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AGM-129
The AGM-129 ACM (Advanced Cruise Missile) was a low-observable, subsonic, turbofan-powered, air-launched cruise missile originally designed and built by General Dynamics and eventually acquired by Raytheon Missile Systems. Prior to its withdrawal from service in 2012, the AGM-129A was carried exclusively by the US Air Force's B-52H Stratofortress bombers. Early development In 1982 the US Air Force began studies for a new cruise missile with low-observable characteristics after it became clear that the AGM-86B cruise missile would have difficulty penetrating future air defense systems. The AGM-86B relied on low-altitude flight to penetrate the Soviet air defense system centered on surface to air missiles. The deployment of the airborne early warning systems, together with the Zaslon PESA radar on MiG-31 and Myech radar on Su-27 interceptors, all three "look-down/shoot-down" radars, reduced the likelihood that the low-altitude AGM-86B would reach its target. The solution was to in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cruise Missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high precision. Modern cruise missiles are capable of travelling at high subsonic, supersonic, or hypersonic speeds, are self-navigating, and are able to fly on a non-ballistic, extremely low-altitude trajectory. History The idea of an "aerial torpedo" was shown in the British 1909 film ''The Airship Destroyer'' in which flying torpedoes controlled wirelessly are used to bring down airships bombing London. In 1916, the American aviator Lawrence Sperry built and patented an "aerial torpedo", the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane, a small biplane carrying a TNT charge, a Sperry autopilot and a barometric altitude control. Inspired by the experiments, the United States Army developed a similar flying bomb cal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
W80 (nuclear Warhead)
The W80 is a low to intermediate yield two-stage thermonuclear warhead deployed by the U.S. Enduring Stockpile, enduring stockpile with a variable yield ("dial-a-yield") of . It was designed for deployment on cruise missiles and is the warhead used in all nuclear-armed AGM-86, ALCM and AGM-129 ACM, ACM missiles deployed by the US Air Force, and in the US Navy's BGM-109 Tomahawk. It is essentially a modification of the widely deployed B61 nuclear bomb, B61 weapon, which forms the basis of most of the current US stockpile (military), stockpile of nuclear gravity bombs. The very similar W84 warhead was deployed on the retired BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile. Dimensions The W80 is physically quite small: the physics package itself is about the size of a conventional Mark 81 bomb, Mk.81 bomb, in diameter and long, and only slightly heavier at about . History Early development The Los Alamos National Laboratory began development on the W80 in June 1976, with the brief of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AGM-86B
The AGM-86 ALCM is an American subsonic air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) built by Boeing and operated by the United States Air Force. This missile was developed to increase the effectiveness and survivability of the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber. The missile dilutes an enemy's forces and complicates air defense of its territory. The concept started as a long-range drone aircraft that would act as a decoy, distracting Soviet air defenses from the bombers. As new lightweight nuclear weapons emerged in the 1960s, the design was modified with the intent of attacking missile and radar sites at the end of its flight. Further development extended its range so much that it emerged as a weapon allowing the B-52s to launch their attacks while still well outside Soviet airspace, saturating their defenses with hundreds of tiny, low-flying targets that were extremely difficult to see on radar. The ALCM so improved the capabilities of the US bomber force that the Soviets dev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s. The bomber is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons,"Fact Sheet: B-52 Superfortress." ''Minot Air Force Base'', United States Air Force, October 2005. Retrieved: 12 January 2009. and has a typical combat range of around 8,800 miles (14,080 km) without aerial refueling. Beginning with the successful contract bid in June 1946, the B-52 design evolved from a < ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laser Doppler Velocimetry
Laser Doppler velocimetry, also known as laser Doppler anemometry, is the technique of using the Doppler shift in a laser beam to measure the velocity in transparent or semi-transparent fluid flows or the linear or vibratory motion of opaque, reflecting surfaces. The measurement with laser Doppler anemometry is absolute and linear with velocity and requires no pre-calibration. Technology origin The development of the helium–neon laser (He-Ne) in 1962 at the Bell Telephone Laboratories provided the optics community with a continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source that was highly concentrated at a wavelength of 632.8 nanometers (nm) in the red portion of the visible spectrum. It was discovered that fluid flow measurements could be made using the Doppler effect on a He-Ne beam scattered by small polystyrene spheres in the fluid. At the Research Laboratories of Brown Engineering Company (later Teledyne Brown Engineering), this phenomenon was used to develop the first laser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air-launched Cruise Missile
An air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) is a cruise missile that is launched from a military aircraft. Current versions are typically standoff weapons which are used to attack predetermined land targets with conventional, nuclear or thermonuclear payloads. Specific types of ALCMs (current, past and under development) include: *AGM-28 Hound Dog (USA) *AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (USA) *AGM-86 ALCM (USA) *AGM-129 ACM (USA) * AGM-158 JASSM (USA) *AGM-158C LRASM (USA) * Air-Sol Moyenne Portée ASMP (France) *ASN4G (France) * BrahMos (India/Russia) *BrahMos-NG (India) *BrahMos-II (India/Russia) *CJ-10 (China) *Delilah (Israel) *Hatf-VIII (Ra'ad) (Pakistan) *Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile USA *Ra'ad-II (Pakistan) *Joint Strike Missile (Norway/USA) *Kalibr-A (Russia) *KEPD 350 (Germany/Sweden) *Kh-20 (USSR) *Kh-32 (Russia) *Kh-35 (Russia) * Kh-55/Kh-555 (USSR/Russia) *Kh-59 (USSR/Russia) *Kh-61 (USSR/Russia) * Kh-101/102 (Russia) *KSR-5 (USSR) *LRSO (Long Range Stand Off Weapon) (USA) * MICLA-BR ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lidar
