Descriptionary

spray dome the mound of water spray thrown up into the air from the shock wave of an underwater detonation of a nuclear weapon.

stellar guidance a system that refers to certain pre­selected celestial bodies to guide a missile.

tolerance dose the amount of radiation that may be absorbed by a person over a period of time with negligible health effects.

TOW missile a wire-guided missile.

two-man rule a system designed to prohibit access by an individual to nuclear weapons and related com­ponents by requiring the presence at all times of at least two authorized persons, each capable of detect­ing incorrect or unauthorized procedures with respect to the task to be performed.

warhead that part of a missile or rocket that con­tains the nuclear or thermonuclear system, high- explosive system, or chemical or biological agents intended to inflict damage.

zero point the center of a burst of a nuclear weapon at the instant of detonation.

Types of Missiles and Rockets

ADM-20 see Quail.

AGM-28A

see Hound Dog.

AGM-45 see Shrike.

AGM-53 see Condor.

AGM-65 see Maverick.

AGM-69 see short-range attack missile.

AGM-78 see Standard Arm.

AGM-84A see Harpoon.

AGM-142 see Have Nap.

AIM-4 see Falcon.

AIM-7 see Sparrow.

AIM-9 see Sidewinder.

AIM-54A

see Phoenix.

AIR-2 see Genie.

Condor an air-to-surface guided missile that pro­vides standoff launch capability for attack aircraft. Also known as AGM-53.

cruise missile highly accurate, computer-guided missile having a land range of up to 1,552 miles. See Tomahawk.

Falcon an air-to-air guided missile; optional nuclear warhead. Also known as AIM-4.

Genie an air-to-air, unguided rocket equipped with a nuclear warhead. Also known as an AIR-2.

HARM high-speed antiradiation missile; it homes in on radar signals from surface-to-air missile sites and destroys them.

Harpoon an all-weather, antiship cruise missile capable of being employed from ships, submarines, and aircraft. It is turbojet-powered and employs a low-level cruise trajectory. Also known as AGM-84A.

Have Nap a camera-guided missile. Also known as the AGM-142.

Hawk a mobile, surface-to-air missile system that provides nonnuclear, low-to-medium altitude air defense coverage for ground forces. Also known as MIM-23.

Hellfire an air-to-surface antitank missile.

Hound Dog

a turbojet-propelled, air-to-surface missile designed to be carried externally on the B-52; it is equipped with a nuclear warhead. Also known as AGM-28A.

Lance a mobile, storable, liquid propellant, surface- to-surface guided missile, with nuclear and nonnu- clear capability. Also known as XMGM-52.

LGM-25C see Titan ii.

LGM-30 see Minuteman.

LGM-118A see mx.

Mace a missile guided by a self-contained radar guidance system or by an inertial guidance system and characterized by its long-range, low-level attack capability. Also known as MGM-13.

Maverick an air-to-surface missile with launch and leave capability. It is designed for use against sta­tionary or moving small, hard targets such as tanks, armored vehicles, and field fortications. Also known as AGM-65.

MGM-13 see Mace.

MGM-29A see Sergeant.

MGM-31A

see Pershing.

MGM-51 see Shillelagh.

MIM-23 see Hawk.

Minuteman a three-stage, solid-propellant, ballistic missile guided to its target by an all-inertial guidance and control system. It is equipped with a nuclear war­head and is designed for deployment in underground silos. Also known as LGM-30.

MIRv multiple independently targetable reentry; a missile having two or more warheads aimed at differ­ent targets.

Mx an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with multiple warheads. Also known as LGM-118A.

Patriot a land-mobile surface-to-air antimissile used to protect small areas, such as an airfield.

Pershing a mobile surface-to-surface inertially guided missile of a solid-propellant type; it has a nuclear warhead capability. Also known as MGM- 31A.

Phoenix a long-range air-to-air missile with elec­tronic guidance and homing. Also known as AIM- 54A.

Polaris an underwater, or surface-launched, sur­face-to-surface, solid-propellant ballistic missile with inertial guidance and nuclear warhead. Also known as UGM-27.

Poseidon a two-stage, solid-propellant ballistic mis­sile capable of being launched from a specially config­ured submarine operating in either its surface or sub­merged mode. The missile is equipped with nuclear warheads and a maneuverable bus that has the capa­bility to carry up to 14 weapons that can be directed at 14 separate targets. Also known as UGM-73A.

Quail an air-launched decoy missile carried inter­nally in the B-52 and used to deceive enemy radar, interceptor aircraft, and air defense missiles. Also known as ADM-20.