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ATACMS

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox weapon

The MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS Template:IPAc-en) is a supersonic tactical ballistic missile designed and manufactured by the American defense company Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), and later, through acquisitions, Lockheed Martin.

The missile uses solid propellant and is Template:Convert long and Template:Convert in diameter, and the longest-range variants can fly up to Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It can be fired from the tracked M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the wheeled M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

An ATACMS launch container (pod) has one rocket but a lid patterned with six circles like a standard MLRS rocket lid to prevent an enemy from discerning what type of missile is loaded.<ref name="military-today" />

History

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Pre-development

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The concept of a conventional tactical ballistic missile was made possible by the doctrinal shift of the late Cold War, which rejected the indispensability of an early nuclear strike on the Warsaw Pact forces in the event the Cold War went hot.<ref name="Romanczuk">Template:Cite report</ref> The AirLand Battle and Follow-on Forces Attack doctrines, which emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, necessitated a conventional-armed (hence much more accurate) missile to strike enemy reserves, so the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command sponsored the Simplified Inertial Guidance Demonstrator (SIG-D) program.<ref name="Romanczuk" />

Within this program, Ling-Temco-Vought developed a solid-fuel analog of the MGM-52 Lance missile, designated T-22,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with a new RLG-based inertial guidance package, which demonstrated unprecedented accuracy.<ref name="Romanczuk" /> In 1978, DARPA started the Assault Breaker technology demonstration program to attack armor formations with many mobile hard targets at standoff ranges. It used the T-22 missile and the Patriot-based Martin Marietta T-16 missile with cluster warheads.

In March 1980 the U.S. Army decided to replace the Lance with a similar nuclear, but also chemical or biological, tipped solid-fuel missile with simplified usability dubbed the Corps Support Weapon System (CSWS). In a year, concerned about the fact Army started to develop the weapon with a similar objectives to interdict the second-echelon massed targets to already developing by USAF's Conventional Standoff Weapon (CSW) program with only difference of surface/air-launched and both positioned as the part of same Short Range Nuclear Forces of Non-Strategic Nuclear Force Program, the Department of Defense subdued CSWS Project Office (Provisional) to MICOM renaming it to the System Development Office. That new office acquired the Assault Breaker effort thus started to manage the Assault Breaker and CSWS efforts together, that way slowly summing up and moving forward the weapon development progress for the JTACMS program to be сreated.<ref name="history.redstone.army.mil">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Google books</ref>

Development

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Development of the missile now known as ATACMS started in 1980, when the U.S. Army decided to replace the Lance with a similar nuclear, but also chemical or biological, tipped solid-fuel missile dubbed the Corps Support Weapon System (CSWS). Concerned that two branches were developing too many similar missiles with different warheads, the Department of Defense merged the program with DARPA's Assault Breaker in 1981, and with United States Air Force (USAF)'s Conventional Standoff Weapon (CSW) in 1982–1983.<ref name="history.redstone.army.mil" />

The new missile system, designated Joint Tactical Missile System (JTACMS), soon encountered USAF resistance to the idea of an air-launched ballistic missile. As a result, in 1984 the USAF ended its participation in the non-cruise missile portion of the program, leading to the missile being re-designated as the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).<ref name="history.redstone.army.mil"/>

