The AGM-86 ALCM is a medium-range cruise missile in the arsenal of the US Air Force. It flies at the average subsonic speed of 900 km/h and it uses the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber as a launching platform. It has been in service since 1980 and it has been produced by the thousands by Boeing Aerospace Company in the AGM-86B/86C/86D versions. 'ALCM' stands for 'Air Launched Cruise Missile'.
Guided by inertial navigation system and TERCOM, it is powered by a turbofan jet engine at a constant subsonic speed. It can be launched from either a low or a high altitude. It is fitted with stabilizing folding wings, which spread out as soon as it is dropped from the aircraft. It also has horizontal tail fins. The AGM-86B variant is equipped with a nuclear warhead, while the AGM-86C/D versions are armed with either high explosive or fragmentation warhead. The AGM-86A was the prototype and, as such, it was not mass-produced.
Specifications
Type: medium-range cruise missile
Launching Platform: aircraft (Boeing B-52H)
Weight: 1,430 kg (3,150 pounds)
Length: 6.3 m (20 ft, 9 inch)
Diameter: 62 cm (24.5 inch)
Propulsion: one William International F107 WR-101 turbofan jet engine.
Maximum Speed: 900 km/h
Range: 2,400+ km (1,500 miles)
Warhead: HE, fragmentation, and nuclear
The missile employs a terrain contour mapping and inertial navigation system.
The AGM-86 ALCM historical Boeing Aerospace video
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