Lidar (, also LIDAR, or LiDAR; sometimes LADAR) is a method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It can also be used to make digital 3-D representations of areas on the Earth's surface and ocean bottom of the intertidal and near coastal zone by varying the wavelength of light. It has terrestrial, airborne, and mobile applications. ''Lidar'' is an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging". It is sometimes called 3-D laser scanning, a special combination of 3-D scanning and laser scanning. Lidar is commonly used to make high-resolution maps, with applications in surveying, geodesy, geomatics, archaeology, geography, geology, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, atmospheric physics, laser guidance, airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM), and laser altimetry. It is also used in control and navigation for som ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TERCOM
Terrain contour matching, or TERCOM, is a navigation system used primarily by cruise missiles. It uses a pre-recorded contour map of the terrain that is compared with measurements made during flight by an on-board radar altimeter. A TERCOM system considerably increases the accuracy of a missile compared with inertial navigation systems (INS). The increased accuracy allows a TERCOM-equipped missile to fly closer to obstacles and generally lower altitudes, making it harder to detect by ground radar. Description Optical contour matching The Goodyear Aircraft Corporation ATRAN (''Automatic Terrain Recognition And Navigation'') system for the MGM-13 Mace was the earliest known TERCOM system. In August 1952, Air Materiel Command initiated the mating of the Goodyear ATRAN with the MGM-1 Matador. This mating resulted in a production contract in June 1954. ATRAN was difficult to jam and was not range-limited by line-of sight, but its range was restricted by the availability of radar ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Williams International
Williams International is an American manufacturer of small gas turbine engines based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. It produces jet engines for cruise missiles and small jet aircraft. History Dr. Sam B. Williams worked at Chrysler on their automotive turbine systems, but always imagined a wider set of applications for the small gas turbine engine. He left Chrysler to form Williams Research Corporation in Birmingham, Michigan in 1954. In 1981, the company became Williams International. It has been building small turbofan engines since the 1950s for use in cruise missiles as well as target and reconnaissance drones. Using the missile engines, Williams developed a series of personal VTOL flying craft, including a jet-powered belt in 1969, the Williams Aerial Systems Platform (WASP), also known as the "flying pulpit" in the 1970s, and the X-Jet, which was evaluated by the United States Army in the 1980s.Kocivar, Ben.Turbofan-powered flying carpet ''Popular Science'', Sept ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air-launched Cruise Missile
An air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) is a cruise missile that is launched from a military aircraft. Current versions are typically standoff weapons which are used to attack predetermined land targets with conventional, nuclear or thermonuclear payloads. Specific types of ALCMs (current, past and under development) include: *AGM-28 Hound Dog (USA) *AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (USA) *AGM-86 ALCM (USA) *AGM-129 ACM (USA) * AGM-158 JASSM (USA) *AGM-158C LRASM (USA) * Air-Sol Moyenne Portée ASMP (France) *ASN4G (France) * BrahMos (India/Russia) *BrahMos-NG (India) *BrahMos-II (India/Russia) *CJ-10 (China) *Delilah (Israel) *Hatf-VIII (Ra'ad) (Pakistan) *Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile USA *Ra'ad-II (Pakistan) *Joint Strike Missile (Norway/USA) *Kalibr-A (Russia) *KEPD 350 (Germany/Sweden) *Kh-20 (USSR) *Kh-32 (Russia) *Kh-35 (Russia) * Kh-55/Kh-555 (USSR/Russia) *Kh-59 (USSR/Russia) *Kh-61 (USSR/Russia) * Kh-101/102 (Russia) *KSR-5 (USSR) *LRSO (Long Range Stand Off Weapon) (USA) * MICLA-BR ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon Missiles & Defense (RMD) is one of four business segments of Raytheon Technologies. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, its president is Wes Kremer. The business produces a broad portfolio of advanced technologies, including air and missile defense systems, precision weapons, radars, and command and control systems. History The business is a combination of two Raytheon Company legacy businesses, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) and Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS), which operated a plant formerly owned by the Hughes Aircraft Company. David Leighton, a noted historian, documented the early history of the Hughes Missile Plant in two books. His monograph: ''The Falcon's Nest: The Hughes Missile Plant in Tucson, 1947–1960'', which included the early history of Hughes Aircraft Co., and, his reference book: ''The History of the Hughes Missile Plant in Tucson, 1947–1960''. Key Raytheon Missiles & Defense capabilities combine key IDS and RMS capabilities. Key IDS capab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the United States by total sales. The company is a Fortune 100 company, and was ranked No. 94 in 2022. Formed in 1954 with the merger of submarine manufacturer Electric Boat and aircraft manufacturer Canadair, the corporation today consists of ten subsidiary companies with operations in 45 countries. The company's products include Gulfstream business jets, Virginia- and Columbia-class nuclear-powered submarines, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, M1 Abrams tanks and Stryker armored fighting vehicles. In 2021, General Dynamics had worldwide sales of $38.85 billion and a workforce of approximately 103,000 full-time employees. The current chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) is Phebe Novakovic. History Electric Boat Ge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
