Wars and Wnyfaring
201
system developed originally for missiles, Called an
system. Such a system is entirely independent of any, information
outside the submarine, other than the natural movement of the
earth. Its name comes from the use of gyroscopes which, once -set
in motion, remain in a xed plane by their own momentum or
inertia. Basically, the ship’s inertial navigation system (SINS) uses
an accelerometer—a sensitive pendulum—todetect movement, and
this is mounted on a stable platform provided by three gyros: one
gyro axis is parallel to the axis of theEarth, the longitude gym; One
is parallel to the equatorialplane, the meridian gym; and the third
is horizontal and points east—west. A computer used in conjunction
with this mechanical unit presents the navigator with all the in—
formation he requires. To. ensure the maximum accuracy, the Polaris
submarine has three SINS and the ‘best’ reading is taken after
reference to all three sets of readings. In this way, the position of the
submarine can be determined within a few hundred feet. … j
U.S.N. nuclear submarines have notched—up an impressive listof
rsts. On August 3, 1958, the Nautilus made the rst sub‘m'erged
crossing under the North Pole and on March 17, 1959 the
surfaced there. } The twin reactor—powered Triton circumnavigated
the world in 1960 while submerged. Following the route of Ferdi—
nand Magellan, the Triton covered 41,500 miles in 84 days. But‘the
most important first of all was when the George Washington red its
Polaris missiles in 1960.
‘
,
…
,
.
The ancestry of the guided missile… goes_back ; to the,German‘
V—25, but the development programme which led directly£to Polaris
didnot begin until 1956. The previousyearthe
’
up a Special Projects Ofce under Reat:AdriralWilliaŒ
F
to develop a Navy version of
,
the_Jupjiter ,missile planiied_,by the
‘
Army. Unfortunately a missile
?did-ï110t
t at all, well
the
Navy decided to develop its
Polaris after the »n‘orthern stan The programme, which got ëoff.toa
goodrstart,
When on October4, 1957,
ther184_—p0udpnhiik was ung into orbit by a*Soviet rocket. This
.
great
was capped
011 November 35
'
when a «capsule containing a
Charly rockets
that could. carry these *6Xp
Were just as capable
5
of_
èdeSiräble payloads ;to:”ahy
+foe. Taking heed: of a
warning given
in his rst annual address to
1
f
7*
_
_
201
system developed originally for missiles, Called an
system. Such a system is entirely independent of any, information
outside the submarine, other than the natural movement of the
earth. Its name comes from the use of gyroscopes which, once -set
in motion, remain in a xed plane by their own momentum or
inertia. Basically, the ship’s inertial navigation system (SINS) uses
an accelerometer—a sensitive pendulum—todetect movement, and
this is mounted on a stable platform provided by three gyros: one
gyro axis is parallel to the axis of theEarth, the longitude gym; One
is parallel to the equatorialplane, the meridian gym; and the third
is horizontal and points east—west. A computer used in conjunction
with this mechanical unit presents the navigator with all the in—
formation he requires. To. ensure the maximum accuracy, the Polaris
submarine has three SINS and the ‘best’ reading is taken after
reference to all three sets of readings. In this way, the position of the
submarine can be determined within a few hundred feet. … j
U.S.N. nuclear submarines have notched—up an impressive listof
rsts. On August 3, 1958, the Nautilus made the rst sub‘m'erged
crossing under the North Pole and on March 17, 1959 the
surfaced there. } The twin reactor—powered Triton circumnavigated
the world in 1960 while submerged. Following the route of Ferdi—
nand Magellan, the Triton covered 41,500 miles in 84 days. But‘the
most important first of all was when the George Washington red its
Polaris missiles in 1960.
‘
,
…
,
.
The ancestry of the guided missile… goes_back ; to the,German‘
V—25, but the development programme which led directly£to Polaris
didnot begin until 1956. The previousyearthe
’
up a Special Projects Ofce under Reat:AdriralWilliaŒ
F
to develop a Navy version of
,
the_Jupjiter ,missile planiied_,by the
‘
Army. Unfortunately a missile
?did-ï110t
t at all, well
the
Navy decided to develop its
Polaris after the »n‘orthern stan The programme, which got ëoff.toa
goodrstart,
When on October4, 1957,
ther184_—p0udpnhiik was ung into orbit by a*Soviet rocket. This
.
great
was capped
011 November 35
'
when a «capsule containing a
Charly rockets
that could. carry these *6Xp
Were just as capable
5
of_
èdeSiräble payloads ;to:”ahy
+foe. Taking heed: of a
warning given
in his rst annual address to
1
f
7*
_
_