US ''Diamondback'' Missile

By Crusader1307

Although never built, The US ''Diamondback'' Missile was purposed by The US Navy in 1956 as a larger, Nuclear capable version of The ''Sidewinder'' Air-to-Air Missile. Developed by the famed China Lake Special Weapons Development Program, ''Diamondback'' was deemed to expensive to further develop past 1957.

As envisioned, ''Diamondback'' (named for the venomous Serpent), was a solid-fueled Missile. Stabilization was accomplished by internal inertia device and (4) outer, Rearward Wings. Designs rated them at over 800-lbs. They were to be roughly 13-feet in length with a diameter of 12-inches. The ''Diamondback'' was to be rated at an airspeed of Mach 3, with an operational ceiling of 80,000-feet.

The tactical Warhead (Nuclear) was to be around the .75 KT range, well capable of multiple target destruction of Enemy Aircraft (airburst), or total Enemy Warship destruction.