RIM-24 Tartar

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RIM-24 Tartar

Type	medium range surface-to-air missile
Service history
In service	1962
Production history
Manufacturer	General Dynamics (Convair)
Specifications
Weight	1310 lb
Length	180 in
Diameter	13.5 in

Warhead	130 lb continuous-rod

Engine	Dual thrust, Solid-fuel rocket
Operational range	8.7 nmi (RIM-24A) 16 nmi (RIM-24B) 17.5 nmi (RIM-24C)
Flight ceiling	50,000 ft (RIM-24A) 65,000 ft (-24B)
Speed	Mach 1.8
Guidance system	SARH
Launch platform	Surface Ship

The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile (SAM), and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships. The Tartar was the third of the so-called "3 T's", the three primary SAMs the Navy fielded in the 1960s and 1970s, the others being the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-8 Talos.

[edit] History

The Tartar was born of a need for a more lightweight system for smaller ships, and something that could engage targets at very close range. Essentially, the Tartar was simply a RIM-2C Terrier without the secondary booster. The Tartar was never given a SAM-N-x designation, and was simply referred to as Missile Mk 15 until the RIM designation system was introduced in 1963.

The Tartar was used on a number of ships, of a variety of sizes. Initially the Mk 11 twin-arm launcher was used, later ships used the Mk 13 and Mk 22 single-arm launchers.

The Tartar was replaced in U.S. Navy service with the RIM-66 Standard Missile (MR). Even after the upgrade to a new missile, ships were still said to be Tartar ships because they carried the Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System.