Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

FROM GUNS TO MISSILES
Airmen test-fired about 100 of these missiles. Two other AAF
projects were the University of Michigan’s Wizard and General
Electric’s Thumper, both designed to reach ranges of 550 miles
and altitudes of 500,000 feet. In 1947, the USAF relegated the
two antiballistic missile projects to “prolonged study” status.
By March 1948, the Air Force canceled Thumper. Wizard continued
as a study, but Boeing replaced the GAPA project with
Bomarc (Boeing, University of Michigan Aeronautical Research
Center) in 1949 (fig. 43). 34
These efforts emersed the Army and Air Force into a roles
and missions battle. 35 While the missile field had been divided
along the lines of ballistic missiles (Army) and aerodynamic
missiles (Air Force), this arrangement mutated into a division
according to range, point or tactical defense (Army), and area
or long-range defense (Air Force). As a result, the Navy’s Talos
missile, which the USAF was adopting for ground-based point
defense, was given to the Army. This was formalized by Secretary
of Defense Charles E. Wilson in November 1956. 36 Bomarc
fit into this scheme, as it was powered by ramjets that required
atmosphere air, had wings and aerodynamic controls, and had
a longer range than the Nike series. In January 1950, the Air
Force killed GAPA and replaced it with the Bomarc project. It
was essentially an unmanned aircraft. In fact, the Airmen initially
designated the missile XF-99 (later changed to IM-99
[Interceptor Missile]) as it would any experimental fighter.
Bomarc had the appearance, size (46.8-foot length, 18-foot
span), and weight (15,500 pounds). It was radio-controlled
with an active radar-homing device.
The USAF began testing the IM-99A in 1952 but did not accomplish
its first successful launch, without ramjets, until October
1954. The missile’s test record was poor, as fewer than
40 percent of 134 Bomarc A launches met their objectives.
Nevertheless, in 1958 a Bomarc completed an interception located
1,500 miles away from its controllers. Two years later,
the missile became operational. Bomarc employed a solid fuel
booster and two ramjet sustainer engines to reach Mach 2.5
and a 125-mile range. The USAF first fired the B model,
boosted by a solid fuel booster, in May 1959. The B had better
performance (increased range and improved low-altitude ca-
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