BGM-75 AICBM
| ZBGM-75 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Intercontinental ballistic missile |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States Air Force |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 0 |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | 10-20 MIRV |
| Engine | Solid fuel rocket |
Guidance system | Inertial |
Launch platform | Silos, railway |
The Advanced Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, also known as Weapon System 120A (WS-120A) and ZBGM-75, was a program to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, proposed by the United States Air Force in the 1960s. However, funding for the program was not allocated and the project was cancelled.
Background
Started in 1966, the Advanced Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (AICBM) project was intended as a successor to the LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM in United States Air Force service.[1] The program was officially launched in April of that year, and in June the project was designated ZBGM-75,[1] the "Z" indicating a project in the planning stage.[2]
The specifications for the ZBGM-75 called for a large missile, powered by solid fuel,[3] and fitted with between 10 and 20 Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs).[4] The missiles would be based in silo launchers that would be hardened by a factor of 10 over existing Minuteman missile silos.[5] In addition, there was also a plan to develop a railroad-based deployment system for the AICBM.[1] Improvements in accuracy over existing missiles, combined with penetration aids under development, were expected to make the AICBM capable of defeating existing and projected Soviet antiballistic missile systems.[4]
Cancellation
In 1967, before any formal specifications for the ZBGM-75 could be developed or requests for proposals from industry issued, the Secretary of Defense, Robert MacNamara, declined approval for funding for the AICBM project - although development of the superhardened silo did continue for use by the Minuteman force[4] - and the missile was cancelled.[1] Had funding been allotted, the USAF projected that the BGM-75 would have been in operational service by 1973.[4]
After the cancellation of WS-120A, no further development of new ICBMs was to be done until 1972, when the M-X project, which became the LGM-118 Peacekeeper, was begun.[1] The Peacekeeper entered service in the mid 1980s, and served until 2005,[6] the Minuteman family of ICBMs outlasting both of its planned replacements in service.[7]
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Auten, Brian J. (2008). Carter's Conversion: the hardening of American defense policy. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-1816-2. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- Edwards, Joshua S. (2005-09-20). "Peacekeeper missile mission ends during ceremony". United States Air Force. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- Hartunian, Richard (2003). "Ballistic Missiles and Reentry Systems: The Critical Years". Crosslink. El Segundo, CA: The Aerospace Company. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- Parsch, Andreas (2003). "BGM-75 AICBM". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- Parsch, Andreas (2009). "Current Designations of U.S. Unmanned Military Aerospace Vehicles". designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
- Tammen, Ronald L. (1973). MIRV and the Arms Race: An Interpretration of Defense Strategy. Westport, CT: Praeger. ASIN B000JNG51G.