ACM-1 Cerberus

ACM-1 Cerberus
Place of origin	Arthurista
Service history
In service	Mk 1: 1983-present, Mk 2: 2008-present
Used by	Commonwealth Navy, Commonwealth Air Force, Eagleland Navy, Eagleland Air Force
Production history
Manufacturer	Arthuristan Dynamics
Specifications
Weight	1,950kg (with booster)
Length	6.9m (with booster), 6.22m (without booster)
Diameter	0.53m
Warhead	450kg payload: Unitary shaped charge warhead, or 166x BLU-97 cluster bomblets, or 12-16x Bombardier Anti-Tank submunitions, or 0.5-150kt Red Hammer warhead, or Binary nerve agent (denied)
Engine	turbojet
Operational range	1,800km (Mk. 1), 1,650 (Mk. 2), 2,500km (nuclear)
Speed	High subsonic
Guidance system	Jam resistant inertial/SATNAV midcourse guidance, real-time datalink, imaging infra-red terminal guidance, passive radar-guidance (backup)
Launch platform	Ships, submarines, heavy bombers

The ACM-1 Cerberus is a long range, low-RCS cruise missiles that form the backbone of Arthuristan air and naval standoff offensive power.

Cerberus Mk 1

The ACM-1 Cerberus program began in the mid-80s to provide Arthurista with an advanced long range weapon useable against both land and naval targets. Equipped with a fuel-efficient turbofan, the missile is capable of reaching ranges of up to 1,800km. The nuclear version, with its lighter payload and less sophisticated guidance system, is capable of reaching 2,500 km. It is capable of using a terrain-conforming or sea-skimming low altitude flight profile in order to minimise the chances of detection. The weapon is too heavy to be carried by small tactical fighters. Its primary intended launch platforms are surface ships, submarines and heavy bombers.

Cerberus Anti-Ship Variant

The Cerberus Anti-Ship Variant is a modification of the Mk 1 missile for anti-surface warfare. It incorporates the active-radar seeker from the ACM-2 Renove missile, allowing it to automonously track and engage moving targets. Where guidance from ISR platforms is lost, the CASV can use its on-board seeker to autonomously acquire targets whilst flying in a search pattern. In order to accomodate the significantly more sophisticated avionics, warhead size is reduced by 50% to 225kg. Nevertheless, range is still less than half that of the baseline land-attack version, at 600km. It has been superceded by the Cerberus Mk 2, described below, which is capable of attacking moving targets such as ships, although stocks will remain in inventory until their expiry.

Cerberus Mk 2

The Cerberus Mk 2 program of the mid-2000s updated the missiles to their current configuration. The program includes the following upgrades:

A real-time datalink allows the operator, or situational awareness platforms such as AE&W aircraft or unmanned vehicles to update the missile's flight course using the Arthuristan military's battlenet. The missile incorporates the thermal-imaging sensor developed for the ACM-13 Lilith missile. This also allows the missile to perform real-time damage assessment capability to its operators. It also allows the missile to attack moving target such as ships.

A Rapid random frequency-hopping technology is used to enhance its jam-resistance. The same technology is also used to update its SATNAV link.

The incorporation of such a significant package of technologies is not without its downsides. As a result of the sophisticated avionics package, range is slightly reduced to 1,650km.

The missile is programmed in the terminal phase to perform random evasive maneouvres in order to increase its survivability against hard-kill countermeasures.The upgrade reworked the missile's airframe in order to decrease the weapon's radar signature. A large number of metallic components were replaced by composites. Numerous small panels reduced by larger ones in order to reduce the number of panel-joints, providing a smoother surface. Finally a coating of radar-absorbent coating is applied to the airframe. This results in a measurable reduction in the missile's detectability by modern radars.

WMD delivery

The ACM-1 Cerberus is capable of delivering nuclear weaponry. The ACM-1N missile, armed with the Red Hammer warhead, in the tactical or strategic deterrence role.

The ACM-1SD is a special dispenser variant primarily intended to deploy bomblets containing nerve agents or biological agents. The existence of the latter has long been denied by the Arthuristan government.

Users

• Arthurista
• Eagleland: In service with the Eagleland Navy and Eagleland Air Force. Mostly used in conjunction with conventional explosive warheads. Classified numbers thereof are armed with Zeus XII nuclear warheads.