Hopi (missile)

For the sounding rocket, see Hopi Dart.

Hopi
Hopi mounted on an AD-5N Skyraider
Type	Air-to-surface missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	United States Navy
Production history
Manufacturer	Naval Ordnance Test Station
Specifications
Warhead	W50 thermonuclear
Blast yield	60 to 400 kilotonnes of TNT (250 to 1,670 TJ)

The Hopi was an air-to-surface missile developed by the United States Navy's Naval Ordnance Test Station. Intended to provide a medium-range nuclear capability for carrier aircraft, the missile reached the flight test stage during 1958, but the project was cancelled following testing and no production was undertaken.

Design and development

Developed by the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) at China Lake, California during the mid-to-late 1950s,^[1] the Hopi missile was an improved development of the earlier BOAR (Bombardment Aircraft Rocket). BOAR had been developed at China Lake as an unguided, nuclear-armed rocket for use by carrier-based aircraft, seeing limited service in the fleet between 1957 and 1963.^[2]

In its essentials simply an enlarged version of BOAR,^[2] which it was intended to replace in service, Hopi was designed as a medium-range weapon capable of being carried by a wide variety of carrier-based fighter and attack aircraft.^[3] The rocket-powered missile was capable of being fitted with a W50 nuclear warhead capable of producing a yield between 60 and 400 kilotons; however, no details of the planned guidance system for the missile, or if there even was intended to be guidance at all, have survived.^[1]

Operational history

Following its development, the Hopi missile was flight-tested on the China Lake weapons range during 1958.^[1] The missile was test-fired from a variety of aircraft, including the North American FJ-4 Fury, Douglas AD Skyraider,^[1] Douglas A3D Skywarrior and Douglas A4D Skyhawk.^[4] However, no details of the tests are known to have survived,^[1] and the Hopi project was cancelled shortly thereafter.^[2]

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 Parsch 2003
1 2 3 Babcock 2008, p.323.
↑ Jacobs and Whitney 1962, p.80.
↑ 1958 Photo Gallery, Photographic History of NAF & VX-5 at NOTS China Lake. Accessed 2010-12-29.

Bibliography

Babcock, Elizabeth (2008). Magnificent Mavericks: transition of the Naval Ordnance Test Station from rocket station to research, development, test and evaluation center, 1948-58. History of the Navy at China Lake, California. 3. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0945274568.
Jacons, Horace; Eunice Engelke Whitney (1962). Missile and Space Projects Guide: 1962. New York: Plenum Press. ASIN B0007E2BBK.
Parsch, Andreas (2003). "NOTS Hopi". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2010-12-29.

USN missile designations 1947–1962

Air-launched missiles

Air-to-air missiles	AAM-N-2 AAM-N-3 AAM-N-4 AAM-N-5 AAM-N-6 AAM-N-7 AAM-N-9 AAM-N-10 AAM-N-11

Air-to-surface missiles	ASM-N-2 ASM-N-4 ASM-N-5 ASM-N-6 ASM-N-7 ASM-N-8 ASM-N-10 ASM-N-11

Air-to-underwater missiles	AUM-N-2 AUM-N-4 AUM-N-6

Surface-launched missiles

Surface-to-air missiles	SAM-N-2 SAM-N-4 SAM-N-6 SAM-N-7 SAM-N-8 SAM-N-8 SAM-N-9

Surface-to-surface missiles	SSM-N-2 SSM-N-4 SSM-N-6 SSM-N-8 SSM-N-9 (I) SSM-N-9 (II)

Surface-to-underwater missiles	SUM-N-2

Test vehicles

Control	CTV-N-2 CTV-N-4 CTV-N-6 CTV-N-8 CTV-N-9 CTV-N-10

Launching	LTV-N-2 LTV-N-4

Propulsion	PTV-N-2 PTV-N-4

Research and general testing	RTV-N-2 RTV-N-4 RTV-N-6 RTV-N-8 RTV-N-10 RTV-N-12 RTV-N-13 RTV-N-15 RTV-N-16

Types of missile

By platform	Air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) Air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) Air-to-air missile (AAM) Air-to-surface missile (ASM) Ballistic missile Cruise missile Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Shoulder-fired missile Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) Surface-to-air missile (SAM) Surface-to-surface missile (SSM)

By target type	Anti-ballistic missile (ABM) Anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) Anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) Anti-ship missile (AShM) Anti-submarine missile Anti-tank missile (ATGM) Land-attack missile (LACM)

By guidance	Active radar guidance Semi-active radar guidance Passive homing Track-via-missile Anti-radiation Command to line-of-sight guidance Command off line-of-sight guidance Pursuit guidance Beam riding Infrared guidance Laser guidance Unguided rockets Wire guidance TERCOM DSMAC Inertial guidance Astro-inertial guidance Satellite guidance Compass

Lists	List of military rockets List of missiles List of missiles by country List of anti-ship missiles List of anti-tank missiles List of ICBMs List of surface-to-air missiles

See also: Sounding rocket

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