MGM-18 Lacrosse

Infobox Weapon
name= M4 (MGM-18) Lacrosse


caption= MGM-18 Lacrosse on an XM-398 Launcher
origin= United States
type= Short Range Ballistic Missile
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=
is_vehicle=
is_missile=yes
is_UK=
service= 1959-1964
used_by=United States Army
wars= Cold War
designer= Johns Hopkins University Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory
design_date=1947-1956
manufacturer=The Glenn L. Martin Company
production_date=1956-1960
number=
variants= None
weight= 2360 lb
length= 19 feet 2 inches
part_length=
width=
height=
diameter=20.5 inches
crew=
cartridge=
caliber=
action=
rate=
velocity=
range=
max_range=
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
elevation=
traverse=
blade_type=
hilt_type=
sheath_type=
head_type=
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armour=
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secondary_armament=
engine=solid fueled rocket
engine_power=
pw_ratio=
suspension=
vehicle_range=8-30 km
speed=mach 0.8
guidance=Radio Command guidance
filling=Explosive or Nuclear
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=245 lb Explosive or 1.5-10 kT Nuclear

The MGM-18 Lacrosse was a short-ranged tactical ballistic weapon intended for close support of ground troops. Its first flight test was in 1954 and was deployed by the United States Army beginning in 1959, despite being still in the development stage. The program's many technical hurdles proved too difficult to overcome and the missile was withdrawn from field service by 1964.

History

Development

The Lacrosse project began with a United States Marine Corps requirement for a short-range guided missile to supplement conventional field artillery. The Navy's Bureau of Ordnance issued contracts to both the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University and the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in September 1947, for the study of design aspects pertaining to this mission.

In 1950, the project was transferred from the Navy to the Army's Ordnance Corps, pursuant to a policy giving the Department of the Army responsibility over all land based short ranged weapons. Cornell and Johns Hopkins continued with the project, with the former having primary responsibility for guidance systems design.

In 1955, the Glenn L. Martin Company was awarded contracts to participate in research and development and production. Martin would take over much responsibility for the project, as Cornell moved to work on expanding the missile's capabilities beyond the original requirements (particularly in the area of airborne control, funding for which was discontinued in 1959).

Early testing began in 1954 and production prototypes were available the next year. The difficulties encountered by the project are illustrated by the protracted design and testing periods, with the missile not entering into service until July 1959. Problems included reliability concerns and difficulties with guidance, particularly susceptibility to ECM jamming of the command guidance signals.

In 1956, the Federal Telecommunications Laboratory began work on a different guidance system, known as MOD 1, which would have improved Lacrosse’s performance with regards to electronic countermeasures. MOD 1, however, was terminated in 1959, causing the United States Marine Corps to withdraw their participation in the project. The first units received Lacrosse in 1959, though the system would continue to be in need of development and refinement.

ervice

The first unit to be equipped with Lacrosse was 5th Battalion, 41st Artillery, based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In total, eight battalions would be equipped with Lacrosse, with most going to Europe, except one to Korea and one retained by the Strategic Army Corps.

Demise

Designations

The original Navy project was assigned the designator SSM-N-9. When transferred to the Army, the program became SSM-G-12, which changed to SSM-A-12 after minor changes in the army's designation scheme. When adopted into service, the weapon system was referred to as M-4 and only gained its MGM-18 desgnation months before being declared obsolete.

Characteristics

The Missile

upport Equipment

Launching and Guidance

References

External links

ee also

aircontent
comparable aircraft header=Comparable missiles
similar aircraft=
lists=
* List of military aircraft of the United States
* List of missiles
* List of United States "M-" sequence missiles
see also=