| SSM-A-23 Dart | |
|---|---|
 XSSM-A-23 prototype | |
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States Army |
| Specifications (XSSM-A-23) | |
| Mass | 100 lb (45 kg) |
| Length | 5 ft (150 cm) |
| Diameter | 8 in (200 mm) |
| Wingspan | 3 ft 4 in (1.02 m) |
| Warhead | Shaped charge |
| Engine | Dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket |
| Propellant | Solid fuel |
Operational range | 3,333 yd (1.894 mi; 3.048 km) |
| Maximum speed | 900 ft/s (610 mph; 990 km/h) |
Guidance system | Manual command to line of sight |
| References | Parsch 2003,[1] Jacobs and Whitney 1962[2] |
TheXSSM-A-23 Dart was ananti-tank-guided missile developed for theUnited States Army in the 1950s. After protracted development, the missile, similar in design to the FrenchSS.10, was cancelled in favor of purchasing theSS.11 missile.
The initial requirement for a guided anti-tank missile, intended for the replacement ofrecoilless rifles andBazookas in the role,[3] was issued by the U.S. Army in 1951;[4] that November,[5] theAerophysics Development Corporation responded with a proposal for awire-guided missile, similar in concept and configuration to theSS.10 missile being developed in France.[2] After evaluating the SS.10 in 1952–53,[1] the Army issued a contract for the full development of the Aerophysics Development missile, designated SSM-A-23 Dart, in April 1953.[4]
The SSM-A-23 was of conventional configuration for an anti-tank missile of the time, havingcruciform wings and stabilizing fins,[3] withspoilerons providing control;[1] a dual-thrustsolid-propellant rocket produced by theGrand Central Rocket Company provided thrust.[3] The launcher for the missile was mounted on a variant of theM59 armored personnel carrier designated T149;[6] helicopter launching was also considered as a possibility.[4] Guidance was bymanual command to line of sight, the missile operator following asodium flare in the tail of the missile and guiding the missile to the target with commandssent by a wire that spooled from the missile during flight.[3] Due to difficulties experienced in testing to ensure accuracy, aninfrared seeker was proposed for terminal homing.[4] The missile was fitted with ashaped charge warhead intended to defeat the armor of enemy tanks.[1]
During the development of the Dart, Aerophysics Development was acquired by theStudebaker-Packard Corporation,[7] the purchase taking place in December 1954.Curtiss-Wright then acquired the company as part of a larger deal with Studebaker-Packard in August 1956.[8]
The first launch trials of the XSSM-A-23 prototype missiles took place in August 1954; over the next year, forty additional tests took place. These proved less than satisfactory; by 1957, the Dart was still not ready for service, and it was believed that Aerophysics Development had overextended itself with technical challenges involved in the missile's development.[1] Accordingly, the program was extended, with some of the Army's requirements being relaxed; however, in September 1958 the program was determined to be too far behind schedule and too far over budget to be successful, and the contract for the Dart was cancelled.[2][4] The Army adopted the SS.10, designated MGM-21, and theSS.11, designated AGM-22, in its stead.[2] The program had cost $44 million in 1955 dollars.[9]
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