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America’s First Strategic Cruise Missile Was Totally Useless (Snark)
War is Boring ^ | April 13, 2015 | Thomas Newdick

Posted on 04/14/2015 6:41:53 AM PDT by C19fan

One of the most enduring symbols of the Cold War’s destructive potential is the intercontinental ballistic missile. But during the 1950s, the U.S. Force developed a strategic cruise missile known as the Snark.

The Snark was highly unusual at the time. Almost forgotten today, the flying branch developed the missile as a nuclear-armed “pilotless bomber” that would herald a new era of robotic warfare.

(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: cruise; missile; snark; submarine; warisboring
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Navy had more success with the Regulus nuke cruise missile although that had an order of magnitude less range than the Snark.
1 posted on 04/14/2015 6:41:54 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: C19fan

I remember seeing these at Kadena AFB, Okinawa circa 59-61....memory is bad.


2 posted on 04/14/2015 6:46:55 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: C19fan

Not totally useless. As a kid, I built airplane models and displayed them in my room. I had all Century aircraft and the X's. Had a Snark hung from the ceiling, painted a nice fire-engine red. First learned of JATO from this model.

So the Snark may have been "totally useless" as the article states, but to this kid, it was the coolest most inventive vehicle out there. The JATO just got to me for some reason. lol

3 posted on 04/14/2015 6:47:15 AM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: C19fan

My Father worked for the NACA, now NASA, during WWll. He was working on the Snark then.


4 posted on 04/14/2015 6:47:40 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: C19fan

As a youngster, I built hundreds of the model airplanes and warships..I think I had about ten or so Snarks...no idea why.


5 posted on 04/14/2015 6:48:02 AM PDT by ken5050 (If Hillary is elected president, what role will Huma Abedin have in the White House? Scary, eh?)
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To: C19fan; JoeProBono; dfwgator

joeprobono; dfwgator and I would probably all agree that the Snark has been totally effective for us, personally.


6 posted on 04/14/2015 6:48:16 AM PDT by Alex Murphy ("the defacto Leader of the FR Calvinist Protestant Brigades")
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To: C19fan

Because of the extremely short range of the Snark (as in over the beach and into the ocean)I heard from some old Cape workers that the Air Force would get ragged on about the Snark infested waters off of Canaveral.


7 posted on 04/14/2015 6:49:07 AM PDT by tbpiper
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To: C19fan

I had a Snark model when I wuz a kid...


8 posted on 04/14/2015 6:49:29 AM PDT by null and void (He who kills a tyrant (i.e. an usurper) to free his country is praised and rewarded ~ Thomas Aquinas)
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To: C19fan
The Snark, America’s First Strategic Cruise Missile Was Totally Useless

That's because it never blew anything up. It would just sit on the launch pad making catty and sarcastic comments about the enemy.

9 posted on 04/14/2015 6:49:35 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The FCC takeover of the internet will quickly become a means to censorship of dissent.)
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To: null and void
My model was painted and detailed like this:


10 posted on 04/14/2015 6:51:59 AM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: tbpiper

“(as in over the beach and into the ocean)”

*snort*

Sounds like the Navy’s old Drone Anti Submarine Helicopter (DASH) of the 60’s - as in ‘dash over the horizon, never to be seen again’.


11 posted on 04/14/2015 6:54:25 AM PDT by tgusa (gun control: hitting your target.)
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To: C19fan

R&D on a new concept is NEVER useless.


12 posted on 04/14/2015 6:54:42 AM PDT by ElkGroveDan (My tagline is in the shop.)
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To: C19fan

OT, but is the author “Thomas Newdick” a nom de plume for John Wayne Bobbitt?


13 posted on 04/14/2015 6:56:36 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not, no explanation is possible)
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To: tgusa

Or any number of IBRMs (Into the Banana River Missiles)


14 posted on 04/14/2015 6:56:38 AM PDT by null and void (He who kills a tyrant (i.e. an usurper) to free his country is praised and rewarded ~ Thomas Aquinas)
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To: C19fan
Don't worry. We had something MUCH better in the pipeline! Project Pluto - Slam Fortunately, we never build the darn thing.
15 posted on 04/14/2015 6:59:54 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

The Century series were just great looking aircraft. The F104 is still just a bad ass looking plane. Think of how many monsters it took on in Tokyo!


16 posted on 04/14/2015 7:00:34 AM PDT by Bucky14 (And I would have gotten away with it too, if not for you meddling kids!)
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To: C19fan

I am partial to Nikes, as I used to sneak up to the Nike Base in the Blue Hills and check it out when i was a kid.

I drove up there later as an adult, and the base was in ruins.

I was glad it was there during the Cuban Missile Crisis!

Now I wear Nike and play Bass!


17 posted on 04/14/2015 7:02:11 AM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: Lazamataz

Well, the whole “cruise missile” warfare for the Navy and Army started with the remake of the German V-1 into US flying German V-1’s, US making copies of the original to support the Japanese invasion, then US-improving the V-1 into new models, which became the Loon, then its replacements through Navy’s Regulus, Snark, etc.

Just like US Army shooting off captured V-1’s at White Sands/El Paso, then building improved V-1’s, then building the Redstone and Jupiter, then the Atlas, Saturn’s engines, etc. Yes, the original machinery concept was German, but the US flying models improved on that foundation.


18 posted on 04/14/2015 7:14:00 AM PDT by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: C19fan

Article says Snark was killed by the land-based, liquid fueled Atlas ICBM, but the Polaris submerged-launched ICBM Is what probably what did it in. The first submerged launch was July 1960. snark was ended by Kennedy in 1961.

My Dad was a key player in the Polaris guidance system development at GE.


19 posted on 04/14/2015 7:26:18 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not, no explanation is possible)
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To: Alex Murphy; JoeProBono; dfwgator; C19fan

20 posted on 04/14/2015 7:28:55 AM PDT by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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