LIM-49A Spartan

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Launch of a Spartan

Launch of two Spartan

The Spartan, designation LIM-49A, was a United States Army anti-ballistic missile. It was a three-stage, solid-fuel surface-to-air missile that carried a 5 megaton W71 thermonuclear warhead to intercept incoming warheads at high altitude. The missile was launched from an underground silo, and radio command guided. The warhead was designed to destroy incoming nuclear weapons by X-ray flux rather than by blast. This very kill mechanism was, however, a major cause contributing to the phase-out of the nuclear-warheads in the antiaircraft and anti-ballistic missile rockets - a high-altitude nuclear explosion produced a strong electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that would destroy unhardened (i.e. unshielded) electronic devices, especially those working on the solid state component base, like transistors, integrated circuits etc. The higher integration and subtler the parts, the more damage from the EMP-induced currents in the circuitry would occur, causing damage to computers, data and communication networks, power-generating plants and grids, air traffic control systems etc.

The Spartan missile was in operational service for only a few months, from October, 1975 to early 1976. A combination of high costs and the SALT I treaties made the missiles an unattractive bargain.

[edit] Specifications

Missile	Spartan
Length	16.8 m overall
Diameter	1.08 m
Fin span	2.98 m
Mass	13100 kg
Maximum speed	>Mach 4
Range	740 km
Ceiling	560 km
First stage	Thiokol TX-500 2200 kN
Second stage	Thiokol TX-454
Third stage	Thiokol TX-239
Warhead nuclear	W-71 nuclear 5 Mt