"ACAM" Nord-Aviation 5301 Missile.(1956)

[klem]

France after the war, by embarking on missile research, wanted to catch up with the considerable delay observed on the ground, so it devoted a promotional interest to missiles and in this perspective many projects were undertaken and during the fifties several missile projects were abandoned for budgetary reasons, one of them is the surface-to-air missile Nord 5301 ACAM (Attack Against Medium Aircraft), most of the time an unusual missile. By ministerial decision 4397 DN/CAB/ARM/S of July 13, 1956, 36, a new study of an antiaircraft system (called ACAM) based on medium-range missiles, intended to replace the 90 mm anti-aircraft gun, is launched, the missile has a range of 12 km, it is propelled by a powder booster comprising a non-droppable accelerator, it has an initial mass of 480 kg and carries a load of 35 kg, it is piloted by jet control surfaces. But in 1958, the decision 511 MA/CAB/ARM of August 5, 1958 put an end to the realization of the PARCA program and the continuation of the study of the ACAM is provisionally authorized, it being understood that it must be stopped if a decision is made in favor of the Hawk. the ACAM program, was definitively stopped in June 1959.-(Progress in Rocket, Missile, and Space Carrier Vehicle Testing, Launching, and Tracking Technology Part II: Survey of Facilities Outside the United States* Mitchell R. Sharpe, Jr. and John M. Lowther)-(Comite pour l'Histoire de l'Armement Terrestre . période 1945 - 1975 -Tome 11-SYSTEMES DE MISSILES SOL - AIR . DGA - 1996)

 

[cardonet]

At Paris Air Show, 1959

 

[Dilandu]

Essentially the french Hawk/S-125?

 

[Archibald]

It seems, yes. France ended buying Hawks and did not regreted it - very late in its career (1987) one of them blasted one of Ugly Ghaddafi Tu-22 Blinders out of N'Djamena skies (an East German mercenary pilot was found dead in the cockpit).

 

[Pioneer]

Thank you for bringing the Nord 5301 ACAM missile design to my attention.

Do you have any dimensions of the missile?

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Silencer1]

I would like to knew how ACAM abbreviation wrote on French?
We have now only it's English translation.

 

[dan_inbox]

ACAM is the acronym of (engin d') "attaque contre avion moyen" ie medium (missile) against aircraft.
It was originally started by Arsenal which was later absorbed by SNCAN Nord-Aviation.

 

[Archibald]

Attaque Contre Avion Moyen (literally: Attack Against Aircraft Medium)
Medium / moyen probably relates to altitude: can't see why it would apply to (target) size ?
COMAERO is a minegold - as usual.

Seems that Nord 5301 ACAM was related to the better known 5103 AAM. Both members of the AA-20 / AS-30 / AS 37 Martel and Exocet (39) extended family of missiles.

 

[dan_inbox]

Medium / moyen probably relates to altitude: can't see why it would apply to (target) size ?

IMO, it's not target size, but missile size. Medium-sized surface-to-air missile
It summarize the abilities in range/alt/etc.

Besides, if it was referring to altitude, in French it would be "moyenne" because altitude is feminine.

 

[cardonet]

Thank you for bringing the Nord 5301 ACAM missile design to my attention.

Do you have any dimensions of the missile?

Regards
Pioneer

 

[cardonet]

Attaque Contre Avion Moyen (literally: Attack Against Aircraft Medium)
Medium / moyen probably relates to altitude: can't see why it would apply to (target) size ?
COMAERO is a minegold - as usual.

Seems that Nord 5301 ACAM was related to the better known 5103 AAM. Both members of the AA-20 / AS-30 / AS 37 Martel and Exocet (39) extended family of missiles.

The AS-30 used the sustainer developed for the ACAM.
(see COMAERO 03 "Les missiles tactiques", p.32 or p.141)

 

[klem]

Attaque Contre Avion Moyen (literally: Attack Against Aircraft Medium)
Medium / moyen probably relates to altitude: can't see why it would apply to (target) size ?
COMAERO is a minegold - as usual.

Seems that Nord 5301 ACAM was related to the better known 5103 AAM. Both members of the AA-20 / AS-30 / AS 37 Martel and Exocet (39) extended family of missiles.

The AS-30 used the sustainer developed for the ACAM.
(see COMAERO 03 "Les missiles tactiques", p.32 or p.141)

Indeed p.32, COMAERO 03 "Les missiles tactiques"", -Translation- (Nord-Aviation was responsible for developing the Nord 5301 missile, which was an extrapolation of the Nord 5103 (starting mass of 480 kg); the CFTH was responsible for the radar to automatic remote guidance Despite the decision to stop on August 4, 1958, the last two test campaigns of this manually guided missile took place between October 1958 and March 1959. From this study, only the cruising thruster and the diameter of the missile then adopted for the AS 30.)

 

[klem]

Some data on the ACAM missile in AAAF (Association Aeronautique et Astronautique de France-Fusées des années 40-50)