Eastman Kodak ASM-N-6 Omar

When the Korean War began in 1950, the U.S. Navy faced the problem that it had no tactical air-to-ground standoff missiles to keep attack aircraft out of the range of enemy groundfire. One of the systems designed to change this was the ASM-N-6 Omar, development of which was begun by Eastman Kodak in 1951. The first XASM-N-6 prototypes were ready for testing later that year.

The XASM-N-6 was based on the standard 12.7 cm (5 in) HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket) unguided air-to-surface rocket, and employed a kind of optical beam-riding guidance system. The Omar was equipped with aft-looking light sensors, allowing it to ride along a beam of light which was projected in the direction of the target by the launching aircraft. I have no data about Omar's performance characteristics, but with its relatively small size and primitive guidance system, the range was probably less than about 8 km (5 miles).

Photos: U.S. Navy
XASM-N-6		Sidewinder-Omar

Tests of the Omar continued until about 1954, when the program was cancelled because the guidance system apparently didn't work as planned. The XASM-N-6 used some components of the AAM-N-7/AIM-9 Sidewinder (servogenerator and roll-rate stabilizer), and it is possible that the test vehicles called Sidewinder-Omar were actually converted Sidewinder missiles used to test the Omar guidance system.

Specifications

I have no information about the exact physical characteristic of the XASM-N-6 missile.

Main Sources

[1] Norman Friedman: "US Naval Weapons", Conway Maritime Press, 1983
[2] Frederick I. Ordway III, Ronald C. Wakeford: "International Missile and Spacecraft Guide", McGraw-Hill, 1960

Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1

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Last Updated: 22 January 2003