Weapon system
Encyclopedia
Weapon System is a United States military term that designated, along with a weapon system number (e.g., WS-110), military experimental (MX)http://www.acronymfinder.com/Military-and-Government/MX.html systems prior to official naming (e.g., under a military aircraft designation system. Preceded by the first Skunk Works
program (MX-813 (Convair XF-92)
in 1946), the earliest "WS" designation was the 1954 WS-117L. Circa February 1950, an Air Research and Development Command" study prepared by Maj Gen Gordon P. Saville
... recommended that a 'systems approach' to new weapons be adopted [whereby] development of a weapon "system" required development of support equipment
as well as the actual hardware itself."
US weapon programs often were initiated by numbered government specifications such as an Advanced Development Objective (e.g., ADO-40) or a General Operational Requirement (e.g., GOR.80), although some programs were initially identified by contractor numbers (e.g., CL-282).
The term also made its way into UK use and by 1959 was causing some confusion as to its origins and meaning.
Skunk works
Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs , formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk, and the F-22 Raptor...
program (MX-813 (Convair XF-92)
Convair XF-92
The Convair XF-92 was the first American delta-wing aircraft. Originally conceived as a point-defense interceptor, the design was later made purely experimental...
in 1946), the earliest "WS" designation was the 1954 WS-117L. Circa February 1950, an Air Research and Development Command" study prepared by Maj Gen Gordon P. Saville
Gordon P. Saville
Gordon Philip Saville was a United States Air Force major general who was an outspoken proponent of tactical aviation amidst a brotherhood of airmen who promoted strategic bombing. With Benjamin S. Kelsey, Saville co-wrote the technical specifications which led to the P-38 Lightning and the P-39...
... recommended that a 'systems approach' to new weapons be adopted [whereby] development of a weapon "system" required development of support equipment
Ground Support Equipment
Ground support equipment is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the ramp, the servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As its name implies, GSE is there to support the operations of aircraft on the ground...
as well as the actual hardware itself."
US weapon programs often were initiated by numbered government specifications such as an Advanced Development Objective (e.g., ADO-40) or a General Operational Requirement (e.g., GOR.80), although some programs were initially identified by contractor numbers (e.g., CL-282).
The term also made its way into UK use and by 1959 was causing some confusion as to its origins and meaning.
| Number | Link to Wikipage |
|---|---|
| Project 3 | TCP for technical intelligence collection systems |
| , 102 (GOR-170)http://www.astronautix.com/craft/saint.htm | Samos (satellite) Samos (satellite) The Samos E or SAMOS program was a relatively short-lived series of reconnaissance satellites for the United States in the early 1960s, also used as a cover for the intitial development of the KH-7 Gambit system... |
| SM-64 Navaho SM-64 Navaho The 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... |
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| SM-65 Atlas | |
| WS-110 XB-70 Valkyrie The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep-penetration strategic bomber for the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command... (GOR.82) |
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| WS-110A WS-110A WS-110A was a project by the United States Air Force in the 1950s to develop a supersonic bomber aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Proposals for such an aircraft were submitted by Boeing and North American Aviation... |
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| WS-110L XB-70 Valkyrie The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep-penetration strategic bomber for the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command... |
supersonic reconnaissance aircraft |
| Lockheed A-12 | |
| WS-125A (GOR.81) | XB-70 Valkyrie XB-70 Valkyrie The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep-penetration strategic bomber for the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command... |
| WS-117L Missile Defense Alarm System The Missile Defense Alarm System was an American system of 12 early-warning satellites that provided limited notice of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile launches between 1960 and 1966... (GOR.80) |
Advanced Reconnaissance System (originally Project 1115); recoverable capsule - Pied Piper/Sentry/SAMOS Samoš Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:... ; television transmission - unfeasible; Subsystem G: MiDAS Missile Defense Alarm System The Missile Defense Alarm System was an American system of 12 early-warning satellites that provided limited notice of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile launches between 1960 and 1966... |
| WS-119B (USAF 7795) | Bold Orion ASAT ASM-135 ASAT The ASM-135 ASAT is an air-launched anti-satellite multi stage missile that was developed by Ling-Temco-Vought'sLTV Aerospace division. The ASM-135 was carried exclusively by the United States Air Force 's F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft.-Development:... |
| WS-119L | Project Moby Dick (originally Project Genetrix) |
| AGM-28 Hound Dog AGM-28 Hound Dog The North American Aviation Corporation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a supersonic, jet propelled, air-launched cruise missile. The Hound Dog missile was first given the designation B-77, then redesignated the GAM-77, and finally designated the AGM-28, permanently... |
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| Anti-satellite weapon Anti-satellite weapon Anti-satellite weapons are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons. On September 13, 1985, the United States destroyed US... |
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| Bold Orion Bold Orion The Bold Orion missile, also known as Weapons System 199B , was a prototype air-launched ballistic missile developed by Martin Aircraft during the 1950s. Developed in both one- and two-stage designs, the missile was moderately successful in testing, and helped pave the way for development of the... |
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| High Virgo High Virgo High Virgo, also known as Weapons System 199C , was a prototype air-launched ballistic missile jointly developed by Lockheed and the Convair division of General Dynamics during the late 1950s... |
