LAND-BASED TERRIER U.S. ARMY AND U.S. MARINE CORP BACKGROUND
Compiled by Hank Morris
February 2010
1. In the nearly 60 years since efforts to develop a mobile land-launched version of the Navy TERRIER, initially for the U.S. Army and subsequently for the U.S. Marine Corp when it was dropped by the Army, much history has been lost. I don’t have all of the pieces, but I was involved in the missile aspect of both programs. Perhaps other participants in the programs will recognize the “clues” and will be able to contribute to a more accurate history.
I was employed by General Dynamics, Pomona Division (initially starting at CONVAIR San Diego where Terrier was under development and just entering limited production at missile Serial Number 41. I was with the company from late 1951 until 1962. For three years after leaving General Dynamics, I was West Coast Manager for Belock Instrument Corporation, a major supplier of shipboard fire control systems and missile components. Thereafter, I served with the Naval Ship Missile Systems Engineering Station (later to become Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division).
A brief mention of Land Based Terrier is following excerpt from a history of the Army’s Redstone Arsenal is a small part of the story. It is available at:
Redstone Arsenal Complex Chronology: The Redstone Arsenal Era, 1950-55
Part II
1 July 52 The OCO (Office of the Chief of Ordnance) assigned Redstone Arsenal responsibility for research and development of the TERRIER, a Navy-developed antiaircraft guided missile. The Army planned to used the TERRIER as an interim weapon until the NIKE I (AJAX) became operational.
After NIKE development bypassed the development of a suitable ground control system for this ship-launched missile, Ordnance transferred its TERRIER ground equipment to the Marine Corp.
2. The Army’s application was for the air defense of the Hanford Atomic Works. The use of the U.S. Navy’s TERRIER, at the time not yet operational in the Navy, was an interim to the availability of the NIKE-AJAX. The development effort was carried out by RCA Moorestown NJ and General Dynamics, Pomona Division, Pomona CA.
There are some major differences between the manner in which NIKE-AJAX (and its “big brother”, NIKE-HERCULES) are employed and I believe this aspect may have had some influence on the Army’s technical decision to abandon TERRIER for a land based air defense application. Specifically, TERRIER is launched in the direction and elevation angle of the target and when it solid rocket booster is expended it falls in that direction; it’s a bit more complex than that, but for the sake of comparison, it’s accurate enough. For its normal at-sea application, where the booster falls is of little concern …so long as it’s not on a friendly ship! By contrast, the NIKE-family is launched near vertical and performs a maneuver to result in its booster separating and falling into a pre-planned “booster dump” area, then continuing under its ground-based guidance system.
3. The following is quoted from “RINGS OF SUPERSONIC STEEL, Air Defense of the United States Army 1950 – 1979”, Second Edition 2002, by Mark L. Morgan and Mark A. Berhow.
During the mid-1950s, the Army participated in the development of the Navy’s Terrier (SAM-N-7/RIM-2) shipboard air defense missile system, to the extent of ordering twenty-five for test purposes. In 1952, ARADCOM (Army Air Defense Command) proposed the deployment of two battalions of ground-based Terriers as a defense of the Hanford Atomic Works.
The solid-fueled Terrier was slightly over twenty-seven feet long and was equipped with a 218 lb HE warhead (later versions had nuclear warheads). The missile had a maximum speed of mach 1.8, range of twelve nautical miles, and a maximum effective altitude of 40,000 feet. The system employed beam-riding guidance; the missile flew up the center of the tracking radar’s signal, using minor course corrections to remain within the beam.
The first evaluation missile was test fired from the Naval Ordnance Test Station, Inyokern, CA, on 15 February 1950. The first successful shipboard launch was accomplished in September 1951; in May 1952 Terriers successfully shot down two F6F-5D Hellcat drones. Operational Evaluation commenced in July 1954.
However, by that time the commanding general of ARADCOM had second thoughts about Terrier and, 25 April 1953, declared that the system would not be acquired by the Army. The official reason given was poor test results. The U.S. Marine Corps did acquire the ground based Terrier system and operated two battalions of the missile from 1954 through 1960.
4. From a China Lake Alumni website
http://www.chinalakealumni.org/NOTS.htm “On 1 May 1956 the Marine Corps Guided Missile Test Unit (MCGMTU) consisting of six officers and 45 men was established at China Lake.” One of the USMC Commanding Officers of the MCGMTU, Bruce A. Rushlow, was later an engineer with the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University. He retired from the USMC as a Colonel. The writer, while employed by the Navy, worked with Mr. Rushlow for many years. Regrettably, the writer never had in-depth discussions with Mr. Rushlow regarding USMC Terrier. Mr. Rushlow retired, later succumbing of Alzheimer’s.
5. Another reference to the land-based Terrier is “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World’s Rockets and Missiles” by Bill Gunston. It does not mention the Army application, but has a brief mention of the USMC program on page 200, including a picture of the launcher (mounted to the ground) and mobile side-loader at Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake dated 1957. As a side note on the mobile side loader, one went on to see service at White Sands Missile Range in support of STANDARD Missile firings from a Terrier MK 5 Launcher.
6. Regarding the ground-mounted launcher at China Lake, that was an atypical use of the launcher. There was never a USMC deployment of any but the wheeled launcher. Following the USMC’s termination of their program, some of the wheeled launchers found their way to Point Mugu. A pair with inert Terrier missiles flanked the main entrance of the Headquarters Building of the Naval Ship Missile Systems Engineering Station, Port Hueneme. The tires went flat and eventually the launchers were removed from the carriages and were mounted on concrete pads. They have long since been removed and there is no record regarding their disposal.
During April 2006 the writer was contacted by a former Deputy Commander of Point Mugu regarding identifying a wheeled launcher found in a warehouse; they wanted to scrap it. It was one of the USMC launchers, although painted white. The tires were flat and much of the launcher and its carriage were badly damaged by rust. Internal compartments were cluttered with bird nests and spider webs. In short, it was beyond salvage for a historical display and the decision was made to scrap it.
Over the years the launcher had been used on various projects. At one time it was used for Terrier launches from the beach at Point Mugu, including for a public air show during which there were launches against targets such as drone F6Fs. My recollection is that the Terrier launches were conducted by a Navy crew from China Lake. Incidentally, those personnel were originally from the USS MISSISSIPPI (EAG-128), as part of the crew involved with Terrier testing. Following their China Lake duty, they were reassigned to USS NORTON SOUND (AVM-1).
When I figure out how to insert images, I'll send along a few 1024 x 768 color images of the launcher at Point Mugu on 28 April 2006!!
7. I may be contacted at
morris@jetlink.net.