Details

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In fiscal year 1982, the United States House Committee on Appropriations approved the Corps Support Weapon System (CSWS) program, which was the successor to the US Army Assault Breaker program in cooperation with DARPA, was merged with the Conventional Standoff Weapon (CSW) US Air Force and renamed the Joint Tactical Missile System (JTACMS), the goal of which was to create a weapon that meets the combined requirements of both programs, namely, that it can attack and destroy the second-echelon of enemy forces, in particular armored vehicles, and scatter submunitions against such vehicles. In this project, it was planned to use the technologies of Assault Breaker to develop a surface-to-surface weapon system, which should be used for the so-called "deep interdiction" (some sort of preventive measure, the prototype of which is air interdiction used by air force) – by which is meant the destruction or causing significant damage by the joint activity of air and ground forces to the specific distant from the front line targets, such as buildings, bridges, oil refineries and other industry, that way slowing down logistics and/or providing and/or supporting and, therefore, advancing enemy troops with the aim of tactical, even albeit short-term, superiority of allied troops, which can significantly affect the military theater in a positive way,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> – using conventional or nuclear weapons on the battlefield. Although both services were to participate in the development of the weapon, it was the US Army who led the JTACMS program.<ref>Template:Google books</ref><ref>Template:Google books</ref>

The program was initially led by Colonel James B. Lincoln, who was a full-time and continuous student at numerous military schools (from 1960, when he graduated from the United States Military Academy, until 1980, when he graduated from Industrial College of the Armed Forces),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 1977 on the basis of Defense Systems Management College graduated with a thesis of "Managing Total Acquisition Time: A New Priority for Major Weapon Systems", where, in particular, he focused on the significant decrease in the pace of procurement of the main missile complexes compared to 1971<ref>Template:Google books</ref> and in 1980, heading the TRADOC program at Fort Sill in the direction of MLRS, spoke rather defiantly about field army systems, where, in particular, he compared the struggle of the US Army for limited resources during the development of new systems with bow wave, which prevents the ship from accelerating, and military projects are either canceled or refinanced by the state, with waves diverging from it,<ref>Template:Google books</ref> and was noticed by DARCOM.<ref>Template:Google books</ref> In April 1984, he was transferred to be the head of the TOW project, and in the current project he was replaced by Colonel William J. Fiorentino, who by that time had already been the head of the Pershing Project Manager's Office for more than 5 years, which during his leadership developed two-stage solid fuel mobile-launched ballistic missiles with a nuclear warhead both short (Pershing) and medium (Pershing II) ranged.<ref>Template:Google books</ref> Dr. Billy Tidwell who was program manager during JTACMS while and Acting Program Manager for a short period.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In FY 1984 Congress prohibited the development of a nuclear warhead for JTACMS, despite the Army claiming it could place US forces at a disadvantage if it became necessary to make the system nuclear-capable. In FY 1985 the Army denied having R&D funds programmed for the development of a JTACMS nuclear warhead.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

On May, 22th, 1984 the U.S. Army and USAF signed an agreeing on a list of 31 initiatives. Item 18 on that list states about services will develop a different types of same rocket for each of it – preferences for Army was a development of shorter-ranged ground-launched system, for air-force – air-launched system.<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite book</ref>

JTACMS was intended to be a jointly funded program with NATO allies; the United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy were initially contacted about joining the program, with the British and Germans expressing interest, while the others declined due to lacking adequate funds.<ref name="auto2"/>

Starting from at least the end of year 1986, the ATACMS program was led by Colonel Thomas J. Kunhart.<ref>Template:Google books</ref>

Production

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In March 1986, Ling-Temco-Vought won the contract for the missile design. The system was assigned the MGM-140 designation. The first test launch came two years later, thanks to earlier experience of the company with previous programs.

In 2007, the U.S. Army terminated the ATACMS program due to cost, ending the ability to replenish stocks. To sustain the remaining inventory, the ATACMS Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) was launched, which refurbishes or replaces propulsion and navigation systems, replaces cluster munition warheads with the unitary blast fragmentation warhead, and adds a proximity fuze option to obtain area effects. Deliveries were projected to start in 2018. The ATACMS SLEP is a bridging initiative to provide time to complete analysis and development of a successor capability to the aging ATACMS stockpile, which could be ready around 2022.Template:Update inline<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 authorized the production and procurement of up to 1,700 additional ATACMS, but this was not funded by the 2023 Defense Appropriations Act.<ref name="Altman 2023 l764">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="NDAA 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Update inline

