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The PERSHING Project Office

Responsibility for systems management and engineering of the PERSHING program was initially assigned to the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, in 1958. A series of project directors exercised full authority for the program's overall development.

When ABMA was absorbed into the Army Ordnance Missile Command (AOMC) on December 11, 1961, the PERSHING, like all other major weapon systems assigned to AOMC, entered under a form of project management. This project office was the direct forerunner to the vertical project management system established by the U.S. Army Materiel Command.(AMC) on August 1, 1962.

The U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM), a major subordinate command of AMC, was activated at Redstone Arsenal on this same date. The PERSHING was one of the original 30 items placed under this form of management at MICOM. The PERSHING Project Office remained under MICOM's jurisdiction until May 1, 1987, when the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Fire Support was established at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

After the historic Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and the USSR became effective on June 1, 1988, the PERSHING Project Office subsequently returned to MICOM's jurisdiction in March 1989. Responsibility for PERSHING project management was placed under the direction of the newly established MICOM Weapon Systems Management Directorate on August 27, 1989.

The PERSHING Missile System

Conceived as a replacement for the REDSTONE, the PERSHING I was first deployed in August 1963. A second generation system, the PERSHING la began replacing the PERSHING I in 1969. The improved system provided increased reliability and flexibility, additional ease of maintenance, lower mission cost, and enhanced operational time.

An evolutionary improvement of the PERSHING la system, the PERSHING II was first deployed in December 1983. Through the use of a terminally guided reentry vehicle with a new warhead, new propulsion sections, and modified PERSHING la ground support equipment, the PERSHING II provided increased effectiveness covering longer ranges with reduced collateral damage over the PERSHING la.

The increased range and pinpoint accuracy of the PERSHING II were major factors influencing the Soviet Union's decision to seek the Treaty on Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces in which the United States and the USSR agreed to eliminate an entire class of nuclear missiles.

Elimination of the PERSHING Missile System

In accordance with INF Treaty provisions, all of the U.S. Air Force's Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs) and the U.S. Army's tactical PERSHING II missile stages, launchers, trainers, and deployed reentry vehicles had to be eliminated by May 31, 1991. The Army's PERSHING la missiles had to be eliminated within 18 months of the treaty's effective date. A total of 234 PERSHING II missiles and 169 PERSHING la missiles were covered by the treaty. Army contractors completed the destruction of the last PERSHING la missiles on July 6, 1989, five months ahead of schedule. The last PERSHING II was eliminated in May 1991.

The majority of PERSHING missile stages were burned (static fired) and then crushed, primarily at Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, Texas, or at Pueblo Depot Activity, Colorado. Representatives from the Soviet Inspection Team and the U.S. On-Site Inspection Agency were present to witness the elimination process.

The launchers were disassembled and major components-the major parts of the erection mechanism and launcher chassis-were cut in half. These treaty limited items were destroyed at Pueblo Depot Activity or at the Equipment Maintenance Center-Hausen (an activity of the Mainz Army Depot) near Frankfurt, Germany. Containers were either cut in half or detonated.

Each side also had permission to destroy 15 missiles and launchers by disabling, then permanently exhibiting them in museums and similar facilities. The 15 U.S. missiles and launchers were split between the Army's PERSHING II and the Air Force's GLCMs. A PERSHING II missile and launcher were put on display at the Field Artillery Museum, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; the Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida; and the Alabama Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama. A missile only was exhibited also at Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia. The final two PERSHING II missiles and the last launcher were donated to the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum, which exchanged with the Soviet Union one PERSHING II for an SS-20 missile.

PERSHING MISSILE SYSTEM CHRONOLOGY, 1956-1991

31 October 56 The Chief of Research and Development Department of the Army (DA), requested that the Ordnance Corps conduct a feasibility study of a ballistic missile with a required range of 500 nautical miles and a minimum range of 750 nautical miles.

