Martin Marietta Mace GLCM | ![]() |
This is the Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) Mace GLCM. Due to problems with the Matador's guidance system and difficulties in deployment, development on a new Matador (Matador B) was started in 1954. While Matador B was being developed, Matador C was produced as an interim solution to the guidance problem. The Matador B was first tested in 1956. When production started the following year, the missile was renamed the Mace (TM-76A) due to the major differences between it and the Matador. The Mace was easier to deploy (it used a mobile launcher), had a longer range, carried a more powerful warhead, and had a better guidance system.
There were two production models of the Mace: Mace A (TM-76A) and Mace B (TM-76B). The Mace B
had nearly twice the range of the Mace A due to an improved guidance system. As a result, this system
necessitated a fixed launch point. The first Mace B was launched from Cape Canaveral on July 11,
1960. Over 1000 Mace GLCMs were produced, of which 400 were deployed to Europe and Japan.
Mace specifications and performance | |||
Length | 44 ft. 9 in. | Wingspan | 18 ft. 2 in. |
Thrust | Sustainer: 5200 lbs. Booster: 50,000 lbs. |
Speed | 650 MPH |
Ceiling | 40,000+ ft. | Range | Mace A: 800 miles Mace B: 1500 miles |
Warhead | Conventional or nuclear (W-28 fusion, 2 MT yield) |
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