| Country: |
United States of America |
| Alternate Name: |
UGM-73 |
| Class: |
SLBM |
| Basing: |
Submarine launch |
| Length: |
10.36 m |
| Diameter: |
1.88 m |
| Launch Weight: |
29480 kg |
| Payload: |
8-14 MIRV RVs |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear 100 kT |
| Propulsion: |
2-stage solid |
| Range: |
4630 km |
| Status: |
Obsolete |
| In Service: |
1971-1994 |
Details
The UGM-73 Poseidon C-3 was an intermediate-range, submarine-launched, solid propellant ballistic missile. It was the first US missile to carry Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. As the replacement of the Polaris A-3 missile, it was designed to fit into Polaris missile tubes with a minimum amount of conversion and crew retraining. The Poseidon carried a far larger payload and was twice as accurate as the Polaris, without sacrificing range. This highlights the significant improvement in guidance and propulsion technology that occurred during this time period. The prime contractor for the Poseidon was Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space.
The Poseidon was a strategic asset designed to secure the US nuclear response force against a first strike by the Soviet Union or the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The missile was fully capable of inflicting considerable damage to a civilian population or soft military target, either with multiple small strikes or by maximizing damage by distributing multiple warheads across a single target. However, the system had limited ability to destroy hardened silos, as the yield and accuracy of the system is too low to have a reasonable chance at success. This could theoretically be compensated for by sending 3-5 warheads against each silo, but the large number of silos combined with road mobile systems would ultimately prevent such an attack from succeeding. The major advantage of the Poseidon was that it is based on a submarine. This made it nearly impossible to detect and destroy all of them preemptively, thus guaranteeing some form of US nuclear response. It also decreased the ability of missile defenses to intercept a strike, as there is little warning from a submarine positioned in international waters.
The Poseidon had a range of 4,630 km (2,877 miles) and could carry a 2,000 kg payload. This translated into 8-14 RVs on a MIRV Post-Boost vehicle. However, as defined by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), it only carried 10 RVs. Each of the 10 RVs carried a W-76 100 kT warhead, or the W-68 40 kT warhead if equipped with 14 RVs. A powerful guidance system allowed each of the warheads to land with an accuracy of 450 m CEP. The missile was roughly the same size as the Polaris, with a length of 10.36 m, a diameter of 1.88 m, and a launch weight of 29,480 kg. It used a two-stage solid propellant motor.
The UGM-73 Poseidon C-3 missile completed development in June 1970 and became operational in 1971. The first flight test occurred in August 1968, with the first test of the complete system occurring in December 1969. It replaced the older Polaris systems over a period of many years, eventually reaching a fleet size of 496 missiles stationed on 31 submarines. In 1984, the Poseidon started to be phased out in favor of the Trident C-4. By 1991, only 160 Poseidon missiles remained on 10 boats, with all having been removed from service by mid-1994.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 612.
India Tests Prithvi-1 Missile
June 11, 2006 :: Forbes :: News
India successfully test-launched its Prithvi-1 short-range ballistic missile today. According to Indian defense sources, the launch took place at the Chandipur-on-Sea test site in the eastern coastal state of Orissa. First tested in 1988, the Prithvi-1 has a range of 150 km and can carry conventional or low-yield nuclear warheads. It is believed to be designed for battlefield use against troops or armored formations. Two other variants, the Prithvi-2 and the Prithvi-3, have ranges of 250 and 350 km respectively. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Poseidon C-3
India Tests Prithvi-1
May 12, 2005 :: AFP :: News
India today tested the Prithvi-1 missile from its Chandipur-on-Sea integrated test range in the eastern state of Orissa. The Prithvi-1 missile has a range of 150 kilometers, and can deliver both conventional and low-yield nuclear warheads. The Iranian news agency, IRNA, adds that the missile was “mounted on a mobile tatra transporter erector launcher.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: India, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Poseidon C-3
