Field ArTillery - US Army Center Of Military History

224 The OrganizaTiOnal hisTOry Of field arTillery
related to accuracy and range. The missile was to have a circular error probable 32
of not more than 5 yards (4.6 meters), a requirement that made the development
of its guidance system the most difficult aspect. Its range was to fall between a
minimum of 1,000 yards (914.4 meters) and a maximum of 20,000 yards (18,288
meters), with anti-jamming and in-flight self-destruct devices to be incorporated
into the design. 33
In late 1949, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the Army would have
responsibility for ground-launched short-range surface-to-surface missiles supplanting
or extending the capabilities of conventional artillery. The Navy-sponsored
Lacrosse missile thus moved to the Army on 31 August 1950. 34
With the impetus of the Korean War and increased support by the Army, development
of the Lacrosse was stepped up. In time, however, myriad problems—
funding restrictions, unsolved technical problems, poor management, schedule
slippages, cost overages, mounting user criticism, and declining confidence in
tactical utility—surfaced that plagued progress for almost nine years. 35 Also,
significant changes were made in the requirements: an increase in warhead weight
from 100 to 500 pounds; an increase in minimum and maximum ranges; a decision
to use a solid propellant motor; and a decision to adapt both atomic and optimum
fragmentation warheads for the missile, permitting employment of the system in a
general-support role. The statement of military characteris tics for a close-support
field artillery guided missile system approved in January 1956 was in effect less
than three months when the Army reclas sified the weapon as a general-support
field artillery guided missile system. The revised military charac teristics, published
on 13 June 1957, stated that the missile was to be employed as corps artillery in
general-support and reinforcing roles against appropriate personnel and materiel
targets, including heavy fortifications. It also was to be capable of delivering accurate
close-support fire and have sufficient mobility to permit tactical employment
similar to that of medium artillery. Under the new operational concept, the
forward observer section was to be organized and equipped to work with division
artillery in support of airborne, infantry, and armor units, and all forward observer
guidance equipment was to be man-transportable. The new military characteristics
required modifi cations of certain performance characteris tics, further delaying
the program. 36
To resolve the electronic countermeasure problem, the Army decided in early
1956 to develop the Mod I (Modification I) Lacrosse system using all-pulse ranging
and tracking techniques. This effort was never completed because of meager
funding and other difficulties. When the Army conducted a complete review of the
program in 1959, the study showed that twelve Mod I Lacrosse battalions would
32 Circular error probable (CEP) is an indicator of the accuracy of a missile or projectile, used as
a factor in determining probable damage to a target. It is the radius of a circle within which half of
the missiles/projectiles are expected to fall.
33 Cagle, “History of the Lacrosse,” pp. 2–3, AMCOM files and copy in CMH files.
34 Ibid., pp. 16–17, AMCOM files and copy in CMH files.
35 Ibid., p. 19, AMCOM files and copy in CMH files.
36 Ibid., pp. 46–50, 199–211, 213–29, AMCOM files and copy in CMH files.