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

FROM GUNS TO MISSILES
Figure 48. Mauler. The Mauler was another Army antiaircraft missile
system that failed to reach operational status. (Reprinted from Redstone
Arsenal.)
Hawk volume.” 47 It couldn’t be done, at least not within a reasonable
time and at a reasonable cost. By late 1964, the program
had lost support at the Department of the Army and Office
of the Secretary of Defense levels. Although Mauler was assessed
to be superior to Hawk on measures of mobility, reaction
time, and fewer vehicles and personnel, it was “exceedingly expensive.”
The historian of the project defends the Mauler, stating
that it had no more problems than other complex missile
programs. He summarizes that “the project was plagued by inadequate
funding, a lack of a firm and timely guidance from
higher headquarters, changes and compromises in military requirements,
unsolved technical problems, and a gradual loss
of confidence in both the contractor and the weapon system.” 48
Perhaps a more balanced assessment is that the goals were
too ambitious, the available technology was inadequate, and
the program lacked clear direction and support. The record
shows that development costs had risen from the original $78
million to $380 million, and the readiness date slipped six
years. The secretary of defense killed Mauler in July 1965. The
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