Pershing II

Since 1983, 108 of the single warhead Pershing II missiles have been
deployed by the US Army in West Germany. This was part of the
response agreed by NATO in 1979 to the growing imbalance in theatre
nuclear weapons created by Soviel deployment of new systems,
including the Backfire bomber and 5520 missile. The Pershing lls replace
an identical number of Pershing I missiles that were first deployed in
1962. The Pershing II, however, has far more range than the Pershing 1
1810 v 740 km (1125 miles v 460) which permits it to meet the
requirement tobe able to hit targets in the western Soviet Union. Thi s
allows the Pershing II to threaten to hit Soviel targets if Soviet weapons
were exploded on NATO territory, and was intended to remove any
belief the Soviets might have that a nuclear war could be fought in
Europe with no damage to the Sovi et Union. Pershing II is also far more
accurate with its Radar Area-correlation Guidance System (RADAG)
whi ch matches a stored radar image of the missile's target, wi th the
radar image seen by the missile to make final corrections as it falls
towards its target. Pershing II also has a lower yield warhead than
Pershing 1. This combination of accuracy and yield increases the options
available for its use and would drastically reduce the area of damage
caused by the warhead. Pershing II would only take 12-1 4 minutes to
reach a target in the Soviet Union, but the weapon's range and the low
numbers deployed mean that it poses little threat to Soviel nuclear
forces. Though it was proposed to deploy an earth-penetrating warhead
to atcack underground command posts, it is believed that this was not
proceeded with. Like Pershing 1, Pershing II is fired from a mobile
vehicle which would operate from hidden, pre-selected and surveyed
sites in time of crisis. The earlier Pershing I continues in service with the
West German Air Force which operates 72 launchers with US nuclear
wa rheads under a dual-key arrangement.

Top right: The key to the Pershing 2's

accuracy lies in the Goodyear-manufactured
RADAG (Radar Area Guidance) system. This
becomes operational in the term inal phase of
the flight, and compares active radar returns
from the target area with stored images of the
area; computer correlation of the two then
generates steering commands for the reentry vehicle, resulting in so great a degree of
accuracy that only a modest nuclear warhead
need be fitted.

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Specification
MARTIN MARIETTA MGM 31
PERSHING 1
Length
Diameter
Weight
Range
Accuracy

10.5 metres (34' 6")

100 cm (40")
4570 kg (10,150 lb)
740 km (460 miles)
400 metres (1300') CEP

Guidance

lnertial

Warhead

1 60-400 kt
PERSHING II

Length
Diameter
Weight

10.5 metres (34' 6")

100 cm (40")
7380 kg (c 16,400 lb)
1810 km (11 25 miles)

Range
Accuracy

37 metres (120') CEP

Guidance

lnertial + RADAG

Warhead

1 5-500 k1

-+--+- - - - warhead

_ _ _ rate gyro
gas generator
~"'"'1--and accumulator---1:;-f,ll,.,,..

-- electronics unit
reaction control
system pressure valve

-+1- --

turbine pump

e lectrical
conduits

135