SM-62 Snark
| SM-62 Snark | |
|---|---|
| Type | Surface-to-surface cruise missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–1961 |
| Used by | United States Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Corporation |
| Produced | 1958–1961 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 48,150 pounds (21,840 kg) without boosters; 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg) with boosters |
| Length | 67 feet 2 inches (20.47 m) |
| Wingspan | 42 feet 3 inches (12.88 m) |
| Warhead | W39 thermonuclear warhead (explosive yield: 3.8 megatons) |
| Engine | 1 Pratt & Whitney J57 jet engine; and 2 Aerojet solid-propellant rocket boosters J57 turbojet: 10,500 pounds-force (47,000 N) of thrust; booster rockets: 130,000 pounds-force (580,000 N) of thrust |
Operational range | 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) |
| Flight ceiling | 50,250 feet (15,320 m) |
| Maximum speed | 565 knots (1,046 km/h; 650 mph) |
Guidance system | astro-inertial guidance with design CEP of 8,000 feet (2,400 m). |
Launch platform | mobile launcher |
The Northrop SM-62 Snark was an early intercontinental range ground-launched cruise missile that could carry a W39 thermonuclear warhead. Though the Snark was in training by the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command from 1958 through 1961, it was only deployed as an operational missile for less than a year during 1961. It represented an important step in weapons technology during the Cold War. The Snark was named by Jack Northrop and took its name from the author Lewis Carroll's character the "snark". The Snark was the longest range surface-to-surface cruise missile ever deployed by the U.S. Air Force. Following the deployment of ICBMs, the Snark was rendered obsolete, and it was removed from deployment in 1961.