Lacrosse

American tactical ballistic missile. Nuclear-armed short-range ballistic missile briefly deployed by the U.S. Army in the late 1950s. Its rocket motor was the basis for the Doorknob sounding rocket.

Lacrosse began in 1947 as a US Navy project to provide the Marines with a high-accuracy ballistic missile for ground support. Cornell began development in June 1949. In August 1950, in line with a decision that only the Army would be responsible for ballistic missile development, Lacrosse was transferred to that service. Design of the orphaned missile was slow, with the decision to use a solid rocket motor rather than liquid propulsion not being made until January 1953. Tests of the radio command guidance system were made between April 1953 and January 1954 using Lark missiles. First flight of a Lacrosse took place in August 1954. In April 1955 Martin was selected as production contractor. First flight of a Martin Lacrosse was in January 1957, and deployment in July 1959. During the agonizing 12-year development program of this battlefield weapon, military rocketry had progressed from the V-2 to the ICBM stage, and Lacrosse was hopelessly outclassed and obsolete by the time it was deployed.

Lacrosse was boosted by a Thiokol XM10 solid rocket motor to a range of 19 km (12 miles). It had a complex optically tracked, radio-guided control system that was susceptible to radio interference, jamming, and was useless except in good-weather daylight conditions. Ironically the Marines pulled out of the program in August 1959. Further production was terminated in January 1961 and by February 1964 the last Lacrosse was retired.

Development Cost $: 73.900 million. Recurring Price $: 0.226 million in 1960 dollars. Flyaway Unit Cost 1985$: 0.094 million in 1960 dollars. Maximum range: 19 km (11 mi). Number Standard Warheads: 1. Standard warhead: W40. Warhead yield: 15 KT. Boost Propulsion: Solid rocket. Maximum speed: 2,260 kph (1,400 mph). Initial Operational Capability: 1957. Total Number Built: 1194. Total Development Built: 107. Total Production Built: 1087.