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MGR-1 Honest John | |
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![]() MGR-1A (M31 series) "Honest John" rocket on the M386 transporter/launcher truck of the Royal Netherlands Army | |
Type | Nuclear-capable surface-to-surface rocket |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1953–91 |
Used by | Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, and US |
Wars | Cold War |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
No. built | 7000+ |
Variants | MGR-1A, MGR-1B, MGR-1C |
Specifications (MGR-1A[2]) | |
Mass | 5,820 lb (2,640 kg) |
Length | 27 ft 3 in (8.30 m) |
Diameter | 30 inches (760 mm) |
Wingspan | 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) |
Engine | Hercules M6 solid-fueled rocket 99,000 lbf (441 kN) |
Propellant | Double base solid propellant[1] |
Operational range | 3.4–15.4 mi (5.5–24.8 km) |
Flight ceiling | 30,000 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).
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.
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
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