| GAM-87 Skybolt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Air-launched ballistic missile Air-to-surface missile |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft, Northrop |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg) |
| Length | 38 feet 3 inches (11.66 m) |
| Diameter | 35 inches (890 mm) |
| Wingspan | 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) |
| Warhead | W59 thermonuclear weapon (1 megaton) |
| Engine | Aerojet General two-stage solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 1,150 miles (1,850 km) |
| Flight ceiling | 300 miles (480 km) |
| Maximum speed | 9,500 miles per hour (15,300 km/h; Mach 12) |
Guidance system | inertial guidance |
Launch platform | Aircraft |
The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1963 Tri-service system) was a hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed by the United States during the late 1950s. The basic concept was to allow US strategic bombers to launch their weapons from well outside the range of Soviet defenses, as much as 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from their targets. To do this in an air-launched form, a lightweight thermonuclear warhead was needed. Initially, the W47 from the Polaris missile was selected, but it was later replaced by the W59 from the Minuteman missile.
The UK joined the Skybolt program in 1960, intending to use it on their V bomber force. When the design added a star tracker in addition to its inertial navigation system (INS) this meant that it could only be carried externally where the tracker could see the sky. This requirement along with the required ground clearance on takeoff limited it to the Avro Vulcan bomber. Several design decisions in the W47 led the RAF to question its safety, so they intended to use their own Red Snow warheads. This was a heavier warhead and would reduce the range to about 600 miles (970 km), meaning the bombers would have to cross the Soviet coastline to attack Moscow.
Testing began in 1962 and was initially marked by a string of failures. These failures, along with a lack of mission after the successful development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), led to its cancellation in December 1962.[1] The UK had decided to base its entire 1960s deterrent force on Skybolt, and its cancellation led to a major disagreement between the UK and US, known today as the "Skybolt Crisis". This was resolved by a series of meetings that led to the Royal Navy gaining the UGM-27 Polaris missile and construction of the Resolution-class submarines to launch them.