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

FROM GUNS TO MISSILES
Figure 43. Bomarc.The Air Force Bomarc was only in service a brief period
of time. (Reprinted from Smithsonian Institution.)
pability), greater reliability, and superior guidance than its
predecessor. Although 1.7 feet shorter than the A model, it
weighed 532 pounds more and could reach slant ranges of 400
nautical miles and almost Mach 4.0. In its most memorable
flight, it intercepted a Regulus II target drone at 100,000 feet,
446 miles from its launch point. That July, the IM-99B became
operational. It carried a nuclear warhead and remained
in service until October 1972. The Air Force deployed just
under 500 Bomarcs in eight sites (of the 40 planned) in the
northeastern United States, and the Canadians deployed a
number at two sites. In all, Boeing built 700 Bomarcs at a cost
of $1.6 billion. 37 89