• 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.