-matching) guidance was employed.
2/ It is believed that most of the errors that caused a displacement of the mean point of impact from the target point are map errors. The following groups of missiles were programmed to follow the same map:
Chart 9 – 66, 94 and 92.
Chart Mod 9 – 86, 89 and 108.
Chart 6 – 93.
These groups of missiles should be used independently of each other to determine the mean point of impact of the group.
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MATADOR
Attachments 2 and 3 (TAC/OA/M-98 and M-100) to the basic letter contained data on 44 Matador firings. These are representative of the more than 100 Matador firings to date.
TITAN
There have been no firings in the operational configuration as yet.
SNARK
There have been little data gathered on the accuracy of the Snark and much of it has been unsatisfactory.
AIR LAUNCHED BALLISTIC MISSILE
There have been no firings in the operational configuration.
HOUND DOG
There have been no firings in the operational configuration as yet.
RASCAL
There have been insufficient amounts of satisfactory data; gathered on the accuracy of Rascal. Rascal was cancelled in December 1958.
SECRET
2nd N/H of JCS 1620/266