T22/SIG-D/Assault Breaker

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UhClem

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So that I don't completely hijack the Lance thread I will start this one.

As near as I can make out, the T22 design was a notional replacement for Lance. Sometimes referred to as Lance II. I don't think that it ever flew. The design was used for the SIG-D program but that appears to have been its first flights. I base this on the use of polybutadiene ammonium nitrate (PAN) as a low risk fuel. (If it had flown before, there would be no need for something low risk.) This was followed by its use as the Vought entry in the Assault Breaker program. (Not to be confused with the Raytheon entry based on the Patriot and called T16.)

By the mid 80's and completion of the Assault Breaker flight tests, T22 was done.

A good history of the ATACMS with information on T22 can be found here. This is a good place to start.

The first flight tests (1979) were part of the SIG-D (Simplified Inertial Guidance Demonstrator) program to test a ring laser gyro. I have found two images from one launch including this.

Many years ago I grabbed a plaque off the wall at work and scanned this. A picture of the first T22 Assault Breaker flight in 1981.

I have a photo copy from a book discussing Follow-On To Lance aka FOTL but its information is dodgy. It refers to the Raytheon Patriot entry for Assault Breaker as "T12" rather than T16. It has two pictures, one of which matches my scan above. The second is of a different round (paint scheme largely the same except for the nose tip) but is notable for clearly showing the steerable portion of the aft fins.

The program received coverage in Aviation Week & Space Technology including the use of that SIG-D photo on the cover. And a partially dimensioned drawing. Which is what I used when designing my L3 project.

Before that I built a 4" diameter version with a 38mm motor mount that has seen quite a few flights. Including this low one.
 
assaultbreaker2.jpg
A photo of a second Assault Breaker round. I forget the title of the book I found this in.
 
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