MGM-1 Matador

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Martin MGM-1 Matador
Image:MATADOR.jpg
Matador cruise missile launch.
Type	Intermediate-range ballistic missile
Manufacturer	Glenn L. Martin Company
Maiden flight	1949-01-20 at White Sands Missile Range

The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States, similar in concept to the German V-1.

The first flight of Matador, model XSSM-A-1, occurred at the White Sands Missile Range in January 1949. At the end of 1953 the first squadron was operational, a B-61A armed with the W5 nuclear warhead.

The missile was piloted via radio link and tracked via a network of ground-based AN/MSQ-1 radar stations. This guidance system, with its line-of-sight communications, limited the guided range to about 400 km (250 miles). As with all radio communications it was also prone to enemy jamming.

In 1954 the USAF started to develop the YTM-61C version which was equipped with the new Shanicle (Short Range Navigation Vehicle) guidance system. It became operational in 1957 and used ground-based microwave emitters to generate hyperbolic grids for range and azimuth, which were used by the missile steering system to navigate. Now the guided range could be extended to the maximum flight range of the missile, about 1000 km or 620 miles.

The last Matadors were removed from active service in 1962, with a total of 1200 missiles produced.

1 Variants and design stages
2 Operators
3 Specifications (MGM-1C)
4 External links
5 Related content

[edit] Variants and design stages

MX-771: Original U.S. Air Force project number.
SSM-A-1: Early proposed designation for operational missile. This designation was dropped before the first operational missiles were completed.
XSSM-A-1: First designation applied to first prototypes for development of the missile airframe.
YSSM-A-1: First designation applied to prototypes for development of the guidance system.
B-61: Operational designation proposed to supersede SSM-A-1 designation. This designation was designed to classify the missile as a pilotless bomber.
XB-61: Redesignation of the XSSM-A-1
YB-61: Redesignation of the YSSM-A-1
B-61A: First production version of the Matador. Principle difference from the XB-61 and YB-61 was redesign of the airframe with high wings in place of the previous mid-mounted wings.
TM-61A: Redesignation of the B-61A as the USAF decided to classify the Matador as a tactical missile instead of a pilotless bomber.
TM-61B: Significant redesign of the TM-61A, ultimately being redesignated as its own system, the TM-76 Mace.
TM-61C: Improved TM-61A developed as a stop-gap as the TM-61B was under development.
MGM-1C: Redesignation of the TM-61C in 1963 to meet new aircraft and missile designation standards adopted by the USAF. Only the TM-61C required redesignation as the TM-61A had been fully withdrawn from service and the TM-61B had been redesignated the TM-76 Mace, and ultimately received the MGM-13 designation.