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Country: USA
Type: IRBM
Introduction: 1958 |
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Thor was the first operational ballistic missile in the arsenal of the United States, operated by the US Air Force. Fearful that the Soviet Union would deploy a long-range ballistic missile before the United States, in January 1956 the Air Force began developing the Thor. It was deployed in the UK beginning in 1959 as an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) with thermonuclear warheads. The Thor was a stop-gap measure and once the first generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) systems, based in the United States, became operational, existing Thor missiles were quickly retired. The last of the Thor missiles was withdrawn from operational alert in 1963.
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| General Information |
| Developed by |
USA |
| Deployed by |
UK |
| Development Year |
1954 |
| Deployment Year |
1958 |
| Number deployed |
60(Deployed in UK) |
| Contractor |
Douglas Company |
| Dimensions and Performance |
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Length |
19.81m |
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Body Diameter |
2.44m |
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Launch Weight |
49,500kg |
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Range |
2,700km |
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Accuracy |
Unknown |
| Components |
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Propulsion |
1-stage liquid propellant |
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Engine |
Rocketdyne MB-3 |
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Payload |
Single warhead Mk 2 RV |
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Warhead |
W-49 1.44MT nuclear |
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Guidance |
Inertial |
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