SS.10
Encyclopedia
SS.10 is the designation of the Nord Aviation
MCLOS
wire-guided
anti-tank missile designed by French engineer Jean Bastien-Thiry. In American
service the missile was called the MGM-21A. The missile entered service in 1955 with the French army. It was used briefly by the US army in the early 1960s. The missile ceased production in January 1962 after approximately 30,000 missiles had been built.
in 1948, when the Arsenal de l'Aéronautique in Châtillon sous Bagneux began looking at the possibility of developing the German
X-7 missile further. The missile was designed to be cheap: In 1955 the missile cost 340 Francs, the control box 1,750 Francs. The first rounds were test fired in 1952. Development was completed in 1955 and the missile entered service with the French Army under the designation SS.10 ("Sol-Sol" French for "Surface to Surface").
The US army procured 500 missiles and three sets of launching equipment to evaluate a prototype version of the missile between early 1952 and October 1953, but concluded that the missile was not currently ready for use, but that the continued development should be monitored . After development of the missile was completed the US successfully re-evaluated the missile in mid-1958, and the later SS.11
(also by designer Bastien-Thiry) and Entac missiles were procured for Army use.
in the 1956 Suez Crisis
against Egypt
ian tanks.
The US army was interested in the missile from an early stage, but pursued development of their own missile - the SSM-A-23 Dart missile. However after the SSM-A-23 was cancelled in 1958 they began to consider procuring the SS.10 and SS.11 missiles. In February 1959 they decided to buy the SS.10 as a stopgap. The missile was delivered in January 1960. The missile was phased out in 1963 in favour of the MGM-32 Entac. The missile received the designation MGM-21A.
, the power for these spoilers is transmitted to the missile along the guidance wires from the operator's station. Since the missile spins in flight, a gyroscope
is needed to determine which spoilers are currently up/down or left/right. Guiding the missile to the target is very demanding and requires a high level of operator skill and concentration - this is typical with MCLOS
guided missiles.
Nord Aviation
Nord-Aviation was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer. It was created on October 1, 1954 upon the acquisition of SFECMAS by SNCAN...
MCLOS
MCLOS
MCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type...
wire-guided
Wire-guided missile
A wire-guided missile is a missile that is guided by signals sent to it via thin wires connected between the missile and its guidance mechanism, which is located somewhere near the launch site. As the missile flies, the wires are reeled out behind it...
anti-tank missile designed by French engineer Jean Bastien-Thiry. In American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
service the missile was called the MGM-21A. The missile entered service in 1955 with the French army. It was used briefly by the US army in the early 1960s. The missile ceased production in January 1962 after approximately 30,000 missiles had been built.
Development
Development began in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1948, when the Arsenal de l'Aéronautique in Châtillon sous Bagneux began looking at the possibility of developing the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
X-7 missile further. The missile was designed to be cheap: In 1955 the missile cost 340 Francs, the control box 1,750 Francs. The first rounds were test fired in 1952. Development was completed in 1955 and the missile entered service with the French Army under the designation SS.10 ("Sol-Sol" French for "Surface to Surface").
The US army procured 500 missiles and three sets of launching equipment to evaluate a prototype version of the missile between early 1952 and October 1953, but concluded that the missile was not currently ready for use, but that the continued development should be monitored . After development of the missile was completed the US successfully re-evaluated the missile in mid-1958, and the later SS.11
SS.11
SS.11 is the designation of the Nord Aviation MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile. In American service the missile was designated the AGM-22. The missile entered service with the French Army in 1956. Production of the SS.11 ceased some time in the 1980s but in 1978 168,450 missiles had been produced...
(also by designer Bastien-Thiry) and Entac missiles were procured for Army use.
History
The missile was used by IDFIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
in the 1956 Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
against Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian tanks.
The US army was interested in the missile from an early stage, but pursued development of their own missile - the SSM-A-23 Dart missile. However after the SSM-A-23 was cancelled in 1958 they began to consider procuring the SS.10 and SS.11 missiles. In February 1959 they decided to buy the SS.10 as a stopgap. The missile was delivered in January 1960. The missile was phased out in 1963 in favour of the MGM-32 Entac. The missile received the designation MGM-21A.
Description
In flight the missile is steered by an unusual arrangement of electrically powered vibrating spoilersSpoiler (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, a spoiler is a device intended to reduce lift in an aircraft. Spoilers are plates on the top surface of a wing which can be extended upward into the airflow and spoil it. By doing so, the spoiler creates a carefully controlled stall over the portion of the wing behind it, greatly...
, the power for these spoilers is transmitted to the missile along the guidance wires from the operator's station. Since the missile spins in flight, a gyroscope
Gyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
is needed to determine which spoilers are currently up/down or left/right. Guiding the missile to the target is very demanding and requires a high level of operator skill and concentration - this is typical with MCLOS
MCLOS
MCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type...
guided missiles.
General characteristics
- Length: 860 mm
- Wingspan: 750 mm
- Diameter: 165 mm
- Launch weight: 15 kg
- Speed: 80 m/s
- Range: 500 to 1600 m
- Guidance: wire-guidedWire-guided missileA wire-guided missile is a missile that is guided by signals sent to it via thin wires connected between the missile and its guidance mechanism, which is located somewhere near the launch site. As the missile flies, the wires are reeled out behind it...
MCLOSMCLOSMCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type... - Warhead: 5 kg Hollow-charge 400 mm versus RHARolled homogeneous armourRolled homogeneous armour is a type of steel which is used to armour vehicles.-Composition:Armoured steel must be hard yet impervious to shock in order to resist high velocity metal projectiles. Steel with these characteristics is produced by processing cast steel billets of appropriate size and...
Prototypes
- Nord-5201 - Two winged prototype.
- Nord-5202 - Four winged prototype.
- Nord-5203 - Final production version.
External links
- Nord SS.10/MGM-21 at Designation-Systems.Net
- http://waronline.org/IDF/Articles/firstATGM.htm in Russian