| MGM-51 Shillelagh | |
|---|---|
 MGM-51 Shillelagh | |
| Type | Surface-to-surface missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Aeronutronic, Martin Marietta |
| Unit cost | from $1938 to $4052[1] |
| Produced | 88,194 from 1964 to 1971[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | MGM-51A: 59.1 lb (26.8 kg) MGM-51B/C:61.3 lb (27.8 kg) |
| Length | MGM-51A: 3 feet 7.7 inches (1.110 m) MGM-51B/C: 3 feet 9.4 inches (1.153 m) |
| Diameter | 6 inches (150 mm) |
| Wingspan | 11.5 inches (290 mm) |
| Warhead | 15 pounds (6.8 kg) Shaped Charge Warhead including 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of Octol Explosive able to defeat 23.62 inches (600 mm) of RHA at 0° obliquity[2] |
Detonation mechanism | detonated on impact[3] |
| Engine | Amoco Chemicals Hercules solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | MGM-51A: 6,600 ft (2,000 m) MGM-51B/C: 10,000 ft (3,000 m) |
| Maximum speed | 1,060 feet per second (320 m/s)[4] |
Guidance system | Infra-red signal link |
Launch platform | Tank (M551 Sheridan, MBT/KPz-70, and M60A2) |
The Ford MGM-51 Shillelagh was an American anti-tank guided missile designed to be launched from a conventional gun (cannon). It was originally intended to be the medium-range portion of a short, medium, and long-range system for armored fighting vehicles in the 1960s and '70s to defeat future armor without an excessively large gun. Developing a system that could fire both shells and missiles reliably proved complex and largely unworkable for the United States.
It was originally developed for the experimental but never produced MBT-70 tank and served most notably as a primary weapon of the M551 Sheridan light tank, but the missile system was not issued to units serving in South Vietnam and was retired in 1996. It was also used on the M60A2 "Starship", which was phased out by 1981. Ultimately, very few of the 88,000 rounds produced were ever fired in combat, and the system was largely succeeded by the later BGM-71 TOW wire-guided missile, which was first produced in 1970. Western forces largely gave up on the gun-launched missile concept, although it remains in use on former Soviet Union designs.
The name of the system is that of a traditional wooden club from Ireland.
- ^ a b "M551 Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle". www.inetres.com.
- ^ Christensen Allan R, et al., TETAM Model Verification Study. Volume II. Modified Representations of Intervisibility
- ^ "Ford MGM-51 Shillelagh". Designation-systems.net. 2002-06-16. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
- ^ R.P.Hunnicutt. Abrams. A History of the American Main Battle Tank, Vol. 2. — Presidio Press, 1990. ISBN 0-89141-388-X