USAF project

Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch

AIM-68

In March 1965, the designation ZAIM-68A was reserved for a USAF missile project which was apparently managed by Kirtland AFB. I have no further information on this missile program, although it's possible that the name "Big 'Q' " was in some way associated with it. It can be assumed, however, that the AIM-68 project was cancelled in a relatively early stage of development.

There are also sources which attribute the missile slot #68 to a "General Dynamics AGM-68". The "AGM" prefix is incorrect, but in case this is only a typo in the original source for this infomation, it's at least possible that the contractor is correct.

In 1995, the U.S. Navy requested the designation RIM-68A for their new Standard Block IV missile, but this request was disapproved and the missile became the RIM-156A instead. In September 1995, the Navy again tried to change this to RIM-68A. It was argued that the original AIM-68A designation had been long cancelled anyway, and that RIM-68A would make a convenient consecutive sequence with the earlier RIM-66 Standard MR and RIM-67 Standard ER designations. However, the request was turned down by HQ USAF (which is responsible for official allocation of all aircraft and missile designations), because old design numbers are not to be reused even if they have been cancelled.

I have no information about the physical details of the ZAIM-68A missile.

[1] Department of Defense Missile Nomenclature Records

Manufacturer: GD/Pomona.