Professional Documents
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The Man
The Missile
The Mission
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The Man
THE
Missile
THE
Missile
TRANSPORTERERECTORLAUNCHER
During transport on
th e XM 4 7 4 ve hicl e, th e
mis sile is suppo rted
in a horizonta l pos it ion
by the erector
portion of th e TEL
ARTILLERY PRINCIPLES
SURPRISE - PERSHING can attack any target
within its rang e from any direction. It can
roam the entire area behind th e FEBA (Forwa rd
Edge of th e Battle Area) ta insu re pass ive secur ity until the moment of attack on targets
assigned by the Army Com mand er. It can move
into and out of position areas us ing any of its
three modes of operation: ground mobile, air
landed or helicopter transport. To the enemy,
any sma ll flat place behind the FEBA is a
potential PERSHING firing battery location .
CONCENTRATION - With its o rganic reliable
communication, th e PERSHING is constantly
poise d to concentrate fire where the Army
Command e r directs. Th e PERSHING is capable
of shifting fire from primary to alternate targets through a complete 360 of traverse on
very short notice .
AVAILABILITY - The PERSHING like all artillery will never be maintained in reserve.
Howeve r, its tremendous rapidl y reacting fire power affords the Army Commande r a new
reserve - the ability to attack any force in
his zone of respo ns ibility at any time, da y or
night, under any weather condition.
The Mission
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FIREPOWER
PERSHING is designed as a general support weapon for the
Field Army. Because of the missile's nuclear capability, Army
Commanders will assign it targets of priority to the Army's
missi on . Like other Army systems, PERSHING can apply the
proper amount of destructive force to destroy selected targets.
Even though PERSHING is still in the R&D stage, Army Commanders, Staff, and the operating artillerymen are being
trained to use it.
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COMMUNICATIONS
Reliability and immunity to jamming are prime features of PERSH I NG's communications equipment, which is carried to the firing
site with other parts of the system.
The troposcatter transmitter, which
aims signals above the horizon in
the direction of the receiver, makes
enemy detection of the transmitter and the firing site extremely difficult. The Army and
battalion commanders ore in constant touch with the firing position .
OPERATION MAN, on assembly of modern Army weapons at Fort Benning in Moy, 1960, witnessed the first
public display of PERSHING. Mounted on its TEL and
tracked carrier, PERSHING was displayed before President Eisenhower and top Army officials.
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Thompson Ramo-Woolridge
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