Stockpile upgrades

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In January 2015, Lockheed Martin received a contract to develop and test new hardware for Block I ATACMS missiles to eliminate the risk of unexploded ordnance by 2016.<ref name="armyreco8jan15" /><ref name="armedint8jan15" /> The first modernized Tactical Missile System (TACMS) was delivered in September 2016 with updated guidance electronics and added capability to defeat area targets using a unitary warhead, without leaving behind unexploded ordnance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lockheed was awarded a production contract for launch assemblies as part of the SLEP in August 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, Lockheed Martin was contracted to upgrade existing M39 munitions to the M57 variant with a WDU-18/B warhead from the Harpoon missile by 2024.<ref name=militaryaerospace-m57>Template:Cite web</ref>

A plan announced in October 2016 to add an existing seeker to enable the ATACMS to strike moving targets on land and at sea<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was terminated in December 2020 to pursue other missile efforts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Replacement

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Starting in 2016, in view of some lagging in the world arms race, where ATACMS had become outdated, Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) began to be developed,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was later renamed Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), with the idea of replacing ATACMS missiles with the "Increment 1" phase (version) of PrSM.<ref name="Turner" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That exact replacement began to fill the U.S. Army in late 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Versions

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  • M39 (Block I) – missile with inertial guidance. It carries 950 M74 anti-personnel and anti‑materiel (APAM<ref name="auto">Template:Cite book</ref>) bomblets, each about the size of a baseball<ref name="The New York Times 2023 v108">Template:Cite web</ref> and weighing Template:Cvt,<ref name="FAS M39"/> which are dispersed across a circular area approximately Template:Convert in diameter, and effective against parked aircraft, ammunition dumps, air defense systems, and gatherings of personnel, but not against armored vehicles.<ref name="Trevithick Rogoway 2023 y033">Template:Cite web</ref> The size of the affected area can be changed by modifying the height at which the payload is released.<ref name="Newdick 2023 m473">Template:Cite web</ref> Range of Block I is 25–165 km (15-100 mi).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The M74 has a reported failure rate of 2%.<ref name="Human Rights Watch 2003 d644">Template:Cite web</ref>
  • M39A1 (Block IA) – missile with GPS-aided guidance. It carries 300 M74 bomblets. There were 610 produced between 1997 and 2003. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, 74 were expended.<ref name="Turner">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Marine Corps Gazette">Template:Cite journal</ref> As of 2021, the remaining ones were being updated to M57E1 standard.<ref name="MOD">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Keller">Template:Cite web</ref> Range: Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • M39A2 (Block II) missile used to dispense Brilliant Anti-armour Technology (BAT) submunitions. Has the same INS/GPS guidance system as the M39A1 and carries 13 BAT submunitions in the enlarged warhead section.<ref name="cat-uxo.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="popularmechanics.com"/>
