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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
Starting in October 1979, a series of flight tests of Propulsion Technology Validation missiles, using a Marquardt rocket-ramjet, were conducted. Over the course of seven test firings, a maximum speed of Mach 5.5 at an altitude of was achieved.
Despite the successful testing, the ASALM program was suspended following the seventh PTV test flight in May 1980; reductions in the defense budget, combined with the development of the subsonic AGM-86 ALCM, led to the cancellation of the program later that year.
The Martin Marietta ASALM concept was later developed into the
anti
Anti may refer to:
*Anti-, a prefix meaning "against"
*Änti, or Antaeus, a half-giant in Greek and Berber mythology
*A false reading of ''Nemty'', the name of the ferryman who carried Isis to Set's island in Egyptian mythology
* Áńt’į, or ...
- 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.Parsch 2003 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, as well as improved performance against hardened targets.Gunston 1983, p.88. 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.Martin Marietta
The Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of Glenn L. Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin.
History
Martin Mari ...
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
The size of ASALM was limited by the requirement that it use the same launchers as the earlier SRAM. 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.Aldridge 1983, pp.150-151.
Guidance was planned to be provided during mid-course flight by an inertial navigation system, while terminal guidance would use a dual-mode seeker. Propulsion would be provided by an integrated rocket-ramjet
A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an ass ...
, which would act as a solid-fuel rocket
A solid-propellant rocket or solid rocket is a rocket with a rocket engine that uses solid propellants ( fuel/oxidizer). The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used in warfare by the Arabs, Chinese, Persian ...
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,Dornan 1978, p.222. which was planned to use Shelldyne-H fuel. The missile was expected to be carried by the B-1 bomber, or alternatively by a developed version of the FB-111.
Operational history
Starting in October 1979, a series of flight tests of Propulsion Technology Validation missiles, using a Marquardt rocket-ramjet, were conducted. Over the course of seven test firings, a maximum speed of Mach 5.5 at an altitude of was achieved.
Despite the successful testing, the ASALM program was suspended following the seventh PTV test flight in May 1980; reductions in the defense budget, combined with the development of the subsonic AGM-86 ALCM, led to the cancellation of the program later that year.
The Martin Marietta ASALM concept was later developed into the AQM-127 SLAT
The AQM-127 Supersonic Low-Altitude Target (SLAT) was a target drone developed during the 1980s by Martin Marietta for use by the United States Navy. Derived from Martin Marietta's work on the cancelled ASALM missile, SLAT proved to have severe ...
target drone.
See also
* Air-Launched Cruise Missile *BrahMos
The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)Creative Research On Weapons
The Creative Research On Weapons or Crow program was an experimental missile project developed by the United States Navy's Naval Air Missile Test Center during the late 1950s. Intended to evaluate the solid-fueled integral rocket/ramjet (SFIRR) ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
* * * * {{US missiles Nuclear missiles of the United States Air-to-surface missiles of the United States Air-to-air missiles of the United States Abandoned military rocket and missile projects of the United States