| RIM-24 Tartar | |
|---|---|
RIM-24 on USS Berkeley in 1970 | |
| Type | Medium range surface-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1962 |
| Used by | United States Navy, and Others |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics (Convair) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,310 lb (590 kg) |
| Length | 180 in (460 cm) |
| Diameter | 13.5 in (34 cm) |
| Warhead | 130 lb (59 kg) continuous-rod |
| Engine | Dual thrust, Solid-fuel rocket |
| Propellant | Solid Rocket Fuel |
Operational range | 8.7 nmi (16.1 km; 10.0 mi) (RIM-24A) 16 nmi (30 km; 18 mi) (RIM-24B) 17.5 nmi (32.4 km; 20.1 mi) (RIM-24C) |
| Flight ceiling | 50,000 ft (15 km) (RIM-24A) 65,000 ft (20 km) (RIM-24B) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.8 |
Guidance system | SARH |
Launch platform | Surface ship |
The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile (SAM), among the earliest SAMs to equip United States Navy ships. The Tartar was the third of the so-called "3 Ts", the three primary SAMs the Navy fielded in the 1960s and 1970s, the others being the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-8 Talos.
The Tartar was born of a need for a more lightweight system for smaller ships that could engage targets at very close range. Essentially, the Tartar was simply a RIM-2C Terrier without the secondary booster. The Tartar was never given a SAM-N-x designation and was referred to as Missile Mk 15 until the unified Army-Navy designation system was introduced in 1963.
The Tartar was used on several ships of a variety of sizes. Initially, the Mk 11 twin-arm launcher was used; later ships used the Mk 13 and Mk 22 single-arm launchers. Early versions proved to be unreliable. The Improved Tartar retrofit program upgraded the earlier missiles to the much improved RIM-24C standard. Further development was canceled, and a new missile, the RIM-66 Standard, was designed to replace it. Even after the upgrade to a new missile, ships were still said to be "Tartar ships" because they carried the Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System.
A dedicated anti-ship version for the Federal German Navy carrying a Bullpup warhead was abandoned when Germany purchased MM38 Exocet instead.
