Test and evaluation of land-mobile missile systems

For almost 25 years, APL conducted a program for the test and evaluation of land-mobile nuclear missile systems deployed in Europe. In 1965, the Laboratory was asked to help design and conduct an operational test program for the Pershing system for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. To support that Pershing performance and subsequent survivability evaluation efforts-including the Operational Survivability Assessment Program for the Pershing II (PII), the Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM), and the Lance systems-APL established its only foreign field office. During these evaluations, APL identified problem areas and made many contributions to improve the performance and survivability of these systems. Our contributions helped make the PII and GLCM the effective nuclear deterrents that brought the Soviet Union to the negotiating table for the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty. This program continued until the Pershing system was deactivated in 1990 as a result of the signing of that treaty.