US Missile Index

• Douglas PGM-17 Thor

The Thor was the first Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) deployed by the U.S. armed forces. Although its military career was relatively short, its descendants are still in use as space launch vehicles.
Development began in 1954 with USAF studies about a 2400 km (1500 miles) range ballistic missile to complement the long-range ICBM. Soviet ballistic missile progress resulted in a decision in 1955 to develop an IRBM, to be named Thor, as quickly as possible. Using existing components (the Rocketdyne S-3D liquid-fuel rocket motor from the Army's SM-78/PGM-19 Jupiter IRBM, and the inertial guidance unit and Mk.2 reentry vehicle from the SM-65D/CGM-16D Atlas), and requiring the missile to be air-transportable by C-124 Globemaster transport aircraft, the basic design and overall dimensions of the Thor were quickly determined. Go-ahead for development was given in September 1955, and in December 1955, Douglas was selected as prime contractor for the SM-75 Thor IRBM.

• General Dynamics (Convair) CGM/HGM-16 Atlas

The Atlas was the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) deployed by the USA. Its descendents are still in use today as civilian and military space launch vehicles.

• Vought 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.

• Western Electric MIM-14 Nike Hercules

The Nike Hercules was the only nuclear-armed surface-to-air weapon, which was operational with the U.S. Army. Development of an improved Nike missile began in 1952, with the primary goal to develop a missile with a significantly higher performance than MIM-3 Nike Ajax (then known simply as Nike), which could still be used with the existing Nike ground equipment. After it had been shown that the Nike Ajax could not be equipped with then existing nuclear warheads, nuclear armament became another goal for the new missile. The SAM-A-25 Nike B program was formally established in June 1953. As with Nike Ajax, Western Electric was prime contractor, and Douglas was responsible for the missile airframe.

• Martin MGM/CGM-13 Mace

The Mace was a development of the TM-61 Matador missile, and as such was initially designated TM-61B Matador B. The main reasons for the new development were the Matador's radio-controlled guidance system, which was limited in range and easily jammable, and the fact that the Matador missile system was very cumbersome to move and set up for firing.

• Martin AGM-12 Bullpup

The Bullpup was the first successful guided tactical air-to-ground missile of the U.S. Navy and the USAF. Although it had severe limitations, it was produced in very large numbers.

• Chrysler PGM-11 Redstone

The Redstone was the U.S. Army's first operational MRBM (Medium Range Ballistic Missile). Although its service life as a weapon was relatively short, it played a major role in the early American space program.

• Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc

The Bomarc was the only surface-to-air missile ever deployed by the U.S. Air Force. All other U.S. land-based SAMs were and are under the control of the U.S. Army.

• Raytheon (Philco/G.E.) AIM-9 Sidewinder

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is the world's most successful short-range air-to-air missile, and will remain the U.S. military's main "dogfight" AAM for the foreseeable future.

• Bendix RIM-8 Talos

The Talos long-range surface-to-air missile was the ultimate result of the U.S. Navy's Bumblebee program, which also led to the SAM-N-7/RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar missiles.

• Raytheon AIM/RIM-7 Sparrow

The AIM-7 Sparrow has been the major medium range air-to-air missile of U.S. fighters until the advent of the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile), and the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is still a very important short-range air-defense weapon on U.S. and NATO warships.

• Vought 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.

• JPL/Firestone MGM-5 Corporal

The Corporal was the first U.S. guided missile system to be approved for nuclear armament, and the first operational guided missile of the U.S. Army. It evolved from a series of Army research rockets begun in 1944/45.

• Hughes AIM-4 Falcon

The Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the U.S. Air Force. Development started in 1946, when Hughes was awarded a contract to study a subsonic short-range air-to-air missile under project MX-798. The requirement was soon changed to a supersonic missile, to be launched from bombers for self-defense, and development continued under project MX-904 in 1947. At this time, the missile designator AAM-A-2 was also assigned. The first experimental XAAM-A-2 missiles were tested in 1949, and in 1950, the missile's platform was changed from bombers to fighters. Now named Falcon, the AAM-A-2 was to become a missile for use by fighter interceptors (F-89, F-102) against relatively slow flying bombers.