  • M48 (Block I/Block 1 Unitary) is a variant of ATACMS Block IA, containing the Quick Reaction Unitary (QRU) warhead.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It carries the Template:Convert WDU-18/B penetrating high explosive blast fragmentation warhead of the Harpoon anti-ship missile, which was packaged into the newly designed WAU-23/B warhead section. There were 176 produced between 2001 and 2004, when production ceased in favor of the M57. Operational since 2002.<ref name="MGM-140 Atacms">Template:Cite web</ref> During Operation Iraqi Freedom, 16 were launched, and a further 42 during Operation Enduring Freedom.<ref name="Turner"/><ref name="Marine Corps Gazette"/> The remaining ones are in the US Army and US Marine Corps' arsenal. Range: Template:Convert.
  • M57 (Block IA/Block 1A Quick Reaction Unitary, TACMS 2000 or T2K) – is, in fact, same missile as M48, with production costs reduced by up to $100,000 per missile via the "TACMS 2000" program.<ref name="Lockheed Martin MGM-168 ATACMS Bloc">Template:Cite web</ref> M39A1-based upgraded missile with GPS-aided guidance. It carries the same WAU-23/B warhead section as the M48. There were 513 produced between 2004 and 2013.<ref name="Turner"/><ref name="Marine Corps Gazette"/> Accuracy is Template:Cvt CEP (Circular Error Probable). Range: Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • M57E1 (ATACMS MOD or MOD [modification, modified]) – upgraded M39 and M39A1 with re-grained motor, updated navigation and guidance software and hardware, and a WAU-23/B warhead section instead of the M74 bomblets. This variant includes a proximity sensor for airburst detonation.<ref name="MOD"/> Production commenced in 2017 with an initial order for 220.<ref name="Turner"/><ref name="Marine Corps Gazette"/>
  • NATACMS – a ship-launched ATACMS variant for the U.S. Navy, was under development in the 1990s and was tested twice in early 1995: first from the ground at the White Sands Missile Range, and then from the flight deck of Template:USS using a modified Army M270 tracked vehicle at a target 75 nautical miles (86 mi) distant on San Clemente Island off Southern California. The last testing missile carried 730 Mk 74 (probably meaning M74 munition) submunitions. Despite all test objectives being met, or even exceeded, development was later cancelled for unknown reasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Lockheed Martin MGM-140 ATACMS">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • SLATACMS – A projected Sea-Launched ATACMS variant of the Army Block IA missile for undersea operations with a maximum launch depth limit of 175 feet, identical warhead,<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite book</ref> same diameter and only dimensional changes of length from 156.5" to 199", for fins to be folded within a smaller envelope and the addition of a fin module, which had to be jettisoned after broach and before motor ignition, behind the boattail for stability during underwater flight, – to fit primarily within the most advanced (688i, FLTIII/Flight III) design of Los Angeles-class submarine vertical launching system (VLS) capsules, having 12 of such ones onboard. Its history began when USN Strategic System Program Office authorized a study in June 1995<ref name="auto1"/> to evaluate undersea cold launch capability of MGM-140A from submarines. However, on the Hearings on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 held on March, 1996, become known that USN plan to use not only APAM but also a BAT (Brilliant Anti-Tank) munitions payload,<ref name="auto"/> and when Lockheed Martin presented SLATACMS press-release at August, 1996, there was already described Block IA missile as a base modification specimen for the SLATACMS. Choosing a submarine VLS as the appropriate launcher, that was designed by default for Tomahawk missile, which have ~x1,5 length of SLATACMS, exclusively, had led to the creation of a unique combined missile and launch capsule as an all-up-round (AUR) or SLATACMS AUR, which with SLATACMS inside fits the submarine's Tomahawk-designed VLS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Comparison

