Lobber

Inspired by the use of artillery shells to resupply surrounded troops during the Battle of the Bulge,^[1] a contract for the development of a cargo missile was awarded to Convair in 1958 by the U.S. Army.^[2] Developed by a team led by Bill Chana,^[3] the missile was capable of delivering 50 pounds (23 kg) of cargo over a distance of approximately 8 miles (13 km); once the rocket motor burned out, a parachute was deployed to deliver the cargo.^[2] A portable, mortar-like launcher was used;^[4] it allowed for a three-man team to transport and fire the missile;^[5] Lobber was described as being able to reliably hit a target "within the length of a football field" and was expected to cost less than $1,000 USD per round.^[6] It was proposed that modular cargo sections be pre-packaged with supplies, with nose and tail sections attached to the needed section just before launch.^[7]

The first test launch took place in December 1958 at Camp Irwin in California.^[8] Flight testing proved highly successful, and Convair proposed variants with explosive, chemical, and nuclear warheads;^[2] the United States Marine Corps also considered adopting the missile,^[9] and it was also proposed to develop a variant for anti-submarine warfare usage by the United States Navy.^[10] Larger variants were also proposed, as well as civilian usage for firefighting.^[11] However the inherent inaccuracy of the unguided, solid-fueled rocket,^[2] combined with logistical issues, meant that Lobber was not adopted for service.^[5]

Citations

Bibliography

• Media related to Lobber (missile) at Wikimedia Commons