ACM-3 Bune
| ACM-3 Bune | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Place of origin | Arthurista |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1962-present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Avrum Aviation |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5,000kg |
| Length | 11m |
| Diameter | 1.2cm |
| Warhead | Payloads:
|
| Engine | solid-fuel rocket |
| Wingspan | 2.7m |
Operational range | 600km (conventional), 1,000km (nuclear) |
| Flight ceiling | 24km |
| Speed | Mach 4 |
Guidance system | Mid-course: Inertial/SATNAV, jam-resistant rapid frequency-hopping datalink Terminal: active and imaging infra-red |
Launch platform | Heavy bombers |
The ACM-3 Bune is a heavy air-launched land/surface strike missile, originally designed for the Continental Imperator bomber. It has now been modified to allow carriage by more advanced Arthuristan strategic bombers.
With the increasing proliferation of effective surface-to-air missiles and radar-equipped interceptors, the Commonwealth Air Force decided to procure long range stand-off weapons to increase the survivability of its strategic bomber fleet. It was originally designed around an overly complex and very unreliable dual-chamber liquid-fuelled rocket motor. When repeated testing failed, however, Avrum replaced it with a simple and dependable solid-fuelled substitute. This resulted in a simpler, more reliable weapon fit for operational usage.
Nuclear variant
The nuclear strike variant entered service by way of an urgent operational requirement after a crash development program between 1960-1962. It carries a 0.5-150kt Red Hammer variable yield warhead, weighing roughly 150kg, or a 1.2 mt strategic-yield warhead, weighing at roughly 250kg. Due to the small size and light weight of the payload, as well as the absence of a complex guidance system (a simple inertial system is installed), the nuclear version of the ACM-3 has a range of roughly 1,000km. It follows a semi-ballistic profile - climbing upon being launched from its carrying aircraft, stays at high altitude throughout the cruise phase before diving upon its target from above. It has a maximum speed of Mach 4.
Conventional variant
The conventional version of the ACM-3 entered service in 1971, nearly ten years after the nuclear. This was because striking a moving target with a conventional warhead requires complex a radar-guidance package which took longer to develop. It has an active radar homing terminal guidance package effective against moving targets such as ships at sea. The missile is armed with a high explosive shaped charge warhead weighing at one metric tonne. Due to the significantly heavier payload, as well as larger and more complex guidance package, range is reduced to 600km.
The ACM-3 Mk.2 upgrade of the late-80s features a two-way datalink, allowing reconnaissance and command assets to issue mid-course correction commands, as well as compatibility with satellite-navigation systems. The attack profile was also slightly altered such that it stays at high altitude for longer and dives towards its target from a steeper angle to reduce the effectiveness of close-in weapon systems, which are optimised against sea-skimming weapons.
The ACM-3 Mk.3 upgrade of the mid-2000s utilises an imaging infra-red terminal seeker. This allowed for one guidance package to replace the previous three variants (active-radar anti-shipping, passive-radar anti-radiation and inertial/SATNAV land attack). It also enabled greater target discernment in cluttered background environments.