New Pictures Of Previously Black "Senior Prom" Stealth Cruise Missile

Recently AWST published pictures of the initial testbed for what is now the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile under the code name "Senior Prom" The early model looked a lot like the F-117 eh?

The Senior Prom design was flight tested as part of a competition that was won by the General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas (now Raytheon/Boeing) AGM-129 advanced cruise missile.

Thirteen Senior Prom launches were made from DC-130 drone carriers and all were considered successful, according to one researcher. Some were allowed to deliberately hit the ground, while others were recovered by parachute. First flight was in late 1979 or early 1980 and the test program was over by the time of the first YF-117 flight in 1981. The sorties were flown from the secret Groom Lake air base located on the Nevada Test Ranges northwest of Las Vegas.
Senior Prom

[edit on 2/17/05 by FredT]

Very interesting. The F-117A got a bad wrap for unstable handling (wobblin' goblin) I wonder , considereing that similar erodynamic principles would apply with SP, if this weapon is very reliable. The F-117A really needs to be flown, itwould take some excellent guidance to made the same thing work with a missile perhaps?

Worse Than My Senior Prom?

Somehow, I don't think too many people are going to want to line up and dance with this partner.

Nothing worse than finding out you're under missile attack by being smunched between two bulkheads.

A stealth cruise missile? Ohh baby. The only thing better than this would be a hypersonic stealth cruise missile.
If a stealth cuise missile is speeding torwrds a target, and radar can't detect it, does it still make a boom?

Nice find.

Looks pretty unstable though, and as fly by wire is pretty expensive, i can see why this got binned.

Nice find though.

This has got to be one of the coolest nicknamed missiles in history. Who actually thinks about these kind of things. Imagine giving this missile nuclear capabilities.

Well the design is to maximise the stealth features. The diamond shape was found to be the most reliable even though the F117 can only be flown with computer aid.

On the matter of the stability of the missile. Some time back this issue was openly discussed. It seems the stability in the original design was due to the design/size of the rear tabilizers. They were changed and the F117's wobbly flight stopped. Pilots have said that the F117 is very stable.

The missile most likely didn't have a stability problem. The lessons learned with the F117 have take care of that.

Then again with a missile is probably doesn't matter that much. The wobbly flight concern is really a pilot issue. His comfort and ability to even see flight instruments is critical in precision manned controlled attacks. With a missile the electronics are aiming at a target and as long as they are within a few feet it isn't critical. Electronics don't get airsick.

is their any evidance that this was further developed?

As far as fstable flight.. computers are better at it then humans in making minute adjustments

Pretty cool.Could this be one of the 16 programs that were being considered for declassification by the DoD mentioned awhile back on the History Channel?

Originally posted by JamesBlonde
Very interesting. The F-117A got a bad wrap for unstable handling (wobblin' goblin) I wonder , considereing that similar erodynamic principles would apply with SP, if this weapon is very reliable. The F-117A really needs to be flown, itwould take some excellent guidance to made the same thing work with a missile perhaps?

The F-117 actually is usually flown by the aircrafts auto pilot in combat.

I would imagine with todays computing power it would not be a problem.

Originally posted by mwm1331

If a stealth cuise missile is speeding torwrds a target, and radar can't detect it, does it still make a boom?

If you meant sonic boon, than no, because it is subsonic.

Great find FredT


A stealth cruise missile I always thought they could build one but assumed it would be a black project. This proves the goverment wanted one. This seems though to be a attempt with f-117 style stealth.

Now that we have curved stealth such as with the B-2 and F-22, I think its highly likely that we a have a new black project stealth cruise missle right now that makes use of curved stealth.

Also of interest is that if its anything like a Tomahawk it can be nuclear tipped. A stealth nuclear missile

[edit on 17-2-2005 by ShadowXIX]

You folks should read the entire article in the magazine.

The stuff on the 2nd page about current offensive information warfare techniques is WAY more interesting than 25 year old stealth platforms......

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
Great find FredT

A stealth cruise missile I always thought they could build one but assumed it would be a black project. This proves the goverment wanted one. This seems though to be a attempt with f-117 style stealth.

Now that we have curved stealth such as with the B-2 and F-22, I think its highly likely that we a have a new black project stealth cruise missle right now that makes use of curved stealth.

The UK and France already have a 'public' in service stealth cruise missile called the Storm Shadow (used to great effect in Iraq recently).

www.mbda.net...

www.fas.org...

www.deagel.com...

hmm...i think I might have to go out and buy this issue, seems to be a lot of interesting info in it.

Did this missile ever get used, or testing only? Is the JASSM its predecessor?

Originally posted by RichardPrice


The UK and France already have a 'public' in service stealth cruise missile called the Storm Shadow (used to great effect in Iraq recently).

Interestung missile but is this using Euro-fighter style "Stealth design" or is this Third Gen modern stealth?

I couldnt find any mention of this missile even using RAM.

I figure if a cruise missile can make use of the same level of stealth as a B-2 it would be near invisible to radar. Since the B-2 with a wingspan of over half a football field can appear about the size of a bee on radar. Think how small a 15ft missile would be on radar if it had stealth of the same performance.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX

Originally posted by RichardPrice


The UK and France already have a 'public' in service stealth cruise missile called the Storm Shadow (used to great effect in Iraq recently).

Interestung missile but is this using Euro-fighter style "Stealth design" or is this Third Gen modern stealth?

I couldnt find any mention of this missile even using RAM.

I figure if a cruise missile can make use of the same level of stealth as a B-2 it would be near invisible to radar. Since the B-2 with a wingspan of over half a football field can appear about the size of a bee on radar. Think how small a 15ft missile would be on radar if it had stealth of the same performance.

Thats actually not a bad idea, have mini B-2's, remote controlled size fly over and spy on the enemy.

Or a little bigger, and have them drop bombs, Like the x-45

I think this article is old stuff; there is a much smaller, narrower CM that ha been mentioned on AWST before, I think there night even be a model at the air force museum in Dayton.

Originally posted by Laxpla

Thats actually not a bad idea, have mini B-2's, remote controlled size fly over and spy on the enemy.

Or a little bigger, and have them drop bombs, Like the x-45

People that stake out Area 51 have reported something they call ''The Baby B-2'' I have also heard people at Northrop make mention of this years ago.

Im not sure if people were just reporting a X-45 prototype before it became public or if their was infact a UCAV that was a mini version of the B-2