Condor (Argentine missile)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Distinguish Template:Short description Template:More citations needed

Error creating thumbnail:
Emblem of the Dirección General de Desarrollos Espaciales (Directorate General of Space Developments), the Argentine Air Force group in charge of the project

The Argentine Condor missile was a multinational space research program started in the 1970s. It involved significant contract work being performed by German company MBB (now a group within Daimler AG), but later developed into a ballistic missiles program.

Condor I

The original Condor<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> had little military capability but helped build expertise that was later used for the Alacrán missile program.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="CirincioneWolfsthal2011">Template:Cite book</ref> The Alacrán program developed a functional short-range ballistic missile.

Specifications (Condor I)

Alacrán (Condor IAIII)

File:Cohetes en Tecnópolis.JPG
Alacrán Missile, derived from the earlier Condor IAIII

The Alacrán missile was a short range ballistic missile derived from the Condor Missile Program.<ref name="CirincioneWolfsthal20112">Template:Cite book</ref>

Derived from the Condor IAIII prototype, the Alacrán missile had shorter stabilization fins, an inertial guidance system, and a 1000CAP1 cluster warhead.

Specifications (Condor IAIII - Alacrán)

Condor II

File:D85190D04.jpg
Condor II prototypes in several stages of completion. Location: El Chamical Air Force testing grounds.

During and after the 1982 Falklands War (Template:Langx), France (which initially supplied the missiles) placed an arms embargo on Argentina, causing the Argentine Air Force, under the command of Ernesto Crespo, to develop its own medium-range missile in the Condor II<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> program.

This program was undertaken in close collaboration with Egypt,<ref name="WPNAC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and then Ba'athist Iraq<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (the Iraqi version of the missile was called BADR-2000).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, it was discontinued in the early 1990s by President Carlos Menem because of political pressure from the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> The missile was developed in Falda del Carmen, Córdoba Province.

The Condor missile had a range of 800 km to 1,000 km<ref name="autogenerated1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Solingen2009">Template:Cite book</ref> and a 1000CAP1 500 kg cluster munition warhead.

In 1997, the Argentine Air Force reported to the US Congress that it still possessed two of the missiles that were to be destroyed.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Jr.Gerity2013">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Citation needed

Condor III

There have been reports of a Condor III program. The Condor III would have an increased range to some Template:Convert with the same payload as the Condor II.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Argentina space program Template:Authority control