Father of the guided-missile Navy John H. Sides

1 father of guided-missile navy

1.1 revolt of admirals
1.2 regulus cruise missile
1.3 fleet ballistic missile
1.4 guided-missile cruiser
1.5 weapons systems evaluation group

father of guided-missile navy

in june 1948, began 2 years deputy assistant chief of naval operations guided missiles, rear admiral daniel v. gallery. on next decade, build reputation missile expertise , become known father of navy s guided-missile program.

revolt of admirals

as deputy assistant chief of naval operations guided missiles, sides risked career participating in revolt of admirals, episode of civil-military conflict in high-ranking navy officials publicly clashed air force counterparts , civilian superiors on future of united states military. testifying guided-missile expert before house armed services committee on october 11, 1949, sides warned air force s b-36 strategic bomber not able penetrate russian defenses deliver nuclear payload claimed, since united states possessed supersonic guided missiles seek out , destroy fast jet bombers on drawing boards , russians had inherited similar capability german wasserfall missile development program , personnel had captured @ end of world war ii.

when sides became eligible promotion rear admiral month later, selection board perceived stacked against captains had participated in revolt because included none of top admirals involved in controversy. passed on expected, in 1950 took command of heavy cruiser albany twelve-month tour in atlantic fleet. sides had hoped captain first guided-missile cruiser, navy had expected put in operation year, development schedule had slipped due problems sound barrier. first guided-missile cruiser not become operational until 1955.

regulus cruise missile

regulus cruise missile

in 1951, sides became head of technical section in office of director of guided missiles in department of defense, k.t. keller, former president , chairman of board of chrysler corporation had been appointed missile czar in october 1950 mandate unify independent service missile programs. keller ordered services shift experimentation production on 5 missile projects: army s nike; air force s matador; , navy s terrier, sparrow, , regulus. keller s navy deputy, sides responsible producing 3 navy missiles, , credited being, as man, father of regulus cruise missile. real thinking admiral in guided missile field, , outstanding man, recalled regulus project manager robert f. freitag.

fleet ballistic missile

sides promoted rear admiral in 1952 director of guided-missile division in office of chief of naval operations. in role, directed navy s entire guided-missile program 4 years, , played influential , adversarial role in development of polaris fleet ballistic missile (fbm).

as top missile advisor chief of naval operations, admiral robert b. carney, sides convinced carney veto several fbm proposals, including 1952 bid freitag , other navy officers weaponized version of viking rocket, launch rolling deck of ship had been demonstrated. since fbm have funded internally siphoning funds existing navy programs, carney , sides both judged research costs associated fbm open-ended justify sacrificing present combat capability unproven future capability.

in 1954, freitag , colleagues @ bureau of aeronautics (buaer) again tried engage navy in fbm development funneling research secret study committee chaired massachusetts institute of technology president james r. killian. killian committee had charter unify ballistic missile programs scattered among services, , enthusiastically recommended navy develop fleet-based intermediate-range ballistic missile (irbm). external endorsement distinguished independent evaluator persuaded chief of buair, rear admiral james s. russell, commit bureau fbm development.

however, there no guarantee amount of manpower or money create components required viable fbm system, still lacked accurate systems guidance, fire control, , navigation; adequate metals , materials fabrication; compact nuclear warhead sufficient yield; , solid rocket propellant replace liquid fuels dangerous used @ sea. there wasn t concept launching system, recalled admiral arleigh a. burke, carney s successor chief of naval operations.

on sides advice, carney again concluded full-fledged fbm program remained premature, , in july directed buaer discontinue efforts expand fbm development. however, russell exercised statutory prerogative bureau chief appeal directly james h. smith, assistant secretary of navy air, kept project alive until carney succeeded burke on august 17, 1955. within 24 hours of being sworn in, burke summoned sides, freitag, , other navy missile experts office briefing on fbm research studies. end of meeting, burke had reversed carney s veto , committed navy all-out fbm development program, directing sides , freitag work out operational details.

sides handled navy s side of negotiations on how implement killian committee s recommendations, called navy develop ship-launched fbm similar army s jupiter irbm. on september 13, 1955, president dwight d. eisenhower accepted killian committee recommendations , directed navy design sea-based support system jupiter. sides , navy protested liquid-fuel rockets jupiter dangerous shipboard use , pushed instead submarine-launched solid-fuel rockets tactical use against enemy submarine bases. however, on november 17, 1955, secretary of defense charles e. wilson ordered navy join army on jupiter development, , specified such missile development not externally funded have carved out of existing navy budget.

in response, burke created special projects office, new organization mandate develop submarine-launched solid-fuel fleet ballistic missile. special projects office reported directly burke , secretary of navy, unprecedented bypass of navy bureaus signalled navy s commitment fbm concept. direct special projects office, @ sides persistent suggestion, burke selected sides former deputy, rear admiral william f. raborn, jr., phenomenal success in role earn him renown father of polaris.

guided-missile cruiser

uss boston (cag-1) firing terrier guided missile, august 1956.

sides returned sea in january 1956 first seagoing flag officer command guided-missile cruiser group, cruiser division 6, included guided-missile cruisers boston , canberra. @ long-delayed commissioning of navy s first guided-missile cruiser, boston, in november 1955, sides declared new ship marked fundamental change in sea warfare because possible defend fleet against bombers without losing several fighter planes in process. personal opinion within 5 years, navy have dozens of guided missile ships. should include not vessels carrying antiaircraft missiles larger ships surface surface missile capability.

in march 1956, navy displayed first combat-ready antiaircraft missile, terrier, aboard boston. sides said @ time foresaw within 5 years family of surface-to-air guided missile ships...dozens of ships of cruiser, frigate, destroyer , battleship classes. sides commanded cruiser division 4 months before being recalled washington in april 1956 become deputy special assistant secretary of defense guided missiles, eger v. murphree.

weapons systems evaluation group

sides promoted vice admiral in 1957 serve director of pentagon s weapons systems evaluation group (wseg) 1957 1960. chief weapons expert joint chiefs of staff, assured public despite apparent setbacks in space race soviet union, american missile program developing well.

on august 21, soviet union tested first icbm, feat reported tass on august 27. in october, following unexpected russian launch of first satellite, sputnik 1, sides spoke before american rocket society , institute of aeronautical sciences , disputed russian report of successful icbm test, claiming reported august flight might have been errant sputnik failed make orbit. enormous effort went development , launching of sputnik @ expense of soviet icbm program, , asserted winning race development of long-range weapons systems more important getting first satellite. speech regarded vigorous defense of eisenhower administration s decision separate satellite program ballistic missile development.

after dramatic failure of first united states attempt launch satellite on december 6, 1957, sides spoke @ conference of american management association on january 15, 1958, reiterated nation s development of long-range missiles progressing , complained false impression had been created missiles failed in tests. happened time of sputnik launchings, our intermediate , intercontinental ballistics missile flight-test programs getting high gear; , not being blessed siberian proving ground, might our testing in private, every malfunctioning test vehicle given play in media of public information. impression unwittingly created on our uppers, when, matter of fact, each 1 of these so-called unsuccessful missiles yielded great deal of information fired obtain. in ten years of missile experience cannot recall missile system in similar casualties not encountered in test flights. in each case have determined causes, corrected deficiencies , gone on develop successful weapon system.