HISTORY - Page 22
capability. The Navy was charged with the
responsibility of selecting a contractor for developing
a system that was capable of accepting and launching
the Army missile. This was later designated the ship
inertial navigation system (SINS). To promote a
cooperative atmosphere at the working level, Navy
and Army liaison offices were established and
manned with technical personnel at ABMA and the
Navy development site, respectively
30
.
Returning to the tentative development plan, the
brevity between decision and submission prevented
any detailed presentation on MC1s or specifications,
for they were not then available. Despite the
preliminary nature, there were some directed
requirements and some known design characteristics
to fulfill the goals. In this respect, a maximum range
of 1,500 miles was to be attained, and calculations
had been made on several versions that could reach
this distance. The proposed types were from 50 to 65
feet long, and weighed between 85,000 and 115,000
pounds. Both figures were considerably shorter and
lighter than the 1955 proposal for an Army land-based
IRBM. ABMA intended to start development on a
vehicle involving the greater weight and length and,
as engineering and flight experience permitted, move
toward the smaller version. The plan went on to
discuss the environment the missile would
experience from lift-off to impact, and the reactions
on the part of the missile to meet the demands of this
situation.
Over-all, the 1,500-mile missile development program
would "be dependent on work that had been
accomplished in behalf of the REDSTONE, and
mention was made of the continued importance of
funding this program. This remark was prompted by
the fact that JUPITER component development
activities would
______________________________
30. Terms of Ref for Army-Navy Dev of IRBM Dual Land-Based and Sea- Based Wpn Sys's, 2 Dec 55, in ABMA Ref Book,
sub: Important Props, Requests, and Directives, Tab E, Hist Off files.