LIM-49A Spartan
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The Spartan, designation LIM-49A, was a United States Army anti-ballistic missile.It was a three-stage, solid-fuel surface-to-air missile capable of carrying a 5 megaton W71 thermonuclear warhead. The missile was launched from an underground silo, and radio command guided. The warhead was designed to destroy incoming nuclear weapons by X-ray flux rather than by blast.
The Spartan missile was in operational service for only a few months, from October, 1975 to early 1976. A combination of high costs and the SALT I treaties made the missiles an unattractive bargain.
Specifications
| Missile | Spartan |
| Length | 16.8 m overall |
| Diameter | 1.08 m |
| Fin span | 2.98 m |
| Mass | 13100 kg |
| Maximum speed | >Mach 4 |
| Range | 740 km |
| Ceiling | 560 km |
| First stage | Thiokol TX-500 2200 kN |
| Second stage | Thiokol TX-454 |
| Third stage | Thiokol TX-239 |
| Warhead nuclear | W-71 nuclear 5 Mt |
See also
- Anti-ballistic missile
- Surface-to-air missile
- Sprint (missile)
- Nike-Hercules Missile
- Nike Zeus
- Safeguard Program
References
- [Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles]
- [a further development of the Nike Zeus B missile]
- [pictures, data] Thirty Spartan and approximately 60 nuclear-armed Sprint missiles were deployed...
- [Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard site]
- [index of pictures]
- [Mickelsen Safeguard Complex]
- [LIM-49]
- [W71 nuclear warhead for the Spartan]
- [picture]
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