North American AGM-28 Hound Dog
As Soviet air defenses became more sophisticated in the late 1950s, the USAF was faced with the real possibility that its manned bombers would never reach their targets. The solution, the USAF felt, was the development of standoff missiles: a bomber equipped with these missiles could launch beyond interception range, and destroy a target's surface-to-air missile sites and fighter bases. This would then clear the way for the bombers to drop their nuclear payloads as planned.
The USAF issued a requirement for a standoff missile to be mounted to the B-52 in 1956; a year later, North American was awarded the contract for their adaptation of the ground-launched SM-64 Navaho cruise missile. The design was designated the GAM-77 Hound Dog, though the designation changed in 1962 to AGM-28.
The Hound Dog was revolutionary for its time. It used a Pratt and Whitney J52 turbojet engine (the same used in the A-4 Skyhawk) rather than the Navaho's ramjet, and the B-52 mothership could switch on the Hound Dogs' engines for an extra burst of thrust on takeoff. While being carried to the target, the AGM-28's navigation system was continually updated by a celestial tracking sensor in the carrying pylon, so that the missile knew where it was when launched. The bombardier aboard the B-52 could switch its flight profile so that the Hound Dog would go in high, low, or even go past the target and then turn to hit it from a different angle. Though the Hound Dog was not very accurate, this was not considered an issue: the AGM-28 was armed with a 1.45 megaton yield nuclear warhead, and accuracy was not necessary. Finally, the Hound Dog was stealthy due to its small radar cross-section, at a time when stealth technology was very much in its infancy.
Testing went so smoothly that North American was able to deliver the AGM-28 to the USAF in 1959, under-budget and ahead of schedule. 722 would be produced, and these would represent the sole standoff/aerial cruise missile force for the USAF for over a decade. The last AGM-28s would not be withdrawn from service until 1975. There was some consideration given to updating them with a computerized guidance system or using conventional warhead-equipped AGM-28s as long-range antiradar missiles, but these versions never went beyond the testing stage. The Hound Dog was replaced by the AGM-69 SRAM standoff missile, which could be carried by all of the USAF's bombers, instead of just the B-52. 27 AGM-28s have survived in museums.
The AGM-28 was among the last of the USAF's missiles to be given tail numbers, and this one is 59-2791--the very first Hound Dog to enter service. Because the B-52s assigned to carry Hound Dogs had their undersides painted in antiflash white, the AGM-28s carried the same white scheme. 2791 shows the overall size of the Hound Dog, as compared with the person to the right.
When the Hound Dog was retired in 1975, 59-2791 still existed, so it was decided to preserve this historic missile at Ellsworth AFB, where it remains today. The missile below 2791's nose is an AIR-2A Genie nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket--itself a five-foot long missile.
North American AGM-28 Hound Dog
As Soviet air defenses became more sophisticated in the late 1950s, the USAF was faced with the real possibility that its manned bombers would never reach their targets. The solution, the USAF felt, was the development of standoff missiles: a bomber equipped with these missiles could launch beyond interception range, and destroy a target's surface-to-air missile sites and fighter bases. This would then clear the way for the bombers to drop their nuclear payloads as planned.
The USAF issued a requirement for a standoff missile to be mounted to the B-52 in 1956; a year later, North American was awarded the contract for their adaptation of the ground-launched SM-64 Navaho cruise missile. The design was designated the GAM-77 Hound Dog, though the designation changed in 1962 to AGM-28.
The Hound Dog was revolutionary for its time. It used a Pratt and Whitney J52 turbojet engine (the same used in the A-4 Skyhawk) rather than the Navaho's ramjet, and the B-52 mothership could switch on the Hound Dogs' engines for an extra burst of thrust on takeoff. While being carried to the target, the AGM-28's navigation system was continually updated by a celestial tracking sensor in the carrying pylon, so that the missile knew where it was when launched. The bombardier aboard the B-52 could switch its flight profile so that the Hound Dog would go in high, low, or even go past the target and then turn to hit it from a different angle. Though the Hound Dog was not very accurate, this was not considered an issue: the AGM-28 was armed with a 1.45 megaton yield nuclear warhead, and accuracy was not necessary. Finally, the Hound Dog was stealthy due to its small radar cross-section, at a time when stealth technology was very much in its infancy.
Testing went so smoothly that North American was able to deliver the AGM-28 to the USAF in 1959, under-budget and ahead of schedule. 722 would be produced, and these would represent the sole standoff/aerial cruise missile force for the USAF for over a decade. The last AGM-28s would not be withdrawn from service until 1975. There was some consideration given to updating them with a computerized guidance system or using conventional warhead-equipped AGM-28s as long-range antiradar missiles, but these versions never went beyond the testing stage. The Hound Dog was replaced by the AGM-69 SRAM standoff missile, which could be carried by all of the USAF's bombers, instead of just the B-52. 27 AGM-28s have survived in museums.
The AGM-28 was among the last of the USAF's missiles to be given tail numbers, and this one is 59-2791--the very first Hound Dog to enter service. Because the B-52s assigned to carry Hound Dogs had their undersides painted in antiflash white, the AGM-28s carried the same white scheme. 2791 shows the overall size of the Hound Dog, as compared with the person to the right.
When the Hound Dog was retired in 1975, 59-2791 still existed, so it was decided to preserve this historic missile at Ellsworth AFB, where it remains today. The missile below 2791's nose is an AIR-2A Genie nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket--itself a five-foot long missile.