MGM-29 Sergeant
Encyclopedia
The MGM-29 Sergeant was an American short-range, solid fuel
, surface-to-surface missile
developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
. Activated by the US Army in 1962 to replace the MGM-5 Corporal
it was deployed overseas by 1963, carrying the W52
nuclear warhead or alternatively one of high explosives. It was replaced by the MGM-52 Lance and the last US Army battalion was deactivated in 1977.
Operation of the Sergeant was recognised to be an interim stage in the development of battlefield missiles. It avoided the Corporal's liquid-fuel-handling drawbacks, but still requiring extensive setup and checkout before launch, together with a train of semi-trailer support vehicles. More advanced missiles, such as the contemporary Blue Water and later Lance, would reduce this (elongated) set-up time.
The Sergeant had a takeoff thrust of 200 kilonewtons (200,000 N), a takeoff weight of 4530 kilograms (9,986.9 lb), a diameter of 790 millimetres (31.1 in), a length of 10.52 metres (34.5 ft) and a fin span of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft). The Sergeant missile had a minimum range of 25 miles (40.2 km), and a maximum range of 84 miles (135.2 km).
The Sergeant was used as the second stage of the Scout
satellite launcher, and clusters of Sergeant-derived rockets were used in the second and third stages of the Jupiter-C
sounding rocket
and the Juno I
launch vehicle
.
Thiokol
developed the Sergeant rocket motors -- and the Castor
rocket stages derived from them -- at the Redstone Arsenal
near Huntsville, Alabama
.
West Germany
German Army
United States Army
Solid rocket
A solid rocket or a solid-fuel rocket is a rocket engine that uses solid propellants . The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese in warfare as early as the 13th century and later by the Mongols, Arabs, and Indians.All rockets used some form of...
, surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...
developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
. Activated by the US Army in 1962 to replace the MGM-5 Corporal
MGM-5 Corporal
The MGM-5 Corporal missile was the first guided weapon authorized by the United States to carry a nuclear warhead.The first nuclear-authorized unguided rocket was the MGR-1 Honest John...
it was deployed overseas by 1963, carrying the W52
W52
The W52 was a thermonuclear warhead developed for the MGM-29 Sergeant short-range ballistic missile used by the United States Army from 1962 to 1977. The W52 is 24 inches in diameter and 57 inches long, and weighed 950 pounds. It had a yield of 200 kilotons...
nuclear warhead or alternatively one of high explosives. It was replaced by the MGM-52 Lance and the last US Army battalion was deactivated in 1977.
Operation of the Sergeant was recognised to be an interim stage in the development of battlefield missiles. It avoided the Corporal's liquid-fuel-handling drawbacks, but still requiring extensive setup and checkout before launch, together with a train of semi-trailer support vehicles. More advanced missiles, such as the contemporary Blue Water and later Lance, would reduce this (elongated) set-up time.
The Sergeant had a takeoff thrust of 200 kilonewtons (200,000 N), a takeoff weight of 4530 kilograms (9,986.9 lb), a diameter of 790 millimetres (31.1 in), a length of 10.52 metres (34.5 ft) and a fin span of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft). The Sergeant missile had a minimum range of 25 miles (40.2 km), and a maximum range of 84 miles (135.2 km).
The Sergeant was used as the second stage of the Scout
Scout (rocket)
The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages....
satellite launcher, and clusters of Sergeant-derived rockets were used in the second and third stages of the Jupiter-C
Jupiter-C
The Jupiter-C was an American sounding rocket used for three sub-orbital spaceflights in 1956 and 1957 to test re-entry nosecones that were later to be deployed on the more advanced PGM-19 Jupiter mobile missile....
sounding rocket
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
and the Juno I
Juno I
The Juno I was a four-stage American booster rocket which launched America's first satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958. A member of the Redstone rocket family, it was derived from the Jupiter-C sounding rocket...
launch vehicle
Launch vehicle
In spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....
.
Thiokol
Thiokol
Thiokol is a U.S. corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals, and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems...
developed the Sergeant rocket motors -- and the Castor
Castor (rocket stage)
The Castor family of solid-fuel rocket stages and boosters were built by Thiokol and used on a variety of launch vehicles. They were initially developed as the second stage motor of the Scout rocket...
rocket stages derived from them -- at the Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
near Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
Operators
West GermanyGerman Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
- 150th Rocket Artillery Battalion 1964-1976
- 250th Rocket Artillery Battalion 1964-1976
- 350th Rocket Artillery Battalion 1964-1976
- 650th Rocket Artillery Battalion 1965-1976
United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- 2nd Battalion, 30th Field Artillery Regiment30th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 30th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army. first Constituted in 1918 in the National Army -Lineage:...
1963-1975 - Vicenza, Italy - 3rd Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment38th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 38th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army.-Distinctive Unit Insignia:*DescriptionA gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches in height overall consisting of the shield, crest and motto of the coat of arms.*SymbolismThe shield is red for...
1962-? - Fort Sill - 1st Battalion, 68th Field Artillery Regiment 1964-1970 - West Germany
- 5th Battalion, 73rd Field Artillery Regiment73rd Field Artillery (United States)The 73rd Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army.-Distinctive Unit Insignia:* DescriptionA Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a lightning flash in bend Or.* SymbolismThe scarlet is for...
1963-1975 - West Germany - 5th Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment77th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 77th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army. first Constituted 1916 in the Regular Army.-Lineage:Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 19th Cavalry...
1963-1975 - West Germany - 3rd Battalion, 80th Field Artillery Regiment80th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 80th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army.-Distinctive Unit Insignia:* DescriptionA Silver color metal and enamel device 1 3/32 inches in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Party per fess Or and Gules, a fess dancetté ermine...
1964-1970 - West Germany - 3rd Battalion, 81st Field Artillery Regiment81st Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 81st Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army.-Distinctive Unit Insignia:* DescriptionA Silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/16 inches in height consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a cross Or, quarter voided of the field. In dexter chief on a...
1963-? - South Korea
External links
- http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/sergeant.htm
- http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/systems/sergeant.html