ASALM

Air-to-surface missile

Maximum speed Mach 4.5+

Guidance
system

Inertial + passive antiradiation and active radar homing for air-to-air mode^[1]

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.^[2] 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,^[2] as well as improved performance against hardened targets.^[3] 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.^[2] 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^[2]

The size of ASALM was limited by the requirement that it use the same launchers as the earlier SRAM.^[2] 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.^[4]

Guidance was planned to be provided during mid-course flight by an inertial navigation system, while terminal guidance would use a dual-mode seeker.^[2] 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,^[5] which was planned to use Shelldyne-H fuel.^[4] The missile was expected to be carried by the B-1 bomber, or alternatively by a developed version of the FB-111.^[5]

Operational history

Starting in October 1979, a series of flight tests of Propulsion Technology Validation missiles, using a Marquardt rocket-ramjet, were conducted.^[2] 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.^[2]

Despite the successful testing, the ASALM program was suspended following the seventh PTV test flight in May 1980;^[2] reductions in the defense budget, combined with the development of the subsonic AGM-86 ALCM,^[2] led to the cancellation of the program later that year.^[4]

The Martin Marietta ASALM concept was later developed into the AQM-127 SLAT target drone.^[2]

References

Notes

^ "The evolution of cruise missile" (PDF). defense.gov. 7 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Parsch 2003
^ Gunston 1983, p.88.
^ ^a ^b ^c Aldridge 1983, pp.150-151.
^ ^a ^b Dornan 1978, p.222.

Bibliography

Parsch, Andreas (2003). "Martin Marietta ASALM". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
Aldridge, Robert C. (1999). First Strike! The Pentagon's Strategy for Nuclear War. Boston: South End Press. ISBN 0-89608-154-0.
Dornan, Dr. James E. Jr., ed. (1978). The US War Machine. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 0-517-53543-2.
Gunston, Bill (1983). An Illustrated Guide to Modern Airborme Missiles. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 978-0-86101-160-5.