Weapon System
Legend for Numeric Designations
CL: Lockheed
D: Douglas
NA: North American[1]
WS (Weapon System)
Weapon System is a United States military term that designated, along with a weapon system number (e.g., WS-110), military experimental (MX)[1] weapons prior to official naming (e.g., under a military aircraft designation system. Preceded by the first Skunk Works program (MX-813 for the Convair XF-92 in 1946),[2]: 76 the earliest[verification needed] "WS" designation was the 1954 WS-117L.[3]: 22 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."[2]: 166
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger in November 1949 was decided by the USAF to be built around a fire-control system[4]--"the real beginning of the weapon system approach [and the] aircraft would be integrated into the weapon system "as a whole from the beginning, so the characteristics of each component were compatible with the others.".[5]
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).1
 |
| Number | Link to Wikipage |
|---|---|
| Project 3[6]: 67 | TCP for technical intelligence collection systems |
| Program 101, 102 (GOR-170)[2] | Samos (satellite) |
| WS-104A | SM-64 Navaho |
| WS-107A | SM-65 Atlas |
| WS-110 (GOR.82) | |
| WS-110A | |
| WS-110L | supersonic reconnaissance aircraft |
| Article 121 | Lockheed A-12 |
| WS-125A (GOR.81) | XB-70 Valkyrie |
| WS-117L (GOR.80)[6]: 80–87 | Advanced Reconnaissance System (originally Project 1115);[3]: 30 recoverable capsule - Pied Piper/Sentry/SAMOS; television transmission - unfeasible;: 87 Subsystem G: MiDAS |
| WS-119B (USAF 7795)[6]: 139 | Bold Orion ASAT |
| WS-119L | Project Moby Dick (originally Project Genetrix)[3]: 31–32 |
| WS-120A | BGM-75 AICBM |
| WS-133A (Program 494L) | LGM-30 Minuteman |
| GOR 148 | AGM-28 Hound Dog |
| WS-199 | Anti-satellite weapon |
| WS-199B | Bold Orion |
| WS-199C | High Virgo |
| WS-199D | Alpha Draco |
| WS-201A | 1954 interceptor |
| NA-211 | interceptor design similar to fighter-bomber design that would become North American F-107 |
| NA-212 | North American F-107 |
| WS-224A | Phase I: BMEWS, Phase II: Wizard missile system[7] |
| CL-282[6]: 71 | Lockheed U-2 |
| WS-306A | Republic F-105 Thunderchief (misidentified as WS-3061) |
| WS315A | PGM-17 Thor missile[8] |
| MX-324 | Northrop XP-79 |
| WS-324A | General Dynamics F-111 |
| CL-400[6]: 149 | Lockheed CL-400 Suntan |
| Program 437 (ADO-40)[3]: 120 | "nonorbital collision course satellite interceptor" using modified Thor |
| Program 437 X (AP) | Alternate payload (AP) for satellite inspection ("a heritage of SAINT")[3]: 125 |
| Program 437 Y[3]: 128 | second development plan for Program 437 (later renamed Program 922) |
| Program 505[3]: 118 | MUDFLAP ASAT |
| MX-544[9] | US copy of V-1 flying bomb (Republic-Ford JB-2 "Loon") |
| D-558 | Douglas Skystreak, Skyraider |
| Project 572 | Distant Early Warning Line |
| MX-606 | cruise missile precursor to Bomarc |
| Air Force System 609A | Blue Scout |
| Air Force System 621B[10] | GPS |
| DSP-647[6]: 99 | Defense Support Program |
| MX-653[3] | Bell X-1 |
| MX-770 | SM-64 Navaho |
| MX-771 | Navy tactical cruise missile superseded by MX-773 |
| MX-773 | SSM-N-8 Regulus |
| MX-774 | feasibility designs for subsonic and supersonic surface-to-surface missiles (three WSPG launches July–December 1948)[11] leading to SM-65 Atlas |
| MX-776A | RTV-A-4 Shrike |
| MX-776B | GAM-63 RASCAL |
| MX-813 | Convair XF-92 |
| Program 893[3]: 128 | ICBM ASAT |
| MX-904 | GAR-1 Falcon missile |
| Program 922[3]: 129 | rename of Program 437 Y |
| System 1393 | Western Electric RCDC for the Improved Nike Hercules Air Defense Guided Missile System |
| Project MX-1554 | 1954 Interceptor (Convair's proposed airframe was used for an interim interceptor—F-102A; as well as the 1954 interceptor-- F-102B; Republic's proposed design was used for the separate F-103 project.) |
| MX-1589 | nuclear-powered Convair B-36 |
| MX-1626 (FZP-110) | initial Convair proposal for eventual Convair B-58 Hustler award |
| MX-1712 | Boeing Generalized Bomber Study (GEBO II) proposal]] (competitor against winning Convair MX-1712 design for B-58 Hustler) |
| MX-1599 | CIM-10 Bomarc |
| MX-1964 | Convair B-58 Hustler (previously MX-1626) |
| MX-1965 | Boeing XB-59 |
References
^1 When a government program number is not available, a contractor number (if available) is used in the table, e.g., Lockheed CL-282 for the U-2.
- ^ http://www.acronymfinder.com/Military-and-Government/MX.html
- ^ a b Daso, Dik (Major, USAF) (September 1997). Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr Theodore von Kármán. Air University Press. pp. 76, 166.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Stares, Paul B. "The Militarization of Space". Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- ^ Donald 2003, pp. 68–69
- ^ Grant Historical Study No. 126 p. 53
- ^ a b c d e f Burroughs, William E. (1988) [1986]. Deep Black (paperback ed.). New York: Berkley Publishing Group. ISBN 0-425-10879-1.
- ^ Cite NORAD Historical Summary 1958 January–June, p. 106
- ^ "Correspondence: Weapon System" (Flighglobal/Archive). Flight. 6 February 1959. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ Cooksley, Peter G (1979). Flying Bomb. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. p. 141.
- ^ Preston, Bob (1994). "Plowshares and Power: The Military Use of Civil Space". p. 250.
- ^ Braun, Wernher von (Estate of) (1985) [1975]. Space Travel: A History. New York: Harper & Row. p. 132. ISBN 0-06-181898-4.
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