AUM-N-2 Petrel – Photos & Video

A AUM-N-2 Petrel was an air-to -surface missile produced by the United States. Later variants were converted into AQM-41A target drones. The Petrel was never considered a very high priority by the U.S. Navy, which was far more concerned about the threat from submarines than surface ships. New submarine designs powered by nuclear reactors were beginning to appear in the mid-1950s, vessels which could remain submerged indefinitely. Contents

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The AUM-N-2 Petrel was a supersonic air-to-surface missile developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s. It was designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target up to 100 miles away. The missile was launched from a carrier-based aircraft and guided by a radar seeker. The Petrel had a solid-fuel rocket booster and a liquid-fuel ramjet sustainer engine, giving it a top speed of Mach 2.5. The missile was tested between 1956 and 1960, but never entered service due to technical problems and the development of more advanced weapons.