MGM-52 Lance
| MGM-52 Lance | |
|---|---|
 MGM-52 Lance missile on display at White Sands Missile Range Museum, New Mexico, next to M752 Self-Propelled Launcher. | |
| Type | Short-range ballistic missile |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1972–1992 |
| Used by | U.S. Army, Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, and West Germany |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | LTV |
| Unit cost | Total US$2 bil. (1996 dollars)[1] |
| No. built | 2,133[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,285-1,527 kg (2,850-3,367 lbs) depending on warhead[2] |
| Length | 6.1m (20 ft) |
| Diameter | 56 cm (22 in) |
| Warhead | 1 W70 nuclear or M251 high explosive submunitions[2] |
| Blast yield | 1-100 kt |
| Engine | Liquid-propellant rocket |
Operational range | 70 km (45 mi) to 120 km (75 mi), depending on warhead[2] |
| Maximum speed | >Mach 3 |
The MGM-52 Lance was a mobile field artillery tactical surface-to-surface missile (SRBM) system used to provide both nuclear and conventional fire support to the United States Army. The missile's warhead was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Deployment
The first Lance missiles were deployed in 1972, replacing the earlier Honest John rocket and Sergeant SRBM ballistic missile, greatly reducing the weight and bulk of the system, while improving both accuracy and mobility[2].
A Lance battery (two fire units) consisted of two M752 launchers (one missile each) and two M688 auxiliary vehicle (two missiles each)[2], for a total six missiles. The firing rate per unit was approximately three missiles per hour.
Payload
The payload consisted either of a W70 nuclear warhead with a yield of 1-100 kt or a variety of conventional munitions. The W70-3 nuclear warhead version was one of the first warheads to be battlefield-ready with an "enhanced radiation" (neutron bomb) capability. Conventional munitions included cluster bombs for use against SAM-Sites, heat seeking Anti-Tank Cluster Munitions or a single unitary conventional shape-charged warhead for penetrating hard targets and for bunker busting. The original design considered a chemical weapon warhead option, but this development was cancelled in 1970.
Deactivation
With the signing of the INF Treaty in 1987, the United States Army began withdrawing Lance missiles from Europe. By 1992, all United States Army Lance warheads were in storage awaiting destruction. Following its deactivation, surplus rockets were retained to be used as targets for anti-missile systems.
See also
- Sea Lance, a similarly named, but unrelated submarine launched missile.
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of missiles
- M-numbers
References
- ^ "Lance Missile (MGM-52C)". U.S. Nuclear Weapons Cost Study Project. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. 1998. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|separator=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d e f Ripley, Tim. The new illustrated guide to the modern US Army. Salamander Books Ltd. pp. 92–93. ISBN 0-86101-671-8.
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External links
- Video of Lance missiles being launched by British Army in 1992 - #1
- Video of British Army Lance launches in 1992 - #2
- Video of British Army Lance launches in 1992 - #3
- Redstone Arsenal History - Lance
- Herzobase.org - Lance Missile base in Germany
- Designation Systems Article
- Brookings Institution photos and data
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