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28-623: The Bold Orion missile, also known as Weapons System 199B ( WS-199B ), was a prototype air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed by Martin Aircraft during the 1950s. Developed in both one- and two- stage designs, the missile was moderately successful in testing, and helped pave the way for development of the GAM-87 Skybolt ALBM. In addition, the Bold Orion was used in early anti-satellite weapons testing, performing

56-701: A Soviet sneak attack by bombers on the ICBM bases, combined with using their own ICBMs against Strategic Air Command 's bomber bases, could significantly damage the Air Force's strike capabilities. In comparison, Polaris could be launched from practically anywhere in huge areas of the Atlantic and Pacific and was essentially immune to attack. The Navy developed a policy known as "survivable deterrent force" of about 600 megatons, which they felt would deter any Soviet attack under any circumstances. As they laid plans to build

84-581: A much shorter range, e.g. Kh-15 only has a range of 300 km (190 mi). In March 2022, the Kinzhal was used for the first time in combat by Russia in Ukraine during its invasion of the country. In March 2018, Defense Intelligence Agency chief Robert Ashley confirmed that China is developing two new air-launched ballistic missiles, one of which can carry a nuclear warhead. The H-6K bomber would be suited to launch such missiles. One of these missiles

112-415: A primary emphasis was on proving the feasibility of an air-launched ballistic missile. The designation WS-199B was assigned to the project that, under a contract awarded in 1958 to Martin Aircraft, would become the Bold Orion missile. The design of Bold Orion was simple, using parts developed for other missile systems to reduce the cost and development time of the project. The initial Bold Orion configuration

140-518: A redesign as a two-stage weapon produced improved results, with the remainder of the 12-launch series establishing the ALBM as a viable vehicle. The final test flight trialed the Bold Orion missile as an anti-satellite missile , passing within 4 miles (6.4 km) of Explorer VI , the first-ever interception of a satellite. Developed by Lockheed Aircraft , the High Virgo missile was developed as

168-532: A single-stage air-launched ballistic missile, launched from the B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber. Four test flights were conducted during 1958 and 1959, of which two were successful; the final launch of the program tested the missile in the anti-satellite role, but suffered telemetry failure. The results of the Bold Orion and High Virgo tests assisted in the development of the WS-138 specification, which became

196-670: Is a derivative of the DF-21 called the CH-AS-X-13 and has a range of 3,000 km. In October 2020, a H-6 bomber was spotted at Neixiang Air Base landing with what appeared to be an air-launched ballistic missile similar to the DF-17. In June 2024, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled an air-launched variant of the combat-proven LORA Tactical Ballistic Missile called Air LORA, meant for deep Stand-Off strike missions against strategic targets. The Israeli Sparrow target missile

224-532: Is used to test the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system. WS-199 Weapons System 199 ( WS-199 ) was a weapons development program conducted by the United States Air Force to research and develop new strategic weapons systems for Strategic Air Command . Two air-launched and one ground-launched vehicles were developed as part of the program. While none entered production, they assisted in

252-650: The Kinzhal was used for the first time in combat by Russia in Ukraine during its invasion of the country. Air-launched ballistic missiles were used in the October 2024 Israeli strikes on Iran . Developed by Martin Aircraft , the Bold Orion missile was an air-launched ballistic missile, launched from the B-47 Stratojet medium bomber, with flight tests being carried out in 1958 and 1959. Early launches of

280-570: The LIM-49 Nike Zeus and its follow-ons, and rail-based launchers. The designation WS-199A was applied to Strategic Air Command's overall studies of future requirements, that were tested using the hardware developed under the other WS-199 subprojects. Receiving Congressional approval in 1957, the WS-199 project would award contracts to three different companies to develop experimental designs for new, hypersonic weapons. Although none of

308-533: The Polaris submarine fleet needed to carry these missiles, the Air Force was left in the position of potentially being cut out of the deterrence role. This was most forcibly pointed out in an internally circulated document entitled "The Problem of Polaris". The Air Force response was two-fold. One was WS-199, which explored various options to make the Air Force's own missiles as immune as the Navy's. The primary method

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336-660: The "indication of hostile intent" given by the tests was frowned upon, with anti-satellite weapons development being soon curtailed. The results of the Bold Orion project, along with those from the testing of the High Virgo missile, also developed under WS-199, provided data and knowledge that assisted the Air Force in forming the requirements for the follow-on WS-138A, which would produce the GAM-87 Skybolt missile. AMR DZ means Atlantic Missile Range Drop Zone. Air-launched ballistic missile The ALBM concept

364-460: The 1970s when ICBM warheads began to become accurate enough to attack other ICBMs while they were still on the ground. The US carried out several experiments using existing missile designs dropped from cargo aircraft , but ultimately abandoned this line of research entirely. No further strategic ALBM development has been carried out by the US, and this class of missile never saw active use. In March 2022,

392-508: The Bold Orion as a single-stage vehicle were unsuccessful, however a redesign as a two-stage weapon produced improved results, with the remainder of the 12-launch series establishing the ALBM as a viable vehicle. The final test flight trialed the Bold Orion missile as an anti-satellite missile , passing within 4 miles (6.4 km) of Explorer VI , the first-ever interception of a satellite. The GAM-87 Skybolt , intended to be launched from Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and Avro Vulcan bombers,