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| Alpha Draco Alpha Draco The Alpha Draco missile, also known as Weapons System 199D , was an experimental missile developed by McDonnell Aircraft in the late 1950s to investigate boost-glide reentry... |
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| 1954 interceptor 1954 interceptor The 1954 interceptor, formally WS-201A, was a US Air Force project to develop a dedicated interceptor aircraft that would enter service in 1954. Several aircraft were developed as part of the project, leading to the F-102 Delta Dagger, F-106 Delta Dart, XF-103 Thunderwarrior and, indirectly, the... |
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| interceptor design similar to fighter-bomber design that would become North American F-107 | |
| North American F-107 | |
| CL-282 | Lockheed U-2 Lockheed U-2 The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering... |
| F-105 Thunderchief F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been... |
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| WS315A | PGM-17 Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... missile |
| Northrop XP-79 | |
| General Dynamics F-111 General Dynamics F-111 The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the... |
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| Lockheed CL-400 Suntan | |
| Program 437 Program 437 Program 437 was the second anti-satellite weapons program of the U.S. military. The US anti-satellite weapons program began development in the early 1960s and was officially discontinued on 1 April 1975. Program 437 was approved for development by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on... (ADO-40) |
"nonorbital collision course satellite interceptor NOTS-EV-2 Caleb The NOTS-EV-2 Caleb, also known as NOTS-500, Hi-Hoe and SIP was an expendable launch system, which was later used as a sounding rocket and prototype anti-satellite weapon. It was developed by the United States Navy Naval Ordinance Test Station as a follow-up to the NOTS-EV-1 Pilot, which had been... " using modified Thor Thor In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility... |
| Program 437 X (AP) | Alternate payload (AP) for satellite inspection ("a heritage of SAINT Saint A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth... ") |
| Program 437 Y | second development plan for Program 437 (later renamed Program 922) |
| Program 505 Program 437 Program 437 was the second anti-satellite weapons program of the U.S. military. The US anti-satellite weapons program began development in the early 1960s and was officially discontinued on 1 April 1975. Program 437 was approved for development by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on... |
MUDFLAP ASAT |
| US copy of V-1 flying bomb V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile.... (Republic-Ford JB-2 Republic-Ford JB-2 The Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon was a United States copy of the German V-1 flying bomb. Developed in 1944, and planned to be used in the United States invasion of Japan , the JB-2 was never used in combat. It was the most successful of the United States Army Air Forces Jet Bomb projects during... "Loon") |
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| Douglas Skystreak Douglas Skystreak The United States Douglas Skystreak was a single-engine jet research aircraft of the 1940s. It was designed in 1945 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics... , Skyraider |
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| Blue Scout | |
| Air Force System 621B | GPS Global Positioning System The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites... |
| DSP-647 | Defense Support Program Defense Support Program The Defense Support Program is a program of the U.S. Air Force that operates the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the Satellite Early Warning System currently used by the United States.... |
| http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/HistoricAircraft/X-1/background.html | Bell X-1 Bell X-1 The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948... |
| SM-64 Navaho SM-64 Navaho The 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... |
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| feasibility designs for subsonic and supersonic surface-to-surface missiles (three WSPG White Sands Missile Range White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range... launches July-December 1948) leading to SM-65 Atlas |
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| RTV-A-4 Shrike X-9 Shrike The Bell Aircraft Corporation X-9 Shrike was a prototype surface-to-air, liquid-fueled guided missile that was a testbed for the nuclear-armed GAM-63 RASCAL. It is named after the bird shrike.... |
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| GAM-63 RASCAL GAM-63 RASCAL The GAM-63 RASCAL is a supersonic Air-to-surface missile that was developed by the Bell Aircraft Company. The RASCAL was the United States Air Force's first nuclear armed standoff missile. The RASCAL was initially designated the ASM-A-2, then re-designated the B-63 in 1951 and finally re-designated... |
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| Convair XF-92 Convair XF-92 The Convair XF-92 was the first American delta-wing aircraft. Originally conceived as a point-defense interceptor, the design was later made purely experimental... |
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| Program 893 | ICBM ASAT |
| GAR-1 Falcon missile | |
| Program 922 | rename of Program 437 Y |
| F-102 Delta Dagger F-102 Delta Dagger The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets... |
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| nuclear-powered Convair B-36 Convair B-36 The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have... |
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| (FZP-110) | initial Convair proposal for eventual B-58 Hustler B-58 Hustler The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command during the 1960s... award |
| Boeing Generalized Bomber Study (GEBO II) proposal]] (competitor against winning Convair MX-1712 design for B-58 Hustler B-58 Hustler The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command during the 1960s... ) |
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| MX-1964 | Convair B-58 Hustler (previously MX-1626) B-58 Hustler The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command during the 1960s... |
| Boeing XB-59 Boeing XB-59 |-See also:-External links:* *... |
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| F-105 Thunderchief F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been... |
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