MGR-1 Honest John

MGR-1 Honest John
MGR-1A (M31 series) "Honest John" rocket on the M386 transporter/launcher truck of the Royal Netherlands Army
TypeNuclear-capable surface-to-surface rocket
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1953–91
Used byBelgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, and US
WarsCold War
Production history
ManufacturerDouglas Aircraft Company
No. built7000+
VariantsMGR-1A, MGR-1B, MGR-1C
Specifications (MGR-1A[2])
Mass5,820 lb (2,640 kg)
Length27 ft 3 in (8.30 m)
Diameter30 inches (760 mm)
Wingspan9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)

EngineHercules M6 solid-fueled rocket
99,000 lbf (441 kN)
PropellantDouble base solid propellant[1]
Operational
range
3.4–15.4 mi (5.5–24.8 km)
Flight ceiling30,000 ft (9 km)+
Maximum speed Mach 2.3

The MGR-1 Honest John rocket was the first nuclear-capable surface-to-surface rocket in the United States arsenal.[notes 1] Originally designated Artillery Rocket XM31, the first unit was tested on 29 June 1951, with the first production rounds delivered in January 1953. Its designation was changed to M31 in September 1953. The first Army units received their rockets by year's end and Honest John battalions were deployed in Europe in early 1954. Alternatively, the rocket was capable of carrying an ordinary high-explosive warhead weighing 1,500 pounds (680 kg).

  1. ^ "Solid". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Mark Wade. 2019. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2019. The X-201 [...] was the forerunner of an entire family of related propulsion units that served as boosters for the Nike, Terrier, Talos, and Honest John missiles.
  2. ^ "Honest John". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Mark Wade. 2003. Archived from the original on 11 October 2004. Retrieved 19 December 2019. Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!


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