The ASM-N-8 Corvus was an

anti-radiation missile An anti-radiation missile (ARM) is a missile designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source. Typically, these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communications can also be ta ...

developed by

Temco Aircraft The Texas Engineering & Manufacturing Company (TEMCO), also known as Temco Aircraft Corporation, was a U.S.-based manufacturing company located in Dallas, Texas, USA. It is best known for eventually forming part of the conglomerate Ling-Temco- ...

for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

History

In April 1955, the U.S. Navy planned the acquisition of a long-range air-to-surface missile armed with a nuclear warhead. This weapon should be carried by the carrier-based

North American A3J Vigilante The North American A-5 Vigilante is an American carrier-based supersonic bomber designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA) for the United States Navy. Before the 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations, it was designated A3 ...

and

Douglas A4D Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic aircraft, subsonic Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable light attack aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, and later, McDonnell Doug ...

. This missile was named ASM-N-8 Raven. Later that year, the project was changed to a nuclear armed anti-radar missile, and renamed Corvus.

was awarded a development contract in January 1957. The first flight of an XASM-N-8 missile occurred in July 1959. By March 1960, fully guided flights had been made at the

Pacific Missile Test Center Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC) is the former name of the current Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division. The name of the center was the Naval Air Missile Test Center prior to PMTC. It is located at Naval Base Ventura County/ Naval Air St ...

Point Mugu, California Point Mugu (, Chumash: ''Muwu'') is a cape or promontory within Point Mugu State Park on the Pacific Coast in Ventura County, near the city of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash Indian te ...

. However, the program was cancelled in July 1960, when the overall responsibility for long-range nuclear air-to-surface missiles was transferred to the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, which had no use for the ''Corvus'' missile.

Specifications

The XASM-N-8 had two delta wings and cruciform tailfins for flight stability and control. It was powered by a

Thiokol Thiokol was an American corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals, and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems. Its name is a portmanteau of the Greek words for sulfur () and glue (), an allusion to the company ...

liquid-fueled rocket, which gave it a range of 315 km for high-altitude launches and 185 km for low-altitude launches. Normally the missile would use a passive radar seeker and home on shore-based and ship-based radars. It could also home on non-radiating targets which were illuminated by a radar of the launching aircraft. The ''Corvus'' missile was to be armed with a W-40 nuclear warhead of 10 kt yield.

Gallery

File:A4D-2 with two ASM-N-8 Corvus missiles.JPG, Artist's impression of an A4D-2 with two ''Corvus''-missiles File:A-3B with Corvus missile at Point Mugu range.jpeg, XASM-N-8 ''Corvus'' on an A3D-2. File:ASM-N-8 Corvus missile attack drawing.PNG, Planned mission profile for an ASM-N-8 attack.

References

{{USN missiles ASM-N-008 ASM-N-008 ASM-N-8 Naval weapons of the United States

History

Specifications

Gallery

See also

References