1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group
Encyclopedia
The 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command and stationed at Eglin Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 22 July 1949.
The 1st EGMG was the initial United States Army Air Forces (later United States Air Force) dedicated missile unit. All subsequent USAF missile activities to the present day can be traced historically to this unit.
Initially after the Group's formation, personnel attended technical schools or supported other Air Proving Ground units, but apart from receiving nationwide attention in January 1947 for completing a QB-17 Flying Fortress drone flight from Eglin to Washington D.C. on a simulated bombing mission, the Group received little notice in its own right. Without higher supply and personnel priorities, very little else could be accomplished.
The group also performed contractor management to gather knowledgeable people in missile propulsion, guidance, launching, and see what a reasonable set of missile requirements would be.
The contractor would be responsible for the requirements, and ultimately responsible for seeing that the project planning and development came together. It should also be noted that in the late 1940s, the available funding that was provided to the Air Force was directed towards jet aircraft development. Missiles, at the time, were a piecemeal effort which reflected much competition among the three military branches and development often took a backseat to Strategic Air Command bomber and tanker force improvements.
The situation began to change in March 1947, when the Group headquarters moved to Eglin's main base and received its first series of test projects. Though most of the Group's efforts were devoted to "on-the-job" training and providing assistance to contractors who launched those weapons, the 1st began implementing its mission, which included
Following the definition of missile requirements and the development of a clear mission, Air Materiel Command started looking for likely places to allow its contractors to launch missiles. The Eglin Air Proving Ground was used for QB-17 Flying Fortress drone aircraft operations, guided bomb experiments with the VB-6 Felix
, VB-3 Razon
, and VB-13 Tarzon, and ordnance testing; a detachment also carried out some missile activities at the Navy's Guided Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, California.
The group also operated a detachment for JB-2 Loon testing, an American version of the German V-1 flying at Alamogordo Army Airfield
, New Mexico. The Group also began providing observers for guided missile tests at laboratories and factories, including those programs sponsored by the Army and Navy.
Though preparations for operating QB-17s for the Operation Sandstone
atomic bomb tests engaged most of the Group's resources from July 1947 through June 1948, the 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron picked up responsibility for drone aircraft bombing tests (e.g., Operation Banshee) and conducted a limited number of JB-2 and VB-6 tests during that period.
The 1st regrouped its activities after Operation Sandstone, and it spent several months preparing a detachment to depart for cold weather testing of the JB-2 in Alaska in November 1948. Razon and Tarzon bomb tests were underway by the end of
the year.
During the last seven months of its existence, the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group either supervised or participated in eleven different missile-related projects. In addition to the on-going gliding bomb projects, the Group had a detachment in training at Naval Air Station Point Mugu
, California, to handle and operate the Navy's LARK surface-to-air missile.
The Group also provided a detachment to support the Matador Missile
project at Holloman Air Force Base
, New Mexico. The Group's other projects included preparation for the Operation Greenhouse
atomic test (conducted in 1951), drone aircraft "ditching" tests (to test structural weaknesses) and drone aircraft support for high-altitude incendiary ammunition tests and infrared radiation experiments
On 20 July 1949, the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group was deactivated, and it was replaced by the 550th Guided Missiles Wing
on the same date.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command and stationed at Eglin Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 22 July 1949.
The 1st EGMG was the initial United States Army Air Forces (later United States Air Force) dedicated missile unit. All subsequent USAF missile activities to the present day can be traced historically to this unit.
History
Activated on 6 February 1946, during its first year of operation, the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group operated out of Eglin's Auxiliary Field #3. The unit's formation was a result of the Air Materiel Command's Engineering Division at Wright-Patterson AFB looking for places to allow it's contractors to launch missiles.Initially after the Group's formation, personnel attended technical schools or supported other Air Proving Ground units, but apart from receiving nationwide attention in January 1947 for completing a QB-17 Flying Fortress drone flight from Eglin to Washington D.C. on a simulated bombing mission, the Group received little notice in its own right. Without higher supply and personnel priorities, very little else could be accomplished.
The group also performed contractor management to gather knowledgeable people in missile propulsion, guidance, launching, and see what a reasonable set of missile requirements would be.
- The Glenn L. Martin CompanyGlenn L. Martin CompanyThe Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
became the primary contractor in short-range, surface-to-surface missiles (e.g., the MX-771 MatadorMGM-1 MatadorThe Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
) - BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
got the surface-to-air business with the MX-606 Bomarc interceptor - General DynamicsGeneral DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
(i.e., the Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft CorporationConvairConvair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102...
) had the XB-65 Atlas, and North AmericanNorth American AviationNorth American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
had the MX-770 NavahoSM-64 NavahoThe North American SM-64 Navaho was a supersonic intercontinental cruise missile project built by North American Aviation. The program ran from 1946 to 1958 when it was cancelled in favor of intercontinental ballistic missiles...
. Both of those were long-range, surface-to-surface missiles, though the Navaho was air breathing and the Atlas was ballistic. - NorthropNorthrop CorporationNorthrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
had the MX-775A SnarkSM-62 Snark-External links:** Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil** detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it...
