MGM-1 Matador

The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States, developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company after the Second World War using lessons learned from the German V-1 flying bomb. Unlike the V-1, the Matador used radio command guidance that let operators correct its course in flight and extend its range to roughly 600 miles. It entered service in 1952 carrying a W5 nuclear warhead with a yield of about 50 kilotons and was deployed across Europe and Asia as well as at training sites in the continental United States. About 1,200 missiles were built before the type was retired in 1962.