14 November 56 The Ordnance Corps forwarded the request for a medium range ballistic missile (MRBM) study to the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) thus generating the basic requirement for the system to be known as the PERSHING I missile.

7 January 58 The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended and the Secretary of Defense approved the authorization for the Army to proceed with development of a solid-propellant missile to replace the REDSTONE. This approved replacement was known at ABMA as the REDSTONE-S (solid).

16 January 58 The Department of Defense (DOD) announced that the new solid-propellant missile had been named the PERSHING in honor of General of the Armies of the United States John J. (Black Jack) Pershing, famed commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

19 February 58 The Secretary of the Army assigned responsibility for the overall direction of the PERSHING I missile development program to the Army Ballistic Missiles Committee. At the same time, he gave responsibility for systems management and engineering of the PERSHING I development to ABMA.

28 March 58 The Martin Company of Orlando, Florida, was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) letter contract for research, development, and initial production of the PERSHING I system under the technical supervision and concept control of the Government.

10 April 58 The Ordnance Technical Committee approved the establishment of the PERSHING Project with a IA priority.

9 October 58 The Ordnance Technical Committee formally approved military characteristics for the PERSHING I missile system.

18 April 59 ABMA accepted the first PERSHING I missile from the research and development contract definitized with Martin on 25 June 58.

November 60 The U.S. Army Artillery and Missile School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was designated as the proponent agency in the preparation of Army training programs for the PERSHING I system.

October 61 The Martin Company was consolidated with the American Marietta Company, forming the Martin Marietta Corporation.

October 61 The Martin Marietta Corporation received the first production contract for PERSHING I tactical missiles and ground support equipment.

June 62 The first battery of the first U.S. Army PERSHING I tactical missile battalion-the 2d Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery-was activated.

1 August 62 The PERSHING I became one of the original items placed under project management by the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC).

31 October 62 Martin Marietta delivered the first tactical Ordnance and Artillery ground support equipment sets for the PERSHING I.

December 62 The PERSHING I's readiness date was met when the first tactical missile (Missile 505) was delivered. It later became the first PERSHING I service test missile fired in April 63.

February 63 The PERSHING I modification program began.

September 63 Germany formally accepted a Military Assistance Program (MAP) offer for a joint maintenance float and support services for the PERSHING I.

January 64 The Secretary of Defense assigned the PERSHING I weapon system to a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) role after a DOD study showed that the PERSHING I would be superior to tactical aircraft for the QRA mission.

March 64 The first German PERSHING I wing began unit training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

June 64 The first U.S. PERSHING I unit to be deployed overseas-the 4th Missile Battalion, 41st Artillery-became operational.

25 June 64 The REDSTONE missile, which the PERSHING I replaced, was classified obsolete.

4 December 64 The Secretary of Defense requested that the Army define the modifications required to make the PERSHING I suitable for the QRA role. This directive initiated the PERSHING la program.

August 67 Martin Marietta received the production contract for the PERSHING la.

31 July 68 AMC granted authority for limited release of PERSHING la equipment designated for continental United States (CONUS) deployment.

May 69 The first PERSHING la CONUS battalion-the 2d Battalion, 44th Artillery-received its equipment. This battalion's main mission was training.

September 69 The conversion from PERSHING I to PERSHING la for the first U.S. European battalion--the 4th Battalion, 41st Artillery--was completed. This initiated Project SWAP, a program for replacing PERSHING I equipment deployed to Europe with PERSHING la equipment.

22 January 70 Germany officially accepted the SWAP program.

18 March 70 Project SWAP was completed ahead of schedule.

July 70 Deliveries of PERSHING la equipment for Army requirements were completed.

March 75 The contract option to begin the PERSHING advanced development was exercised.

18 November 77 The first PERSHING II missile advanced development firing took place.

20 February 79 The PERSHING II system formally entered the engineering development stage.

December 79 The NATO Ministers formally approved the basing of the PERSHING II missile system in Western Europe.

