Data Quality86%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the reconnaissance / surveillance drones category.
01 / Overview
RIM-8 Talos
Country
Production
1958–1979
Unit Price (current)
$1.9M↗ 1101% inflation · 1955→2025
Original Price
$155.0K (1955)
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES · EARLY COLD WAR
10
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
40
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$1.9M
Original: $155.0K (1955)
Inflation: +%1101
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the reconnaissance / surveillance drones category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
- Category (MALE/HALE/Tactical/Micro)surface-to-air missile
- First Flight1955
- Service Entry Year1958
- Primary Rolelong-range naval air defense
- In ServiceYes
◈Airframe5MOD.5
- Length9.75 m
- Wingspan2.8 m
- Empty Weight3,400 kg
- Max Takeoff Weight7,800 kg
- Low ObservableNo
▣Powerplant4MOD.4
- Engine TypeStage 1: Hercules MK 11 solid-fueled rocket booster, ; Stage 2: Bendix ramjet sustainer
- Number of Engines1
- Engine Power89.2 kW
- Electric PropulsionNo
◇Performance3MOD.3
- Top Speed3 km/h
- Service Ceiling24,400 m
- Range241 km
◆Payload & Sensors5MOD.5
▤Armament5MOD.5
- ArmedYes
- Hardpoints0
- Weapons Payload211 kg
- Weapon Typescontinuous-rod HE warhead, W30 nuclear warhead (2–5 kt)
- Air-to-Ground MissilesNo
⬢Control & Autonomy5MOD.5
- Control Typeradar beam riding and semi-active radar homing
- Satellite (BLOS) LinkNo
- Autonomous CapableNo
- Swarming CapableNo
- Automatic Takeoff/LandingNo
▲Production2MOD.2
- Unit Cost155,000 USD
- Variants11
◎Service History4MOD.4
- Retirement Year1979
- Production Start1955
- Production End1979
- Operational Statusretired
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
- 1945First deployment: Cold War
- 1958Production started
- 1979Production ended
68
years in service
21
years in production
1
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Conflicts
RIM-8 TALOS · CONFLICTS SERVED IN100% win
Total Conflicts
1
Victories
1
Ongoing
0
Losses
0
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
06 / MASS Score
RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES RANKING Reconnaissance / Surveillance Drones · Early Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
273RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES10EARLY COLD WAR · RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES2798UNITED STATES · ALL WEAPONS12PRICE · RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES606PRICE · ALL WEAPONS266PERFORMANCE/PRICE · RECONNAISSANCE / SURVEILLANCE DRONES
ⓘ Rankings are within theReconnaissance / Surveillance Dronescategory.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE2terms
Operational state of a drone where weapons systems are enabled and ready for engagement.
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radar are airborne radar systems used to detect, track, and image moving or stationary targets on the ground, regardless of weather or lighting conditions.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources