USS LITTLE ROCK CLG4 / CG4
TALOS MISSILE & MISSILE SYSTEMS
Major System Components
• Talos SAM-N-8 and RIM-8 Missiles
• Talos Guided Missile Launching System GMLS Mk7
• Guidance Radars AN/SPW-2 and AN/SPG-49
Page last updated: 06 Mar 2011
The
Talos
Missile
Talos Missile - General Specifications
| The
Navy's SAM-N-6b Talos missile
(later
designated RIM-8) was a
long-range surface-to-air missile, and was one of the earliest
surface-to-air missiles to equip U.S. Navy ships. Talos employed radar
beam riding technology for guidance to the
vicinity of its target, and then semi-active radar homing for the
terminal
guidance phase. Talos was a development of the Navy's “Bumblebee Project” begun in 1944 under the auspices of the Applied Physics Lab (APL) of the John Hopkins University. The project’s intent was to produce a ram-jet powered anti-aircraft guided missile. The Bumblebee Project also produced the Navy's Terrier (SAM-N-7 / RIM-2) and Tartar (Mk15 / RIM-24) Missiles. On July 10, 1951, the first Talos missile was test fired at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico. The first full Talos prototype (designated XSAM-N-6) flew in October 1952 at WSMR, followed by the first successful target intercept later that year. Talos became fully operational aboard the U.S.S. Galveston CLG-3 in 1959, with Bendix Corporation as the prime contractor for production. Early Talos missiles used a solid-fuel rocket booster weighing over 4000 lbs, with an approximate three second burn time, to get the missile from launcher to operational speed. A Bendix ramjet then provided sustained flight. Later boosters had a somewhat extended burn time (5 sec) and propelled the missile to over 1300 mph before the missile and booster separated. The SAM-N-6b missile was initially equipped with a conventional high explosive (HE) warhead, and later changed over to a more lethal “continuous rod” design. The launching ship's guidance beam enabled the Talos to be guided so as to attack enemy aircraft from above. (An unpleasant surprise to pilots trained to expect SAMs from below.) Four small antennas located every 90 degrees around the nose of the missile acted as receivers for the Semi-Active Radar Homing (SARH) system. Talos missiles without these antennas were nuclear armed missiles equipped with a type W-30 nuclear warhead (2 - 5 kT yield) which, for obvious reasons, did not need a terminal phase homing. These were designated as SAM-N-6bW. In 1961 the SAM-N-6b1 and SAM-N-6bW1 (nuclear warhead) variants of Talos became operational. These had almost double the effective range of the SAM-N-6b and SAM-N-6bW. In addition, a new continuous-rod warhead with higher lethality was added. In that every Talos ship had to carry some nuclear missiles, (although they would probably never be used) it was determined that having separate conventional and nuclear armed missiles was impractical. In 1962 a new SAM-N-6c1 "Unified Talos" was introduced. This model provided for interchangeable warheads, a higher operational ceiling, and a new continuous-wave (CW) radar seeker for improved effectiveness against low-flying targets in the terminal homing phase. Some SAM-N-6b1 missiles were retrofitted with the new CW seeker, and redesignated as SAM-N-6b1(CW). In 1963 all versions of Talos were redesignated as RIM-8 series. The designations were applied as follows:
In 1966 the Talos RIM-8G with improved beam-riding guidance became operational. RGM-8H Talos anti-radiation (HARM) missiles were designed for use against shore-based radar stations. These Talos could be fitted with seekers programmed for various radar frequencies. Flight tests were first performed in 1965. Soon after the RGM-8H was operational, it was used in combat against Vietnamese SAM radars in Vietnam by USS Chicago, USS Oklahoma City, and USS Long Beach. Wikipedia's page on the Oklahoma City states that in "1971 the Oklahoma City fired the first successful combat surface-to-surface missile shot in US Navy history, using the new Talos RIM-8H anti-radiation missile to destroy a North Vietnamese mobile air control radar van". (Various sources say that the event occurred in February.) The last operational version of Talos was RIM-8J which entered service in 1968 with improved SARH guidance. The Talos system was initially installed in three converted Cleveland Class light cruisers (USS Galveston CLG-3, USS Little Rock CLG-4, and USS Oklahoma City CLG-5), then in three converted Baltimore Class heavy cruisers (USS Albany CG-10, USS Chicago CG-11, and USS Columbus CG-12) as well as the nuclear-powered cruiser USS Long Beach CGN-9. Talos missiles were stored, loaded, and launched from specifically designed guided missile launching systems (GMLS's) aboard ship. GMLS Mk 7 was used aboard USS Galveston, Little Rock, and Oklahoma City. The GMLS Mk 12 was used aboard USS Albany, Chicago, Columbus, and Long Beach. In both systems the missiles were launched from a twin-arm launcher, which was fed from behind. The first ever "kill" of a hostile aircraft by a missile fired from a ship occurred on May 23, 1968. On that date a Talos fired from the USS Long Beach shot down a Vietnamese MiG at a range of about 65 miles. A second MiG was reportedly destroyed as it exploded among its debris. In September of that year Long Beach shot down another MiG at a range of 61 miles. On May 9, 1972 another MiG was credited to USS Chicago when her forward Talos battery scored a long-range kill. In total, four MiG kills in South-East Asia can be credited to Talos missiles. Phase-out of the Talos missile began in 1974. On 6 November 1979 the USS Oklahoma City fired the last Talos missile launched from a ship, and when the USS Albany, the last operational ship was retired in August 1980, the Talos phase-out was complete. (USS Long Beach remained active but had her Talos system replaced with Harpoon canister launchers and Tomahawk armored box launchers in the early 1980's.) A planned replacement for Talos, the SAM-N-8 / RIM-50 Typhon, was also canceled. Eventually General Dynamics’ RIM-67 Standard ER missile supplied the long-range air defense missile needed by the Navy. The remaining Talos missiles were converted to MQM-8G Vandal supersonic targets and successfully used to simulate anti-ship missile threats. The Navy's Vandal program used the remaining obsolete Talos missiles to provide a Mach 2 supersonic target capable of flying at altitudes ranging from near sea level up to 70,000 feet. These targets were first developed at WSMR and launched from Sulf Site in the 90 mile area and from Pony Site just west of Lake Lucero. Vandals were also launched from Wallops Island, VA and from Barking Sands, Kauai, HI. At WSMR, Vandals were engaged by Standard Missile, RAM, and by the High Energy Laser. |
Talos Missile - General Specifications
| Old Designation | New Designation | Warhead | Range | Initial Guidance | Terminal Guidance |
| SAM-N-6b | RIM-8A | HE (High Explosive) | 50 nm | Beam Riding | Passive Homing |
| SAM-N-6bW | RIM-8B | Nuclear | 50 nm | Beam Riding | None |
| SAM-N-6b1 | RIM-8C | HE Continuous Rod | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Passive Homing |
| SAM-N-6bW1 | RIM-8D | Nuclear | 100 nm | Beam Riding | None |
| SAM-N-6b1(CW) (Note 4) |
RIM-8C | HE Continuous Rod | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Passive
Homing (Note 2) |
| SAM-N-6c1 (Note 1) |
RIM-8E | Interchangeable | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Passive
Homing (Note 2) |
| Note 3 |
RIM-8F | Interchangeable | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Passive
Homing (Note 2) |
| - |
RIM-8G | Interchangeable | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Passive
Homing (Note 2) |
| - |
RGM-8H (Note 5) |
Interchangeable | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Active Anti-Radar |
| - |
RIM-8J | Interchangeable | 100 nm | Beam Riding | Passive
Homing (Note 2) |
| Notes
for above chart.... |
|
| Note 1. |
Referred to as "Unified Talos" because of interchangeable Warheads. |
| Note 2. |
Significantly improved Homing System. |
| Note 3. |
"SAM" designations discontinued in 1963. |
| Note 4. |
Some SAM-N-6b1 missiles were modified to have improved Homing System. These were designated SAM-N-6b1(CW). |
| Note 5. |
"RIM" = Rocket / Interception / Ground
Launched "RGM" = Rocket / Surface Attack / Ground Launched, Mobile |
Talos Missile and Booster Dimensions
| Missile
Length: |
21
ft. |
| Booster
Length: |
11
ft. |
| Wingspan: |
110
in. |
| Fin
Span (Booster): |
81
in. |
| Missile
Diameter: |
28
in. |
| Booster Diameter: |
30
in. |
| Missile
Weight: |
3400
lb. |
| Booster
Weight: |
4400
lb |
Talos Missile and Booster Operational Data
| Speed: |
Mach
2.5 |
| Altitude
Ceiling: |
80000
ft. |
| Range
RIM-8A, 8B |
50
nm |
| Range
RIM-8C thru -8J |
100
nm |
| Missile
Propulsion: |
Ramjet
(JP-5 Liquid Fuel) |
| Booster
Propulsion (3 sec.): |
Solid-fuel
rocket |
| Warheads: |
High
Explosive (HE), Continuous-rod, or Nuclear |
Talos Missile Dimensions Drawing
Talos Compared to Other U.S. Navy SAM's
| Report
of TALOS STRUCTURAL FIRING TEST ABOARD THE USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG-4) NWL REPORT NO. 1751 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
APPROVED FOR RELEASE:
