Army Missile Command (MICOM) managed the development and improvements while the Field Artillery Branch deployed the systems and developed tactical doctrine. ==Pershing 1== ===Development=== George Bunker, president of the Martin Company, paid a courtesy call on General John Medaris, USA, of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama in 1956.
Army began studies in 1956 for a ballistic missile with a range of about .
The Martin Company subsequently began construction of their Sand Lake facility in Orlando, Florida which opened in late 1957.
Development began in 1958, with the first test missile fired in 1960, the Pershing 1 system deployed in 1963 and the improved Pershing 1a deployed in 1969.
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) rescinded the memorandum in 1958 and ABMA began development of the class of ballistic missile. The missile was initially called the Redstone-S, where the S meant solid propellant, but renamed to Pershing in honor of General of the Armies John J.
Development began in 1958, with the first test missile fired in 1960, the Pershing 1 system deployed in 1963 and the improved Pershing 1a deployed in 1969.
Martin's quality control manager for the Pershing, Phil Crosby developed the concept of Zero Defects that enhanced the production and reliability of the system. The first launch of the XM14 R&D Pershing 1 test missile (P-01) was on 25 February 1960.
The first launch from the tactical transporter erector launcher (TEL) was on 26 July 1960 (P-06).
The production version of the tactical missile was later designated as MGM-31A and the XMTM-31B designation was dropped. ===Deployment=== President Eisenhower viewed the Pershing missile when he visited Cape Canaveral on 11 February 1960, and at Fort Benning on 5 May 1960 as part of Project MAN (Modern Army Needs).
Although not covered by the treaty, West Germany agreed unilaterally to the removal of the Pershing 1a missiles from its inventory in 1991, and the missiles were destroyed in the United States. ==Notes== ==References== Pershing missile Military equipment introduced in the 1960s
Arthur Rudolph, the Martin Company (later Martin Marietta after a merger in 1961) was awarded a CPFF (cost-plus-fixed-fee) contract for research, development, and first production of the Pershing system under the technical supervision and concept control of the government.
President Kennedy viewed Pershing three times: as part of the inaugural parade in 1961, at Fort Bragg on 12 October 1961, and at White Sands Missile Range in 1963. Plans were for the organization of ten missile battalions: one at Fort Sill, one in Korea and eight in West Germany; this was eventually reduced to one battalion at Fort Sill and three in West Germany. Each missile battalion organized at Fort Sill for deployment.
Using a control box, the ST-120 inertial navigation system in the guidance section rotated into alignment and the north direction programmed into the computer. ===Satellite launcher=== In 1961, Martin proposed a satellite launch system based on the Pershing.
Development began in 1958, with the first test missile fired in 1960, the Pershing 1 system deployed in 1963 and the improved Pershing 1a deployed in 1969.
In June 1963, the XM14 and XM19 Pershing missiles were redesignated as XMGM-31A and XMTM-31B, respectively.
President Kennedy viewed Pershing three times: as part of the inaugural parade in 1961, at Fort Bragg on 12 October 1961, and at White Sands Missile Range in 1963. Plans were for the organization of ten missile battalions: one at Fort Sill, one in Korea and eight in West Germany; this was eventually reduced to one battalion at Fort Sill and three in West Germany. Each missile battalion organized at Fort Sill for deployment.
Each missile battalion had four launchers. The 2nd Missile Battalion, 79th Artillery Regiment formed for deployment to South Korea in February 1964.
The deployment to Korea was canceled and the 2/79th Artillery was deactivated. The Secretary of Defense assigned the Pershing weapon system to a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) role in 1964 after a DoD study showed that the Pershing would be superior to tactical aircraft for the QRA mission.
In 1965 this increased to eight launchers, two per firing battery.
Martin seems to have targeted the nascent European space program, but this system was never developed. ===APL=== In 1965, the Army contracted with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) of Johns Hopkins University to develop and implement a test and evaluation program.
The Pershing 1a development program was approved in 1965, the original Pershing renamed to Pershing 1 and Martin Marietta received the Pershing 1a production contract in 1967.
Air Force's MGM-13 Mace missile would be replaced by the Pershing 1a in 1965. Pershing 1a was a Quick Reaction Alert system and so had faster vehicles, launch times and newer electronics.
Army Field Artillery Detachment was organized in Fort Sill in November 1966 and attached to 2/79th Artillery.
The Pershing 1a development program was approved in 1965, the original Pershing renamed to Pershing 1 and Martin Marietta received the Pershing 1a production contract in 1967.
Development began in 1958, with the first test missile fired in 1960, the Pershing 1 system deployed in 1963 and the improved Pershing 1a deployed in 1969.
Production of the Pershing 1a missile ended in 1975 and reopened in 1977 to replace missiles expended in training. Pershing 1a was further improved in 1971 with the Pershing Missile and Power Station Development Program.
One PTS controlled three launchers— when one launch count was complete, ten large cables were unplugged from the PTS and the PTS was moved up and connected to the next launcher. ===Further improvements=== Missile and power station upgrades in 1974 provided easier access to missile components, reduce maintenance and improved reliability.
Production of the Pershing 1a missile ended in 1975 and reopened in 1977 to replace missiles expended in training. Pershing 1a was further improved in 1971 with the Pershing Missile and Power Station Development Program.
Further improvements in 1976 allowed the firing of a platoon's three missiles in quick succession and from any site without the need for surveying.
The mean time to repair decreased from 8.7 hours to 3.8 hours and the mean time between failures increased from 32 hours to 65 hours. More modifications in 1976 greatly reduced the launch time.
Production of the Pershing 1a missile ended in 1975 and reopened in 1977 to replace missiles expended in training. Pershing 1a was further improved in 1971 with the Pershing Missile and Power Station Development Program.
Army replaced the Pershing 1a with the Pershing II Weapon System in 1983 while the German Air Force retained Pershing 1a until all Pershings were eliminated in 1991.
The missiles began to be withdrawn in October 1988 and the last of the missiles were destroyed by the static burn of their motors and subsequently crushed in May 1991 at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant near Caddo Lake, Texas.
Army replaced the Pershing 1a with the Pershing II Weapon System in 1983 while the German Air Force retained Pershing 1a until all Pershings were eliminated in 1991.
The missiles began to be withdrawn in October 1988 and the last of the missiles were destroyed by the static burn of their motors and subsequently crushed in May 1991 at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant near Caddo Lake, Texas.
Although not covered by the treaty, West Germany agreed unilaterally to the removal of the Pershing 1a missiles from its inventory in 1991, and the missiles were destroyed in the United States. ==Notes== ==References== Pershing missile Military equipment introduced in the 1960s
All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .
Page generated on 2021-08-05