AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow
Encyclopedia
The AGM-136A Tacit Rainbow was a United States military anti-radiation missile
program run from 1982 to 1991.
The requirement was for a low-cost air-launchable system to aid in the destruction of enemy air defense networks
. The proposed unit would combine elements of cruise missile
s and UAVs
, it would be launched in large numbers by heavy bombers, fighters, or possibly mass ground launch systems. The missiles would fly in advance of manned aircraft up to 450 km (280 mi) to pre-programmed target zones and patrol there until enemy radar sources were detected which would then be destroyed. This extended patrol time on target ("loiter time") was the key feature of the new system, a Persistent Anti-radiation Missile (PARM) as opposed to a HARM
.
The project was started by the DoD in 1982, but moved to the control of the USAF Aeronautical Systems Division in 1984 as a joint Navy/Air Force project. The majority of the system was designed and developed by Northrop
with Texas Instruments
providing the seek head and Boeing
providing a system that allowed it to be launched from B-52 bombers. The first test air-launch was on July 30, 1984.
The unit was 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) long and 5 ft 2 in (1.575 m) in span with a body diameter of 27 in (686 mm), flight and control surfaces deployed after launch. It massed around 431 lb (195 kg) including the 40 lb (18 kg) warhead. Power was provided by a Williams F121
turbofan, producing 310 N (70 lbf) of thrust from the 0.9 m, 22 kg unit. Some sources state that production units would have used a 1,200 N (270 lbf) variant of the Williams International WR-24. Achieved speed and range are uncertain, low subsonic speed is probable and all sources indicate a range much lower than the hoped-for 450 km (280 mi). Each unit was to cost around $200,000, up to thirty would have been loaded in a single B-52.
The Naval Research Advisory Committee
reported in 1989 that the project was not progressing well. In 1991 a DoD audit found numerous management problems. The program was canceled in 1991 (FY 1992), without any production units and at a total cost of around $4 billion. It was only the second post-Vietnam military project to be canceled after completing testing but before production.
Anti-radiation missile
An anti-radiation missile is a missile which is designed to detect and home on an enemy radio emission source. Typically these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communication can also be targeted in this manner.- Air-to-Ground :Most ARM designs...
program run from 1982 to 1991.
The requirement was for a low-cost air-launchable system to aid in the destruction of enemy air defense networks
SEAD
Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses , also known as "Wild Weasel" and "Iron Hand" operations in the United States, are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses , primarily in the first hours of an attack.One fourth of American combat sorties in recent conflicts have been SEAD...
. The proposed unit would combine elements of cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
s and UAVs
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
, it would be launched in large numbers by heavy bombers, fighters, or possibly mass ground launch systems. The missiles would fly in advance of manned aircraft up to 450 km (280 mi) to pre-programmed target zones and patrol there until enemy radar sources were detected which would then be destroyed. This extended patrol time on target ("loiter time") was the key feature of the new system, a Persistent Anti-radiation Missile (PARM) as opposed to a HARM
AGM-88 HARM
The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system...
.
The project was started by the DoD in 1982, but moved to the control of the USAF Aeronautical Systems Division in 1984 as a joint Navy/Air Force project. The majority of the system was designed and developed by Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop 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...
with Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
providing the seek head and Boeing
Boeing
The 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...
providing a system that allowed it to be launched from B-52 bombers. The first test air-launch was on July 30, 1984.
The unit was 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) long and 5 ft 2 in (1.575 m) in span with a body diameter of 27 in (686 mm), flight and control surfaces deployed after launch. It massed around 431 lb (195 kg) including the 40 lb (18 kg) warhead. Power was provided by a Williams F121
Williams F121
-References:...
turbofan, producing 310 N (70 lbf) of thrust from the 0.9 m, 22 kg unit. Some sources state that production units would have used a 1,200 N (270 lbf) variant of the Williams International WR-24. Achieved speed and range are uncertain, low subsonic speed is probable and all sources indicate a range much lower than the hoped-for 450 km (280 mi). Each unit was to cost around $200,000, up to thirty would have been loaded in a single B-52.
The Naval Research Advisory Committee
Naval Research Advisory Committee
The Naval Research Advisory Committee is a civilian advisory committee to the United States Navy.The committee was established in 1946 by Public Law 588, which also created the Office of Naval Research...
reported in 1989 that the project was not progressing well. In 1991 a DoD audit found numerous management problems. The program was canceled in 1991 (FY 1992), without any production units and at a total cost of around $4 billion. It was only the second post-Vietnam military project to be canceled after completing testing but before production.
Survivors
Below is a list of museums which have a Tacit Rainbow in their collection:- Museum of AviationMuseum of AviationThe Museum of Aviation is the second-largest aerospace museum of the United States Air Force. The museum is located just outside Warner Robins, Georgia, and near Robins Air Force Base. It has a total of five different buildings containing 93 different aircraft on . The SR-71A Blackbird on display...
, Robins Air Force BaseRobins Air Force BaseRobins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of and adjacent to the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, SSE of Macon, Georgia, and about SSE of Atlanta, Georgia...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
, Wright-Patterson Air Force BaseWright-Patterson Air Force BaseWright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... - U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology, NAWS China LakeNaval Air Weapons Station China Lake- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...