From 1960 to 1988 there were Pershing missile launches for testing from various sites in the US. The systems included the Pershing 1 Field Artillery Missile System, the Pershing 1a Field Artillery Missile System and the Pershing II Weapon System. Initial launches were from what is now the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral, Florida using Launch Complex 30A using the dismounted erector launcher. Later launches were from the full transporter erector launcher (TEL). Further launches were conducted at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) using tactical equipment. The Pershing 1 and 1a had a range of , thus launches were from various subinstallations into WSMR. The two-stage Pershing II had a range of , thus launches at WSMR used a single-stage missile with two-stage launches at Cape Canaveral.
Purpose Initial missile launches were for research and development purposes. There were 52 R&D launches in the Pershing 1 development cycle.
In 1965, the Army contracted with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) of Johns Hopkins University to develop and implement a test and evaluation program. APL developed the Pershing Operational Test Program (OTP), provided technical support to the Pershing Operational Test Unit (POTU), identified problem areas and improved the performance and survivability of the Pershing systems.
POTU planned, scheduled, and executed the tests, evaluations, and missile firings to support OTP. POTU would select three firing batteries from the 56th Field Artillery Command in West Germany to participate in Follow-on Operational Tests (FOT) using an unannounced field alert status verifications (FASV) at the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) site. POTU selected missiles, equipment and personnel (colloquially referred to as a tap) for transport to either Cape Canaveral or White Sands Missile Range. After arrival, the missiles and launchers would be equipped with telemetry and the missiles would have range safety equipment installed for in-flight destruction if needed. Shoots were supported by elements of the 3rd Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The missile crews would perform tactical countdowns and launch the missile. Data collectors from APL observed the crews and equipment. After the shoot, data and evaluations were compiled into reports of the performance estimates of the operational capabilities of the Pershing missile system.
Markings and telemetry Initial test missiles were painted white with black striping in a roll pattern that aided in tracking and observation of roll. Tactical missiles were painted green; first olive drab then later forest green. A very few missiles were painted in woodland camouflage. Pershing 1 and 1a missiles tapped for a shoot would have orange stripes added to the rocket motors and the guidance section and had a dummy warhead with black and white roll pattern. Pershing II missiles had orange and yellow stripes added for tracking. The white tip of the Pershing II was not a marking, it was a radome formed of a radar transparent ablative heat shield with the fuze at the very tip in black.
The missiles had dummy warheads that contained telemetry equipment that monitored missile operation and radioed it back to the ground station. The Pershing 1 and Pershing 1a programmer test station and the erector launcher had a recorder installed to monitor all signals; for Pershing II this was installed on the erector launcher.
Postal covers
The post offices at White Sands Missile Range and Cape Canaveral issued event covers for all launches. Most covers were created using a rubber stamp with the image of a generic missile and a stamped date and time. The first eight launches of the Pershing 1a were recognized with a specially printed cover.
Sites
Eastern Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida Launch Complex 30: 49 launches Launch Complex 30A Launch Complex 30D Launch Complex 30E Launch Complex 31A: 10 launches Launch Complex 16: 128 launches White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico Hueco Range, Fort Bliss, Texas McGregor Range, Fort Bliss, Texas Fort Wingate, New Mexico Gilson Butte, Utah Black Mesa Test Range, Blanding, Utah Green River Launch Complex, Utah
Units
7th Army: Seventh United States Army 4/41 FA: 4th Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment 1/41 FA: 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment 1/81 FA: 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery Regiment 3/84 FA: 3rd Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment German: German Air Force FKW1: Missile Wing 1 () FKGrp 12: Missile Group 12 () FKGrp 13: Missile Group 13 () FKW2: Missile Wing 2 () FKGrp 21: Missile Group 21 () FKGrp 22: Missile Group 23 () ARMTE: Army Materiel Test and Evaluation Directorate 2/44 FA: 2nd Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery Regiment
Launches ASP: Annual service practice GRAD: Graduation practice BRD: Bundesrepublik Deutschland; West Germany DASO: demonstration and shakedown operations launch FOT: follow-on test Improved Pershing 1a: Block 7 modifications adding the Azimuth Reference Unit and the Sequential Launch Adapter TEL: transporter erector launcher
Pershing 1