• Western Electric MIM-3 Nike Ajax

The Nike Ajax was the world's first operational surface-to-air guided missile system. Its origins lay in the immediate post-war time, when the U.S. Army realized that guided missiles were the only way to provide air-defense against future fast high-flying bombers. Western Electric became prime contractor for the XSAM-G-7 Nike missile system, and Douglas as primary subcontractor was responsible for the missile airframe.

• General Dynamics (Convair) RIM-2 Terrier

The Terrier was the U.S. Navy's first operational shipborne medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was one result of the Bumblebee program, whose ultimate goal was the development of the SAM-N-6 Talos long-range surface-to-air missile. During devolpment of Talos, a Supersonic Test Vehicle (STV, CTV-N-8) was built to evaluate the guidance system at supersonic speeds. Because the results were promising, and the development of the complicated Talos would take many more years, it was decided to develop the STV into a tactical missile, the Terrier. The flight tests of the Terrier began in 1951, when the designation SAM-N-7 was also assigned. It took a few years to get the bugs out of the system, and the Terrier was not operational until 1956.

Types of missiles:

Conventional guided missiles

• Air-to-air missile


• Air-to-surface missile


• Anti-ballistic missile


• Anti-satellite weapon


• Anti-ship missile


• Land-attack missile


• Anti-tank guided missile


• Surface-to-air missile (list)


• Surface-to-surface missile


• Wire-guided missile

Cruise missiles

Ballistic missiles

• Tactical ballistic missile


• Short-range ballistic missile


• Theatre Ballistic Missiles


• Medium-range ballistic missile


• Intermediate-range ballistic missile


• Intercontinental ballistic missile


• Submarine-launched ballistic missile


• Air-launched ballistic missile

JERUSALEM, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Israel's Rafael defense company will provide the Indian army with surface-to-air missile systems in a deal said to be worth over $1 billion. 
Israeli media reports said the deal was approved recently by the Indian Cabinet. Rafael will supply India with 18 SPYDER missile systems between 2011 and 2012.
The anti-aircraft system is a quick-reaction, low-level, surface-to-air missile designed to counter attacks by aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and precision guided munitions, the Israeli company said. 
The system's truck-mounted missile firing units carry four missiles on rotatable launchers. A standard missile battery contains up to six missile firing units per battery, the company said. 
The system has a 360-degree engagement capability in all weather conditions, day or night, and can intercept incoming threats at a range of between 0.62 miles to 9.3 miles (1 to 15 kilometers).
Israel defense exports to India have reached $3 billion, making it the largest arms supplier to India, surpassing Russia, the Israeli newspaper Globes reported Thursday.

Agni-II at the 2004 & 06 Republic Day Parades

Agni-I: In May 1989, India test-fired its first intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Agni. It is a two-stage missile with the first stage using the first-stage solid-fuel booster motor of the SLV-3 satellite launch vehicle. The 18-meter long, 7.5-ton Agni has a range of up to 2,500 km (allowing access to southern China) and is capable of delivering a 1,000-kg payload. Although accuracy is reduced with increased range, the Agni is believed to be fairly accurate, employing a closed-loop inertial guidance system, said to have been developed with a great deal of West German assistance. A second successful test of the Agni occurred in February 1994, firing at a sea-based target 1,200 km into the Bay of Bengal. The last test of Agni-1 in 1994 was tested at a trajectory designed to simulate a range of 2500km, with an actual range achieved of 1450km.