, another long-range, surface-to-surface, air-breathing missile - Hughes AircraftHughes AircraftHughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
was contracted for air-to-air missiles - Bell AircraftBell AircraftThe Bell Aircraft Corporation was an aircraft manufacturer of the United States, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many important civilian and military helicopters...
was contracted for air-to-surface missiles
The contractor would be responsible for the requirements, and ultimately responsible for seeing that the project planning and development came together. It should also be noted that in the late 1940s, the available funding that was provided to the Air Force was directed towards jet aircraft development. Missiles, at the time, were a piecemeal effort which reflected much competition among the three military branches and development often took a backseat to Strategic Air Command bomber and tanker force improvements.
The situation began to change in March 1947, when the Group headquarters moved to Eglin's main base and received its first series of test projects. Though most of the Group's efforts were devoted to "on-the-job" training and providing assistance to contractors who launched those weapons, the 1st began implementing its mission, which included
- Developing tactics and techniques for guided missile operations
- Training personnel and testing equipment used in guided missile organizations
- Developing requirements and standards for the employment of guided missiles
- Conducting functional and tactical tests of new guided missiles to determine their operational suitability (i.e., readiness for adoption by the armed forces).
Following the definition of missile requirements and the development of a clear mission, Air Materiel Command started looking for likely places to allow its contractors to launch missiles. The Eglin Air Proving Ground was used for QB-17 Flying Fortress drone aircraft operations, guided bomb experiments with the VB-6 Felix
VB-6 Felix
The VB-6 Felix was a precision guided munition developed by the United States during World War II. It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles....
, VB-3 Razon
ASM-A-1 Tarzon
The ASM-A-1 Tarzon, also known as VB-13, was a guided bomb developed by the United States Army Air Forces during the late 1940s. Mating the guidance system of the earlier Razon radio-controlled weapon with a British Tallboy bomb, the ASM-A-1 saw brief operational service in the Korean War before,...
, and VB-13 Tarzon, and ordnance testing; a detachment also carried out some missile activities at the Navy's Guided Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, California.
The group also operated a detachment for JB-2 Loon testing, an American version of the German V-1 flying at Alamogordo Army Airfield
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico. The Group also began providing observers for guided missile tests at laboratories and factories, including those programs sponsored by the Army and Navy.
Though preparations for operating QB-17s for the Operation Sandstone
Operation Sandstone
Operation Sandstone was a series of nuclear weapon tests in 1948. It was the third series of American tests, following Crossroads and preceding Ranger...
atomic bomb tests engaged most of the Group's resources from July 1947 through June 1948, the 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron picked up responsibility for drone aircraft bombing tests (e.g., Operation Banshee) and conducted a limited number of JB-2 and VB-6 tests during that period.
The 1st regrouped its activities after Operation Sandstone, and it spent several months preparing a detachment to depart for cold weather testing of the JB-2 in Alaska in November 1948. Razon and Tarzon bomb tests were underway by the end of
the year.
During the last seven months of its existence, the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group either supervised or participated in eleven different missile-related projects. In addition to the on-going gliding bomb projects, the Group had a detachment in training at Naval Air Station Point Mugu
Naval Air Station Point Mugu
Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu or NBVC Point Mugu is a military airbase located in Point Mugu, Ventura County, California, United States. Due to realignment actions which occurred in 2000, the base is now part of Naval Base Ventura County , a consolidated organization that also includes...
, California, to handle and operate the Navy's LARK surface-to-air missile.
The Group also provided a detachment to support the Matador Missile
MGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
project at Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico. The Group's other projects included preparation for the Operation Greenhouse
Operation Greenhouse
Operation Greenhouse was the fifth American nuclear test series, the second conducted in 1951 and the first to test principles that would lead to developing thermonuclear weapons . Conducted at the new Pacific Proving Ground, all of the devices were mounted in large steel towers, to simulate air...
atomic test (conducted in 1951), drone aircraft "ditching" tests (to test structural weaknesses) and drone aircraft support for high-altitude incendiary ammunition tests and infrared radiation experiments
On 20 July 1949, the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group was deactivated, and it was replaced by the 550th Guided Missiles Wing
550th Guided Missiles Wing
The 550th Guided Missiles Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Research and Development Command and stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida...
on the same date.
Units
- 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Squadron, 6 February 1946-22 July 1949
- 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron, 6 February 1946-22 July 1949
Stations
- Eglin AFB, Florida, 6 February 1946-20 July 1949
- Detachment at: Holloman Air Force BaseHolloman Air Force BaseHolloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico - Detachment at: Naval Air Station Point MuguNaval Air Station Point MuguNaval Base Ventura County Point Mugu or NBVC Point Mugu is a military airbase located in Point Mugu, Ventura County, California, United States. Due to realignment actions which occurred in 2000, the base is now part of Naval Base Ventura County , a consolidated organization that also includes...
, California
Missiles
- See: 6555th Aerospace Test Group for list