AICBM
Missile · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Advanced Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, a planned 1966 successor to the Minuteman. Cancelled in 1967, with the Minuteman also outlasting such competitors as the Peacekeeper and SICBM, to remain in service to the mid-21st Century.
Design began in April 1966 as WS-120A. The BGM-75 AICBM was to be a solid-propellant missile designed for use in fixed silo and mobile train configurations. AICBM was not approved for development and cancelled in 1967.
More at: AICBM.
Related
Chronology
10 events
1963 December 28
LV Family: Peacekeeper. Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- Advanced ICBM program cancelled. - . Headquarters USAF effectively cancelled BSD's Advanced ICBM program when it directed all studies to be separate line items in exploratory and advanced development areas..
1966 February 2
Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- Preliminary Technical Development Plan for an Advanced ICBM program. - . Headquarters USAF established a schedule for preparation of documentation and submission of a Preliminary Technical Development Plan for an Advanced ICBM program..
1966 March 25
Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- Advanced ICBM (WS 120A) task group - . Headquarters AFSC authorized the formation of an Advanced ICBM (WS 120A) task group at Headquarters Ballistic Systems Division..
1966 April 14
Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- Cadre system program office for WS 120A - . An AFSC directive authorized establishment of a cadre system program office (SPO) for WS 120A at Ballistic Systems Division headquarters..
1966 Jul
Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- Advanced ICBM (WS 120A). - . Ballistic Systems Division completed the Preliminary Technical Development Plan for the Advanced ICBM (WS 120A)..
1967 Jan
Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- Advanced ICBM Alternate Basing Study. - . The completed Advanced ICBM (WS 120A) Alternate Basing Study was submitted to AFSC, Headquarters USAF, and Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Harold Brown..
1967 Oct
LV Family: AICBM, Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 3.- Dual-capable silo for the Minuteman III weapon system. - .
Headquarters USAF planners began to move away from the concept of the WS 120A Advanced ICBM missile system and toward the concept of a dual-capable silo for the Minuteman III weapon system. Using the basing concept devised for WS 120A, the new approach was to concentrate on the development of a silo that could hold the Minuteman III when it became operational and could later accommodate an advanced ICBM.
1968 Mar
LV Family: AICBM, Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 3.- Advanced ICBM Program dissolved. - . The Advanced ICBM (WS 120A) Provisional System Program Office (SPO) at Norton was dissolved; most personnel went to the Minuteman SPO as the core cadre for the Hard Rock Silo effort..
1968 May 1
LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 3, AICBM.- Hard Rock Silo Program - .
Headquarters USAF issued a System Management Directive (SMD) to initiate the Hard Rock Silo (HRS) Development Program for Minuteman III. The aim of the program was to develop and test a new, very hard basing system that would be compatible with an Advanced ICBM but initially used for Minuteman III. This SMD was the culmination of previous studies undertaken by the Defense Department and the Air Force on advanced ICBM systems.
1975 Nov
Launch Vehicle: AICBM.- AICBM cancelled. - . Related Persons: ABRES. The development program for a large, advanced ballistic reentry vehicle was cancelled..