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MGM-52 Lance
MGM-52 Lance
MGM-52 Lance missile on display at White Sands Missile Range Museum, New Mexico, next to M752 Self-Propelled Launcher.
Type Tactical ballistic missile
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service 1972–1992
Used by U.S. Army, Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, and West Germany
Production history
Manufacturer LTV
Unit cost ~US$800K (1996 dollars)[1]
~US$1.3 million (2016)[2]
No. built 2,133[3]
Specifications
Mass 1,285–1,527 kg (2,850–3,367 lbs) depending on warhead[3]
Length 6.1m (20 ft)
Diameter 56 cm (22 in)
Warhead 1 W70 nuclear or M251 high explosive submunitions[3]
Blast yield 1–100 kt

Engine Liquid-propellant rocket
Operational
range
70 km (45 mi) to 120 km (75 mi), depending on warhead[3]
Maximum speed >Mach 3
Guidance
system
inertial guidance

The MGM-52 Lance is a mobile field artillery tactical surface-to-surface missile (tactical ballistic missile) system used to provide both nuclear and conventional fire support to the United States Army. The missile's warhead was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It was replaced by MGM-140 ATACMS, which was initially intended to likewise have a nuclear capability during the Cold War.[4]

Deployment[]

The first Lance missiles were deployed in 1972, replacing (together with the US-Navy's nuclear-tipped RIM-2D & RIM-8E/B/D) the earlier Honest John rocket and Sergeant SRBM ballistic missile, greatly reducing the weight and bulk of the system, while improving both accuracy and mobility.[3]

A Lance battery (two fire units) consisted of two M752 launchers (one missile each) and two M688 auxiliary vehicles (two missiles each), for a total six missiles; the firing rate per unit was approximately three missiles per hour. The launch vehicles were also able to carry and launch the MGR-1 Honest John with a special kit for operational war-zone mission-dependent flexibility.[3]

Payload[]

The payload consisted either of a W70 nuclear warhead with a yield of 1–100 kt or a variety of conventional munitions. The W70-3 nuclear warhead version was one of the first warheads to be battlefield-ready with an "enhanced radiation" (neutron bomb) capability. Conventional munitions included single conventional shaped-charge warhead for penetrating hard targets and for bunker busting or a cluster configuration containing 822 M74 bomblets for anti-personnel and anti-materiel uses. The original design considered a chemical weapon warhead option, but this development was cancelled in 1970.

Deactivation[]

The Lance missile was removed from service following the end of the Cold War and was partially replaced in the conventional role by the MGM-140 ATACMS.[5]

Operators[]

[6][7]

MGM-52 operators

Map with former MGM-52 operators in red

Former operators[]

United States United States Army

Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom British Army

Flag of Israel Israel Israeli Defence Forces

Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands Royal Netherlands Army

  • 129th Artillery Battalion (1979–1992)

Flag of Belgium (civil) Belgium Belgian Land Component

  • 3rd Artillery Battalion (1977-1992)

Flag of Italy Italy Italian Army

Flag of Germany Germany German Army

  • 150th Rocket Artillery Battalion
  • 250th Rocket Artillery Battalion
  • 350th Rocket Artillery Battalion
  • 650th Rocket Artillery Battalion

See also[]

References[]

External links[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at MGM-52 Lance and the edit history here.
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