420-469: The Bold Orion vehicle at the apex of a high-speed, high-angle climb. The zoom climb tactic, combined with the thrust from the rocket motor of the missile itself, allowed the missile to achieve its maximum range, or, alternatively, to reach space. A twelve-flight test series of the Bold Orion vehicle was conducted;. Despite suffering only one outright failure, the initial flight tests of the single-stage rocket proved less successful than hoped. Authorisation

448-686: The Skybolt to arm their V bomber fleet. The Soviet Union moved their strategic force directly to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles . Skybolt ultimately failed several key tests, while the US Navy 's UGM-27 Polaris offered the same advantages and more. Skybolt was cancelled, leading to the Skybolt crisis and an agreement to sell Polaris to the Royal Navy as part of the Nassau Agreement . The concept saw little active development until

476-570: The Space and Missile Systems Organization successfully conducted an Air Mobile Feasibility test where a C-5A Galaxy aircraft air-dropped the 86,000-pound missile from 20,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. The missile fell to 8,000 feet before its rocket engine fired. The 10-second engine burn carried the missile to 20,000 feet again before it dropped into the ocean. The test proved the feasibility of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile from

504-566: The air. Operational deployment was discarded due to engineering and security difficulties, though the capability was used as a negotiating point in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks . In 2018, Russia unveiled an air-launched ballistic missile called Kh-47M2 Kinzhal with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 mi). It is suspected to be a version of the Iskander missile . Earlier Soviet aero-ballistic missiles have

532-587: The development of both the GAM-87 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile and that of re-entry vehicles for ballistic missiles. The US Navy began their Polaris missile project in December 1956, and this program presented serious problems for the Air Force's own missile developments. The Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) were liquid fueled and required considerable time to fuel and spin up their inertial platforms before launch, during which time they were open to air attack. This meant that

560-589: The first interception of a satellite by a missile. The Bold Orion missile was developed as part of Weapons System 199 , initiated by the United States Air Force (USAF) in response to the U.S. Navy's Polaris program, with funding authorised by the United States Congress in 1957. The purpose of WS-199 was the development of technology that would be used in new strategic weapons for the USAF's Strategic Air Command , not to deliver operational weapons;

588-415: The satellite would have been destroyed. The Bold Orion ASAT test was the first interception of a satellite by any method, proving that anti-satellite missiles were feasible. This test, along with an earlier, unsuccessful test of the High Virgo missile in the anti-satellite role, had political repercussions. The Eisenhower administration sought to establish space as a neutral ground for everyone's use, and

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616-402: The weapons were planned to be operational, in an emergency they could be quickly developed for combat service. Developed by Martin Aircraft , the Bold Orion missile was an air-launched ballistic missile , launched from the B-47 Stratojet medium bomber, with flight tests being carried out in 1958 and 1959. Early launches of the Bold Orion as a single-stage vehicle were unsuccessful, however

644-457: Was a single-stage vehicle, using a Thiokol TX-20 Sergeant solid-fuel rocket. Following initial testing, the Bold Orion configuration was altered to become a two-stage vehicle, an Allegany Ballistics Laboratory Altair upper stage being added to the missile. Having been given top priority by the Air Force, the first flight test of the Bold Orion missile was conducted on May 26, 1958, from a Boeing B-47 Stratojet carrier aircraft, which launched

672-463: Was a test of the vehicle's capabilities in the anti-satellite role. Piloted by Carl E Brust Jr, the missile was launched from an altitude of 35,000 feet (11,000 m) from its B-47 mothership, the missile successfully intercepted the Explorer 6 satellite, passing its target at a range of less than 4 miles (6.4 km) at an altitude of 156 miles (251 km). If the missile had a nuclear warhead,

700-670: Was in development by the United States Air Force , with the United Kingdom as a customer. In 1962, with technical difficulties and costs mounting, the program was cancelled, with the United States and the UK concentrating on the UGM-27 Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile instead. In the early 1970s, the USAF tested air-launching a Minuteman I/B ICBM from a C-5A Galaxy transport aircraft. On 24 October 1974,

728-435: Was received to modify the Bold Orion to become a two-stage vehicle. In addition to the modifications improving the missile's reliability, they increased the range of Bold Orion to over 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Four of the final six test firings were of the two-stage vehicle. These were considered successful, and established that the ALBM was a viable weapon. The final test launch of Bold Orion, conducted on October 13, 1959,

756-535: Was studied in the US as a way to ensure the usefulness and survivability of their large bomber fleet. After testing several experimental designs as part of the WS-199 efforts in the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force began development of the GAM-87 Skybolt missile with range on the order of 1,150 miles (1,850 km). The only other major force relying on strategic bombers was the Royal Air Force , who also selected

784-493: Was the air-launched missile, which would be kept on station close to the Soviet Union but outside their defensive range, able to be launched at a moment's notice. They also explored ways to extend the range of ground-launched missiles, so that small mobile missiles might be able to carry out attacks from the United States without being subject to counterattack. Other options, not part of WS-199, included an active defense using

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