Vintage Polaris A-1 A-2 A-3 Poseidon Missile Comparison Chart Navy Press Photo For Sale

Vintage 8x10 Official Navy Captioned Photo

SP FILE NO. 379. RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION

This artist\'s sketch shows the comparative designs of the of the three versions of the Polaris missile and the proposed POSEIDON missile. Polaris A-1, with a 1200 nautical mile range, was operational in 1960 and is now being phased out of the fleet. Polaris A-2. with a 1500 mile range, is deployed on 13 submarines. The 2500 mile range Polaris A-3 is operational on submarines in th the Atlantic and the Pacific. In 1967, all 41 programmed Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines will be operational, 1le to the A-2 and 28 with the A-3. POSEIDON is a follow-on missile to Polaris a It will have a diameter more than a foot greater than the 54 inch diameter A-3. Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines 54 inch will, with minor modifications to the launching system, be able to Carry the POSEIDON. POSEIDON will have double the payload of the A-3. The increased accuracy and flexibility of the POSEIDON will permit its use effectively against a broader range of possible targets and give added assurance of penetration of enemy defenses