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Template:Multiple issues

SpecificationsTemplate:R
M39 Block I M39A1 Block I M48 QRU M57 Block IA Unitary
Mass Template:Cvt Template:Cvt (est) Unknown Unknown
Length Template:Cvt
Diameter Template:Cvt
Guidance
type 		INS GPS aided INS
Warhead 950 x M74 bombletsTemplate:Refn 300 x M74 bomblets WAU-23/B unitary warhead
Warhead
weight 		Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Template:Cvt
Fuze M74 APAM bomblets each initiated by an M219A1E1 fuze FMU 141/B point detonating fuze Tri-mode (point detonating, proximity, and delay) fuze
Motor Solid-propellant rocket motor
Max speed Template:Cvt Unknown Unknown Unknown
Min range Template:Cvt Template:Cvt
Max range Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Template:Cvt

Operation

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The ATACMS was first used in combat in 1991: 32 were fired from the M270 MLRS during Operation Desert Storm.<ref>[Source, DoD, Conduct of the Persian Gulf War, April 1992, p. 753.]</ref> In 2003, more than 450 were fired in Operation Iraqi Freedom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By early 2015, more than 560 ATACMS missiles had been used in combat.<ref name="armyreco8jan15" /><ref name="armedint8jan15" />

Starting from October 2023 Ukraine began using the earliest (short-ranged) versions of ATACMS during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref name="Court 2023 l481">Template:Cite web</ref> These missiles were meant to threaten the Russian-occupied "land corridor" to Crimea in the southern part of Ukraine<ref name="Brennan 2023 i217">Template:Cite web</ref> as well as the vast majority of the Russian-operated air bases in the north of Crimea, which would theoretically complicate Russia's use of attack helicopters from those bases against Ukrainian targets.<ref name="Forbes 101723">Template:Cite news</ref> The first recorded Ukrainian ATACMS strikes destroyed numerous Russian Military helicopters on the ground, confirmed by satellite imagery and video from the ground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Starting from 19 February 2024 there were rumors about possible near-future use of later (longer-ranged) versions of ATACMS by Ukraine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which were shortly proven correct when an ATACMS missile attack on the Russian-occupied Dzhankoi air base resulted in six main explosions and several reported secondary explosions. The base was positioned much further than earlier versions of ATACMS' strike range from Ukraine-controlled territory.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was then officially confirmed when U.S. officials revealed Ukraine had already received and deployed the missiles to a combat-ready status a month prior.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>tagesschau.de 21. April 2024: Waffen könnten nun schnell geliefert werden</ref><ref name="apnews.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>US will ‘continue to provide' ATACMS to Ukraine, national security advisor says. Defense One. 25 April 2024.</ref><ref>Sullivan says Ukraine supplemental should cover all of 2024, long-range ATACMS now in Ukraine. Breaking Defense. 24 April 2024.</ref> These strikes with longer-range ATACMS deeper into Crimea destroyed components of Russian air defense systems, such as launchers part of the S-300 or S-400, along with destroying Russian Military aircraft on the ground, such as two MiG-31 interceptors, confirmed by satellite and ground imagery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

ATACMS has shown an ability to destroy air defense sites, and was used to destroy an active Russian S-300 or S-400 site. Drone footage showed the air defense system launching interceptors before the cluster submunitions of ATACMS impacted, causing numerous detonations of air defense system components such as launchers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 23 June 2024 an incident occurred during an attack on Sevastopol, where Russian air defense missiles were fired at multiple ATACMS missiles resulting in explosions that caused 2 to 4 deaths and more than 150 injuries on Uchkiivka Beach, where locals reported that no air raid warning had taken place and therefore people on the beach were not able to evacuate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In September 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation for attacks on Russian territory.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Experts said Putin's threats are aimed at dissuading the United States, the United Kingdom and France from allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range missiles such as the Storm Shadow and ATACMS in strikes against Russia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 17 November 2024 the United States changed policy, allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS for military targets inside mainland Russia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 19 November 2024, ATACMS were for the first time fired at a target within the internationally recognized borders of Russia. An ammunition storage facility was destroyed in the Bryansk region of Russia, with videos of explosions and fires on the ground at the site emerging.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 25 November 2024, ATACMS were used to hit a Russian S-400 air defense system at an airbase in the Kursk region of Russia. Video emerged of ATACMS cluster munitions hitting the airbase, and imagery emerged of a destroyed 92N6E radar station of the S-400 system.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

EW vs usability

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The ATACMS uses multiple inertial navigation units knitted together with software, so it is reportedly able to maintain accuracy when GPS is lost due to electronic warfare better than other GPS-guided weapons.<ref>Taking aim: Army leaders ponder mix of precision munitions vs conventional. Breaking Defense. 10 May 2024.</ref>

Reverse engineering

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On July 1, 2024 Russia claimed to have recovered an ATACMS missile guidance system intact, and stated that Russian officials are studying the guidance system to "identify any weak spots".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Operators

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File:MGM-140 Operators.svg
Operators:Template:Legend Template:Legend

Contracted

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Discarded

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See also

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Comparable missiles

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Notes

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References

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