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1994-11-02
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The MGM-31 was originally deployed in the early 1960s on tracked vehicles
as the standard U.S. Army long-range missile system. In the 1980s the Per-
shing was modified to be transported on five-ton trucks, four of which can
be carried on a C-130 Transport aircraft.
In 1976 all four battalions of Pershing missiles in Europe were updated with
the Azimuth Reference System allowing them to quickly use unsurveyed sites.
However, since the late 1970s, emphasis has shifted to the development and
production of Pershing II missiles, a modification of the earlier models.
The Pershing II utilizes the existing vehicle with radar area-correlation
guidance. As the missile approaches the target area, the small active radar
scans the ground and correlates the returns with stored target imagery.
Some of the new models of the Pershing can achieve greater range by
incorporating a smaller, lighter 15 kiloton nuclear warhead. Many of the
original Pershing I missiles remain deployed in Europe. Instead of replacing
them with the Pershing II, a cheaper engine-replacement program has been
implemented, to be completed by 1995.