Agni-II: The Agni-II uses a solid propellant second stage replacing the liquid propellant Prithvi short range missile used as upper stage of the Agni-I. It can be launched within 15 minutes as compared to almost half a day of preparation for the earlier version of the Agni. Another major development is a highly mobile platform for it to be transported secretly by rail or road anywhere in the country. On 11 April 1999 India successfully test-fired the Agni-II ballistic missile, with a range of 2000-km. The missile was launched from the IC-4 pad at Wheeler Island, a new launch site on the Orissa coast in Balasore district. Splashdown was 2,000-2,100 km. (1,250 mi.) down range in the Bay of Bengal, on a trajectory designed to simulate a range of 2800-3000km. The test had been in preparation since January 1999, but India delayed it in the hope of extracting concessions from the US. Pakistan responded on 14 April 1999 with a test firing of its Ghauri II missile from the Jhelum region in northeast Pakistan. After the successful Agni-II test, Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes said the Agni missile was ready to go into production, though he didn't specify the production or deployment schedule. The cost of the Agni missiles is estimated at Rs. 20-35 crores [$4.5 million to $8 million] per copy. It is anticipated that India may deploy several dozen of these missiles. Agni-2 has a theoretical ability to hit a target 3000km away with a 1000kg payload, and it is suggested that- a 200 kiloton 'boosted-fission' warhead has been designed for the Agni system. Should this be reduced to a 15-20 kiloton system, the payload could be reduced to as little as 250kg.

Agni-III: Although the Agni-II does reach deep into China it still does not threaten its major cities. As of early 1999 India was reportedly developing a longer-range Agni-III with a 3,500-km reach, capable of engaging targets deeper inside China. Other reports sugges that India is contemplating the development of the 5000 km range variant of the Agni, with a solid-fueled second stage. Although India has claimed that this missile will be used only to carry a conventional warhead, the cost of the system would be difficult to justify unless used as a nuclear delivery vehicle.

Chronology:
Early 1980s: Development of the IGMDP starts; problems hamper test-firing. 
May, 1989: Agni-I launch 
May, 1992: Agni-I launch, partial failure 
Feb, 1994: Agni-I launched; five-year restraint period observed 
April 11, 1999: Agni-II, extended range version of Agni-I, successfully test-fired with a re-entry launch vehicle.

Ghauri Missile on its Road-Mobile Launcher

The Ghauri-I has an optimum range of 1,500 km and can carry both a conventional and non-conventional payload. It is powered by a liquid propellant engine. Pakistan successfully carried out the test of the surface-to-surface Ghauri-I Missile with a range of 1500 km and a payload of 700 kg on April 6, 1998. This test represented a step forward in Pakistan's indigenous missile and satellite launch programme.

Ghauri-II is a longer ranged variant of the Ghauri-I missile. It was developed by increasing the length of the motor assembly and using improved propellants. The Ghauri-II missile has a range of 2,300 km (1,429 miles). 

Ghauri-III with a range of 3500 km - 4000 km is under development.

Guidance/Accuracy: According to informations from Pakistan the test was completed without any error. The guidance system claims to be 100 percent perfect. According to Pakistan's top missile and nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, "we did consult abroad for the components for the [guidance] system." A report from January 1998 claims the Ghauri is equipped with the latest guidance system and has an accuracy (CEP) of 250 m/820 ft at 1,500 km. The CEP of Ghauri has been upgraded to 190 meters . The Ghauri-II spin up the single booster stage and warhead combination starting at about 10 seconds before the termination of the powered flight at 110 seconds. At this point after 110 seconds of powered flight the warhead is then separated from the booster stage to fly on a re-entry trajectory that remains stable to its target. With the addition of GPS targeting the warhead accuracy is greatly enhanced. This suggested accuracy of 190 meters.

Other missiles currently in the service of Pakistan are Hatf-I (BRBM), Abdali-I (BRBM), Ghaznavi (SRBM), Ghauri-II (MRBM), Ghauri-III (IRBM) (under development), Shaheen-I (MRBM), Shaheen-II (IRBM), Babur (cruise missile) and Ra'ad (cruise missile).