Matador Ground-Launched Cruise Missile
The Matador was developed starting in 1947 by Matin Aircraft, and was the first missile ever deployed by the Air Force. The first launch took place on January 19, 1949 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. By 1951, testing was moved to Patrick Air Force Base in Florida (south of Cape Canaveral).
There were two production models of the Matador: Matador A (also known as the B-61A and later the TM-61A) and Matador C (TM-61C). The "TM" in the missile's designation identified its role as a "Tactical Missile." The only major difference between the two was a new guidance system on the Matador C. A total of 1200 Matador GLCMs were produced, of which 200 were deployed in Europe and South Korea.
Specifications of the Matador
More than 1,000 Matador cruise missiles were produced and deployed between 1955 and 1961. The missile carried a conventional warhead or a nuclear warhead with a yield of 11-47 kilotons. The cost of this program is unknown.