Bomarc
Engine · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Credit: via Andreas Parsch
Bomarc Mach 3 ramjet surface to air missile; the only surface-to-air missile ever deployed by the US Air Force. Its development in the 1950's played an important role in technological base for later missiles and launch vehicles. Later converted to target missiles and launched from Vandenberg AFB.
Boeing began development of surface-to-air missiles under USAAF project MX-606 in 1946. By 1950 over 100 test rockets had been launched as GAPAs (Ground-to-Air Pilotless Aircraft). Promising results led to Boeing receiving a USAF contract in 1949 to develop the exotic MX-1599 ramjet-powered, nuclear-armed long-range surface-to-air missile for defense of the continental United States from high-altitude bombers. The primary research contractors (Boeing and the Michigan Aerospace Research Center) merged their names to produce the BOMARC moniker.
Test flights began in September 1952 of vehicles equipped with only the liquid-fueled booster engines. In February 1955 tests began of vehicles with live ramjets, but still without production guidance systems. In October 1957 a production-representative prototype flew with full guidance, and passed within kill range of the target. Production contracts were issued for the Bomarc A in late 1957. The first squadron became operational in September 1959.
Bomarcs were based horizontally in semi-hardened coffins shelters. After the launch order, the shelter's roof would slide open, and the missile raised to the vertical. It took two minutes to load the rocket propellant. After launch, the booster would accelerate the vehicle to supersonic speed, at which point the ramjet would ignite and take the missile to a Mach 2.8 cruise speed at 20,000 m (65,000 ft). The Bomarc was guided to the target by ground commands from the immense and costly SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system, which fused long-range radars and digital computers to track incoming enemy aircraft and prioritize and guide Bomarc missiles. Bomarc began guiding itself toward its target using active radar at a point 16 km (10 miles) away. Bomarc As were equipped with either a conventional high-explosive or a 10 kT W-40 nuclear fission warhead.
Even before Bomarc A was deployed, the USAF had begun development of the Bomarc B, which would use new solid-propellant Thiokol XM51 boosters and improved ramjets. This would allow instant launch and nearly double the range. Test launches began in May 1959, with the first fully successful flight in July 1960, when a supersonic Regulus II drone was intercepted. The terminal homing system used the world's first pulse Doppler search radar. All Bomarc Bs were equipped with the W-40 nuclear warhead.
In June 1961, the first Bomarc B squadron became operational. Bomarc B was also purchased by Canada, as an unmanned replacement for their cancelled CF-105 Arrow interceptor. However Bomarc, in common with other large cruise missiles, had become irrelevant after the advent of the ICBM. The last Bomarc A was phased out in December 1964. In April 1972 the last Bomarc B was retired. Surplus Bomarc missiles were used by all armed services as high-speed target drones for tests of other air-defense missiles.
Development Cost $: 834.900 million. Recurring Price $: 1.398 million in 1961 dollars. Flyaway Unit Cost 1985$: 1.194 million in 1959 dollars. Initial Operational Capability: 1959. Total Number Built: 700. Total Development Built: 130. Total Production Built: 570.
More at: Bomarc.
Subtopics
Related
- Country
- USA
- Engines
- 30AL-1000, 45LR-35000
- Launch Sites
- Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC3, Vandenberg, Cape Canaveral LC4, Cape Canaveral LC4A, Vandenberg BOM1, Vandenberg BOM2
- Stages
- CIM-10B stage
- Agency
- Boeing
Photo Gallery
Bomarc
Credit: © Mark Wade
Bomarc
Credit: © Mark Wade
Chronology
157 events
1952 September 10
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1953 January 23
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1953 June 10
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1953 July 27
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1953 September 4
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1954 August 5
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1954 October 25
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1954 November 24
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 January 19
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 February 24
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 March 3
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 May 5
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1955 July 27
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1955 August 25
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 September 29
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 November 17
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1955 November 30
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 February 2
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 March 15
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 April 14
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 May 21
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.1956 June 19
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 July 13
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 October 12
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1956 November 29
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 January 3
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 February 13
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 February 28
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 April 17
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 July 22
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 August 15
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 September 16
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 September 27
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 October 11
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 October 23
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 November 14
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1957 December 9
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 January 14
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 March 20
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 April 2
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 May 1
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 May 20
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 June 9
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 June 20
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 June 26
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 July 11
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 August 7
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.- Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). First launching of USAF Bomarc interceptor missile from Cape Canaveral on a signal sent by the SAGE Control Center at Kingston, N.Y..
1958 August 15
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 August 21
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 September 3
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4A. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 September 24
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 October 21
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4A. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 October 21
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 November 21
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 December 13
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 December 19
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1958 December 24
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 January 27
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4A. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 January 27
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 February 13
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 March 4
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 March 31
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 April 21
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 May 27
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 July 14
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 August 12
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC3. Launch Pad: LC3/4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 September 2
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1959 October 28
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1960 January 29
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Pad: LC4?. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1960 April 15
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC4. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc.1966 August 25
Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg BOM2. Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. FAILURE: Failure.- Target - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). AFWTR supported the Navy's first launch of a Bomarc A target missile from Vandenberg AFB..