Editing SSM-N-8 Regulus (section)

==== Background ====
Nazi Germany's use of the [[V-1 flying bomb]] during [[World War II]] marked the first combat deployment of a [[cruise missile]], highlighting the potential of a new class of weapon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1980-12-01 |title=The Birth of Guided Missiles |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1980/december/birth-guided-missiles |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=U.S. Naval Institute |language=en}}</ref> Even before [[German Instrument of Surrender|Germany's surrender]], the United States captured, [[Reverse engineering|reverse-engineered]], and [[Mass production|mass-produced]] its own version of the V-1, the [[Republic-Ford JB-2|Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon]], intended for use against [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]. With the war's end and the onset of the [[Cold War]], the U.S. sought new ways to deploy [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear warheads]]. One proposal, put forward by Captain [[Thomas B. Klakring|Thomas Klakring]], was to launch nuclear missiles from submarines. He argued that submarines would be far more difficult to detect and attack than surface ships, such as [[Aircraft carrier|aircraft carriers]], while also introducing a new method of warhead delivery beyond [[aircraft]]. At the time, [[Bomber|bombers]] were the U.S. military's only means of delivering nuclear warheads, a reliance that threatened to diminish the Navy's role and overemphasize a single approach to nuclear strategy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1993-04-01 |title=Blasts from the Past |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1993/april/blasts-past |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=U.S. Naval Institute |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-04 |title=Battle Stations Missile! |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2003/august/battle-stations-missile |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=U.S. Naval Institute |language=en}}</ref>

Klakring proposed launching the Loom from submarines to test his concept. Work began in 1946, and by 1947, [[USS Cusk|USS ''Cusk'']] became the first U.S. submarine to fire a guided missile. Testing continued for several years, but significant issues arose. ''Cusk'' nearly sank when a Loom exploded on deck, and the missile itself was slow, had limited range and payload, and was impractical for military use. Despite these shortcomings, the tests successfully demonstrated how a submarine could surface, launch a missile, and submerge again, making it difficult for an enemy to retaliate. The Navy acknowledged the concept’s potential but recognized the need for a missile specifically designed for submarine deployment.<ref name=":0" />