/s/ R. H. LYDDANE Technical Director ABSTRACT Six TALOS Mk 11 Mod 2 boosters with concrete slugs were fired aboard the USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG-4) to investigate the adequacy of the protection for the TALOS launching system personnel against blast effects and to determine the effects of the booster blast on the ship's structure. The test vehicles were fired at various angles such that the exhaust stream was directed at areas where damage, flame, or toxic gas leakage had occurred during the structural firing tests aboard the USS GALVESTON (CLG-3). These tests were also utilized to evaluate the design changes in the ship's structural components that were necessitated by the results of the GALVESTON tests. Measurements were made of pressures in the exhaust stream, structural strains, toxic gas concentrations, noise levels, flame penetrations at door seals and temperature changes inside the ship. High-speed motion pictures were taken on all tests. The results indicated gas and flame leakage around the blast doors, toxic gas leakage into the ventilation systems, and minor structural damage to equipment mounted on the sides of the missile house and the main deck. A detailed description of all data obtained and ship damage incurred is included in this report. FOREWORD This is the final report on the TALOS Structural Firing Tests Aboard the USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG-4) conducted under BUWEPS Task Assignment No. 512-535/55008/69-064 Amendments No. 1 and 2 of 17 June 1959 and 10 August 1960, respectively. These tests were performed as part of the BUWEPS Ship Qualification Tests for the USS LITTLE ROCK,(CLG-4) conducted by the Applied Physics Laboratory of the John Hopkins University (APL/JHU) for the Bureau of Naval Weapons and in accordance with Test 8 of the test program, reference (a). These tests were conducted to determine the effects of the TALOS booster blast on the ship's structure, and to establish the adequacy of protection for the TALOS launching system personnel against blast effects. This report was reviewed by the following members of the Weapons Development and Evaluation Laboratory: J. J. WALSH, Head, Physical Projects Section D. C. ROSS, Head, Experimental Branch H. R. PRYOR, Head, Development Division D. W. STONER, Deputy Director M. W. WHITAKER, Captain, USN, Director INTRODUCTION Before assigning personnel to operational areas in the proximity of the TALOS launcher, it was necessary to determine whether the structures provide adequate protection from the booster blast. In order to deter- mine the effects of the booster blast on the ship's structure, Launcher Test Vehicles (LTV), each composed of a Mk 11 Mod 2 booster with a concrete slug, were fired at various angles such that the exhaust stream was directed at areas where damage, flame or toxic gas leakage had occurred during the structural firing tests aboard the USS GALVESTON (CLG-3). These tests also served to evaluate the design changes in the ship's structural components that were dictated by the results of the blast tests conducted aboard the GALVESTON. Tests were also conducted to determine the adequacy of the door seals, ports, and equipment exposed to the direct booster blast. Detailed test objectives are given in the test plan, reference (a), and repeated in Appendix A. The tests also determined the effects of the booster blast on an instrumented simulated emergency igniter injector unit for the TALOS launching system. The results of the igniter injector unit tests were reported in reference (b). On board the USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG-4) were instrumentation teams for measuring toxic gas concentrations, noise pressure levels, structural strains, pressures in the exhaust stream, structural accelerations and temperature changes inside ship compartments, for providing high-speed photographic coverage, and for observing the extent of flame entrance at door seals. The instrumentation was moved for each test in order to make all measurements in the same configuration with respect to the impingement areas. The detailed test results are grouped according to type of measurement, rather than by test. This arrangement avoids repeated references to the type of measurement considered. An assist ship, USS SHAKORI (ATF-162), was in close company and furnished over--all high-speed photographic coverage of the booster exhaust stream. TEST PROCEDURES The instrumentation was installed and operated by Naval Weapons Laboratory personnel with the assistance of members of the ship's company assigned to the various groups. The equipment used to record pressure, strain and temperature was installed in a 28' x 8' instrumentation trailer located on the starboard side of the 02 level at approximately Frame 95. Signal cables were connected between the instrumentation trailer and the transducers, which were located throughout the after part of the ship at the areas under test. For each test a TALOS Mk 11 Mod 2 booster with a concrete slug was launched from either the "A" rail or the "B" rail of the Mk 7 Mod 0 Guided Missile Launcher. The launcher angles, impingement areas, and the sequence in which the tests were conducted are indicated in the table below:
The tests were conducted as part of the BUWEPS Ship Qualification Tests for guided missile ships and were fired in the Virginia Capes Operational Area. |