ASALM
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The Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile (ASALM) was a medium-range strategic missile program, developed in the late 1970s for the United States Air Force. Intended for use in both the air-to-surface and anti-AWACS roles, the missile's development reached the stage of propulsion-system tests before being cancelled in 1980.
Design and development
Development of the Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile was initiated in 1976.[1] The ASALM was intended to replace the AGM-69 SRAM in United States Air Force service, providing improved speed and range over the earlier missile,[1] as well as improved performance against hardened targets.[2] In addition, the requirement specified that the ASALM should be capable of operating in a secondary air-to-air mode against AWACS radar-warning aircraft.[1] Martin Marietta and McDonnell Douglas submitted proposals for the contract, the former's design using a Marquardt propulsion system; the latter's, one developed by United Technologies Corporation; the Martin Marietta design was favored by the Air Force[1]
The size of ASALM was limited by the requirement that it use the same launchers as the earlier SRAM.[1] The missile would be steered by small fins at the tail, but lacked wings; the shape of the body combined with the high flight speed were to provide sufficient lift.[3]
Guidance was planned to be provided during mid-course flight by an inertial navigation system, while terminal guidance would use a dual-mode seeker.[1] Propulsion would be provided by an integrated rocket-ramjet, which would act as a solid-fuel rocket during boost, with the rocket's casing, following exhaustion of its propellant and the ejection of the rocket nozzle and a fairing covering an air inlet, becoming a combustion chamber for an air-breathing ramjet,[4] which was planned to use Shelldyne-H fuel.[3] The missile was expected to be carried by the B-1 bomber, or alternatively by a developed version of the FB-111.[4]
Operational history
Starting in October 1979, a series of flight tests of Propulsion Technology Validation missiles, using a Marquardt rocket-ramjet, were conducted.[1] Over the course of seven test firings, a maximum speed of Mach 5.5 at an altitude of 40,000 feet (12,000 m) was achieved.[1]
Despite the successful testing, the ASALM program was suspended following the seventh PTV test flight in May 1980;[1] reductions in the defense budget, combined with the development of the subsonic AGM-86 ALCM,[1] led to the cancellation of the program later that year.[3]
The Martin Marietta ASALM concept was later developed into the AQM-127 SLAT target drone.[1]
See also
References
- Notes
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