Regulus cruise missiles but as AShMs

[Geoffrey de Vere]

Really funny idea.
Is it possible with early 1950s to mid-1960s technology?

Here's a cruise missile based on this conception of the Regulus that I conceived for a geopolitics/military roleplay simulation community. Pardon me if specs are unrealistic.

General Information and History​

Name: R–7 Ophan​

Type: Anti-ship cruise missile / anti-ground missile​

Manufacturer: Royal Aircraft Establishment​

Primary users: Saxland and allies​

Status as of latest edit: In use​

Introduced: 1952​

Specifications​

Mass: 5,580 kg​

Length: 11.7 m​

Diameter: 1.5 m​

Wingspan: 6.6 m​

Height: 4.4 m​

Warhead:​

Can be any of the following:​

• 1,500 kg RDX APHECBC shaped charge
• 1,400 kg 50 kt nuclear warhead
• 1,700 kg 1,450 kt nuclear warhead

Detonation Mechanism: Impact and radar proximity fuze​

Propellant/Engine: Eastopolis A-1 turbojet (30 kN), 2x booster rockets (150 kN)​

Max. Speed: Mach 2.6​

Range: 940 km​

Flight Altitude: 1,200 m cruise, 20 m sea-skimming​

Guidance System:​

Location and attitude determination: Inertial guidance​

Initial and midcourse: SACLOS radio-command by ground stations, aircraft, or ships along the flight path​

Terminal: Semi-active radar homing​

Launch Platform: Rail launcher (can be launched from rail arms like those found on the Regulus missile submarines or from modified WW2-era amidships seaplane catapults; can also be launched from coastal artillery stations)​

Description: An early ship-based anti-ship missile used by the Royal Navy.​

 

[Dilandu]

Possible; not practical. "Regulus" with its hangar storage and rail launch would be extremely unconvenient anti-ship missile, as well as too large and heavy for any practical purpose.

 

[Dilandu]

Terminal: Semi-active radar homing

Who would provide target illumination at 940 km range?

Flight Altitude: 1,200 m cruise, 20 m sea-skimming

Doubt that Regulus could sea-skim.

Initial and midcourse: SACLOS radio-command by ground stations, aircraft, or ships along the flight path

So firing it require a lot of additional units placed between launcher and target. Not practical.

Launch Platform: Rail launcher (can be launched from rail arms like those found on the Regulus missile submarines or from modified WW2-era amidships seaplane catapults; can also be launched from coastal artillery stations)

Very obsolete, hard to work with, considering missile weight.

 

[Geoffrey de Vere]

Who would provide target illumination at 940 km range?


Doubt that Regulus could sea-skim.


So firing it require a lot of additional units placed between launcher and target. Not practical.


Very obsolete, hard to work with, considering missile weight.

1. No idea; that's more of a theoretical max range before the thing runs out of fuel and falls into the sea. As for target illumination at combat ranges, that's what fast escorts, fast picket ships, and AEW&C aircraft are for.
2. Could it be programmed into the missile's guidance computer?
3. Not necessarily 'a lot of additional units'. The principle is to allow other friendly craft to take over command guidance of the missile, theoretically enabling beyond-visual-range deployment. Battleship deploys it from amidships catapult -> command cruiser dozens of kilometres away picks up the missile and continues guiding it -> AEW&C aircraft link to the missile and help it reach its destination. I don't know if that's feasible with 1950s or 1960s tech.
4. We can make a lighter Regulus-style missile with a weight of around 4,200 kg but with reduced maximum range and so forth. Should be only a metric tonne or so heavier than a Supermarine Walrus.

 

[Dilandu]

No idea; that's more of a theoretical max range before the thing runs out of fuel and falls into the sea. As for target illumination at combat ranges, that's what fast escorts, fast picket ships, and AEW&C aircraft are for.

Why don't just fire a much smaller, cheaper and simpler missile from those escorts/pickets/planes then?

. Could it be programmed into the missile's guidance computer?

It just wasn't controllable good enough for 20 meters flight. 100-200 meters may be achievablle.

Not necessarily 'a lot of additional units'. The principle is to allow other friendly craft to take over command guidance of the missile, theoretically enabling beyond-visual-range deployment. Battleship deploys it from amidships catapult -> command cruiser dozens of kilometres away picks up the missile and continues guiding it -> AEW&C aircraft link to the missile and help it reach its destination. I don't know if that's feasible with 1950s or 1960s tech.

Why can't those friendly craft just fire the smaller shorter-range missiles themselves?

We can make a lighter Regulus-style missile with a weight of around 4,200 kg but with reduced maximum range and so forth. Should be only a metric tonne or so heavier than a Supermarine Walrus.

It would still be crumblesome, requiring very long flight preparations. Compare with Soviet P-6/P-35, which required only to open launch container & punch in the azimuth and range data.

 

[Geoffrey de Vere]

Why don't just fire a much smaller, cheaper and simpler missile from those escorts/pickets/planes then?


It just wasn't controllable good enough for 20 meters flight. 100-200 meters may be achievablle.


Why can't those friendly craft just fire the smaller shorter-range missiles themselves?


It would still be crumblesome, requiring very long flight preparations. Compare with Soviet P-6/P-35, which required only to open launch container & punch in the azimuth and range data.

Fair enough. Thank you for the feasibility study. Don't worry; I have Styxes in my arsenal, although my light cruisers use them instead.
I originally conceived of this kind of missile to cripple capital ships from afar, but I'm personally unsure if my missiles would be usable for saturation attacks.