Thursday, November 20, 2008

AGM-86

IOC: 1982
Total Production: 1,739
Total Program's Cost: USD$1.7 billion

AGM-86B ALCM

Unitary Cost: USD$1.0 million

Also Known As
Air Launched Cruise Missile

Origin
United States of America

Contractor/s
Boeing

Applications
B-52H Stratofortress

Family Members
AGM-86C CALCM
AGM-86D CALCM

Description: The AGM-86 is an air launched subsonic cruise missile developed to increase effectiveness of B-52 bombers during the Cold War. It entered active service in the US Air Force in 1982 and 1,739 AGM-86s were produced through September 1986. The conventional AGM-86 missile was used in combat for the first time in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Afterward it was tested in Operation Desert Fox, Desert Strike, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The AGM-86 is the longest range conventional armed missile in the US Air Force inventory and provides the B-52 with the capability to accurately strike nearly any target in the world, without the support of bases located outside the continental United States.

The AGM-86B ALCM (Air Launched Conventional Missile) is armed with a nuclear warhead and can be carried and launched internally and externally from the B-52H bomber. Its long range allows the B-52H to operate out of the enemy air defenses while AGM-86B's cruise flight profile makes itself survivable against the air defenses. The navigation system consists of a terrain-correlation system which provides location updates in flight.

The US Air Force plans to convert part of existing nuclear-armed AGM-86Bs to conventionally-armed AGM-86C/D configurations.

Specifications
Dimensions: Diameter 620 mm, Length 6.3 m, Width 3.7 m

Weights: Max Weight 1,429 kg (3,150 lb)

Engine/s Performance: Thrust 600 lb (272 kg)

Performance: Max Range 2,450 km (1,323 nm), Top Speed 242 mps (Mach 0.73)

Yield: 150 kiloton

News
Boeing Delivers First Production Cruise Missile Test Instrumentation Kit

Operators

United States of America / 1,142

Image Gallery

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, October 25, 2008

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