19 February 80 President Jimmy Carter awarded the PERSHING II program the BRICK-BAT (DX) priority rating, the highest national priority granted to a system.

December 81 The PERSHING II program entered the production phase.

August 82 The PERSHING Project Office celebrated its 20th anniversary.

April 83 The central training facility for transition training from PERSHING Ia to PERSHING II was activated at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Florida.

15 December 83 The initial operational capability for the PERSHING II was achieved when the 56th Field Artillery Brigade received its equipment.

30 June 84 Deployment of the first PERSHING II battalion was completed in Europe.

1 August 84 The CONUS deployment of the PERSHING II began.

13 December 85 The PERSHING II weapon system successfully achieved full operational capability in Europe.

20 to 21 May 87 The first PERSHING II night launches occurred at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. One of the missiles launched during this testing marked the 500th flight of the overall PERSHING program, which included the PERSHING I, PERSHING la, and PERSHING II.

8 December 87 The United States and the USSR signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

27 May 88 The U.S. Senate ratified the INF Treaty.

1 June 88 The PERSHING INF Management Control Center became operational on a 24-hour basis at Redstone Arsenal.

2 June 88 A CPFF contract was awarded to the Thiokol Corporation for the elimination of PERSHING rocket motors by static firing to meet the requirements of the INF Treaty. This contract also provided for the crushing and disposal of PERSHING la motor cases and nozzles.

1 September 88 In accordance with the provisions of the INF Treaty and the approved schedule, the stand down of the first PERSHING II United States Army, Europe (USAREUR) battery began.

October 88 The elimination through static burn (firing) of PERSHING la rocket motors began on a regularly scheduled basis at longhorn Army Ammunition Plant. An average of 48 first and second stage motors were eliminated per month by Morton Thiokol contractor personnel. Representatives from the Soviet Inspection Team and the On-Site Inspection Agency were present to witness the elimination process.

October 88 The first nine PERSHING II launchers were eliminated at the Equipment Maintenance Center-Hausen, Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany.

December 88 The initial elimination of nine PERSHING first and second stage motors, reentry Vehicles, warhead and radar section airframes, and 18 trainer stages was completed at Pueblo Depot Activity, Colorado.

13 May 89 After further negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, between the U.S. and Soviet governments, the Soviet Inspection Team began accepting incomplete PERSHING la motors for elimination.

6 July 89 The last PERSHING la motor stages were eliminated at Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, five months ahead of schedule. A total of 343 PERSHING la motor stages were destroyed, marking the first time an entire class of nuclear weapons had been eliminated.

18 June 90 The dedication ceremony for a PERSHING II/SS-20 missile INF Treaty display was held at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC A similar exhibit is on display at the Soviet Military Museum in Moscow.

September to
October 90 The last CONUS treaty-related items consisting of PERSHING II launchers and trainer missile stages, were retrograded from Redstone Arsenal and Fort Sill to Pueblo Depot Activity.

20 September 90 As ordered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pieces of PERSHING II missiles were delivered to the United Nations in New York City for use with Soviet SS-20 missile pieces in a permanent art exhibit at the UN being designed by a Soviet artist.

FY 90 The German Air Force (GAF) unilaterally agreed to the retrograde of the PERSHING la system from their inventory. The GAF would keep the system fielded through mid-May 1991, after which time the United States would eliminate the GAF PERSHING la motors.

1 October 90 At 1800 hours Central European time, the last tactical PERSHING II missile stage was put in its container and verified safe to ship.

1 November 90 The last CONUS PERSHING II battery stood down at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the battalion--the 3/9th Field Artillery--was deactivated.

May 91 The first and second stage rocket motors of the last PERSHING II missiles were eliminated at Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant. This was in accordance with INF Treaty provisions requiring the elimination of an entire class of nuclear missiles by both the United States and USSR no later than 31 May 91.

May 91 The 56th Field Artillery Command (PERSHING) and subordinate elements deactivated, ending three decades of PERSHING service to the nation.