History of the Redstone Missile System - Design, Test, Project Orbiter, Jupiter-C, Explorer, Operation Hardtack, Army Missile Transport Program, Project Mercury by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: azw
Publisher: Progressive Management
Published: 2013-06-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER IV

THE TACTICAL REDSTONE

Inasmuch as the Department of the Army inaugurated the Redstone project before formally establishing military characteristics for the proposed system, the primary objective at the beginning had been stated as being the development of a missile capable of delivering the 6,900-pound warhead. This objective was later supplemented by additional directives concerning the desired range, payload, and accuracy requirements.1 A draft of the proposed characteristics was drawn up in 1954, but changes resulting from actions in the development of the missile prevented the issuance of approved military characteristics before 1957. Nevertheless, the basic concept for the tactical employment remained essentially the same throughout the life of the program.2

Concept of Tactical Employment

Mission

As a weapon, the Redstone was considered to be a medium range missile to supplement and extend the range or firepower of the existing artillery and shorter range missiles, to provide increased support for deployed ground combat forces, and to compensate for the expanding dimensions of the battle area. Basically, it was intended to supplement army and corps artillery fire and to provide ballistic missile artillery fire on all targets of interest to the field army commander. Among the potential targets were included troop concentrations, command installations, missile launching sites, airfields, communication centers, logistic installations, and critical terrain defiles.3

Organization

The basic unit for employment of the Redstone was the Field Artillery Missile Group (Heavy). Normally, it contained a headquarters and headquarters battery, a field artillery missile battalion (heavy), an engineer company, and an ordnance company. The headquarters battery performed the administrative, communications, security, and other command support functions. The field artillery battalion (heavy) as the basic firing unit was by far the largest group. It was composed of a battalion headquarters and service battery and two firing batteries. The headquarters and service battery performed all administrative, supply, mess, transportation, maintenance, survey, and fire direction functions for the battalion. The firing batteries had, as their functions, the drawing, storing, and transporting of the basic load of missile components; the assembly, testing, fueling, and firing of the missiles; and the organizational maintenance of all missiles, test equipment, and associated handling equipment. The engineer company provided liquid oxygen and other engineering support for the firing batteries such as firefighting teams and engineer maintenance support. The ordnance company provided the missiles, warheads, tools, parts, and maintenance support for weapons and equipment peculiar to the missile in its direct support of the firing unit.

Each firing battery operated a single launcher and was allocated a basic load of one missile per launcher. Being highly mobile and air transportable, each battalion was employed as a single fire unit. It was capable of being rapidly displaced after completion of a missile launching or of being held in firing position for an indefinite number of firings.

Operations

Transported in three units (warhead, aft, and thrust), the missile was designed and constructed for assembly in the field. The warhead and aft units formed the body of the missile and contained the warhead, fuzing and firing mechanisms, and guidance and control instrumentation.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.