KAN Little Joe

KAN Little Joe

Type	Surface-to-air missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	United States Navy
Production history
Designed	1945
Manufacturer	Naval Air Material Unit
Produced	1945-1946
Number built	15
Specifications (KAN-1)
Weight	1,210 pounds (550 kg)
Length	11 feet 4 inches (3.45 m)
Diameter	22.7 inches (57.7 cm)
Warhead	High explosive
Warhead weight	100 pounds (45 kg)
Detonation mechanism	Proximity fuze

Engine	Booster, 4x 3 in (76 mm) rockets 990 lb_f (4.4 kN) each Sustainer, Aerojet 8AS1000 990 lb_f (4.4 kN)
Wingspan	7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)
Operational range	2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Flight ceiling	7,900 feet (2,400 m)
Speed	400 miles per hour (640 km/h)
Guidance system	Radio command

The Little Joe, also known by the United States Navy designation KAN, was an early American ship-based, short-range surface-to-air missile, the development of which was initiated in 1945 as a response to the Kamikaze tactics used by the Japanese. Although the missile was successfully tested, the end of World War II removed the requirement for the missile had passed, and the project was abandoned in 1946.

Design and development

The development of the Little Joe rocket began in 1945, as the United States Navy sought an effective point defense against Japanese Kamikaze aircraft.^[1]^[2] The definitive surface-to-air missile project, Lark, was expected to take some time to come to fruition, so a simpler missile, based on existing parts, was proposed by the Naval Air Material Unit.^[1]^[3]

Named "Little Joe", and designated KAN-1, the missile was the first SAM developed and tested by the United States.^[4] The Little Joe's fuselage was essentially the same as the standard Aerojet Jet-Assisted Take-Off (JATO) rocket, ordinarily used to provide additional takeoff thrust for heavily-loaded aircraft.^[1]^[3] Cruciform wings and canard control surfaces were fitted to the missile; guidance was provided by a radio command-to-line-of-sight system.^[3] Four auxiliary rockets were mounted as boosters to provide for the rapid launch response needed to deal with Kamikaze aircraft.^[1]

The warhead used was a standard 100 pounds (45 kg) general-purpose aerial bomb. A proximity fuse would cause the warhead to detonate within lethal distance of the target;^[1]^[3] the heavy warhead was expected to ensure the destruction of the attacking aircraft.^[5]

Operational history

A KAN-1 missile at Point Mugu.

Initial tests of Little Joe took place in July 1945.^[1] Testing showed that the missile's performance was less than had been anticipated. In addition, smoke from the boosters and the sustainer made it difficult for the missile's controller to keep track of the weapon.^[4]

In an attempt to deal with the missile's issues, an improved version of Little Joe, designated KAN-2, was developed. This used a new, less smokey propellant for the sustainer;^[1] in addition, flares were installed on the missile's tail to assist in visual tracking, while two additional boosters, for a total of six, were added to boost performance.^[4]^[5]

A total of 15 Little Joe missiles were built and flown during the test program.^[1] With the end of World War II having removed the immediate requirement for the missile,^[1] in addition to the test program continuing to be problematic,^[4]^[5] the Little Joe program was canceled during 1946.^[1]

References

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Parsch 2003
↑ Weyl 1949, p.115.
1 2 3 4 Friedman 1982, p.149.
1 2 3 4 Gunston 1979, p.197.
1 2 3 Fitzsimons 1969, p.1753.

Bibliograpby

Fitzsimons, Bernard (ed.) (1969). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare. London: Salamander Books.
Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Naval Weapons: every gun, missile, mine, and torpedo used by the U.S. Navy from 1883 to the present day. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-735-7. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
Gunston, Bill (1979). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Rockets & Missiles. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 0-517-26870-1.
Parsch, Andreas (2003). "NADC KAN Little Joe". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
Weyl, A.R. (1949). Guided Missiles. London: Temple Press. Retrieved 2011-01-28.

External links

"Rocket Built For Warships" , March 1947, Popular Science article and photo middle of page 26
"Pacific Shooting Gallery" , July 1947, Popular Mechanics photo left-top page 101

USN surface-to-air and air-to-air missile designations 1946-1947

Martin	KAM

Naval Aircraft Factory	KAN KA2N KA3N

Fairchild	KAQ

Sperry	KAS

Consolidated-Vultee	KAY

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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