Description
U.S. Army Base, Shock Mount P/N 11603874 for XM41/M41 Shillelagh Conduct-of-Fire Trainer
Item Overview
This U.S. Army Base, Shock Mount is identified as part number 11603874 and National Stock Number 6920-00-179-7310. It was cataloged for the XM41/M41 Launcher Conduct-of-Fire Trainer, NSN 6920-00-930-4009. The XM41 was the launcher-side unit of the XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer used to train M551 Sheridan crews on the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided-missile system. It worked with an XM42 target vehicle to simulate missile launching and tracking without using a live missile. The cataloged component name identifies this part as a mounting base intended to help isolate supported trainer equipment from shock or vibration. This listing is for the shock-mount base rather than a complete conduct-of-fire trainer.
Identification and Features
Army supply records place this component in Federal Supply Class 6920, Armament Training Devices. Its part number and NSN provide firm identification even when original paint, labels, or other markings are worn. Contemporary records use the experimental XM41 designation, while later logistics records identify the launcher trainer as the M41. The complete XM35 system included the XM41 launcher vehicle and the separate XM42 target vehicle. No trainer vehicle, target vehicle, electronics, controls, cables, optical equipment, missile simulator, or other XM35 components are included unless specifically shown or stated.
- Official nomenclature: Base, Shock Mount
- Part number: 11603874
- NSN: 6920-00-179-7310
- Federal Supply Class: 6920
- Parent equipment: XM41/M41 Launcher Conduct-of-Fire Trainer
- Parent equipment NSN: 6920-00-930-4009
- Training system: XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer
- Weapon-system application: M551 Sheridan and MGM-51 Shillelagh
Historical Background
The U.S. Army began developing the M551 Sheridan system in 1959. Its armament centered on the 152mm M81 gun-launcher, which could fire conventional ammunition or launch the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided missile. The missile received steering commands from equipment in the launcher vehicle, making crew training in target tracking and missile guidance an important part of the program. The XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer was developed to simulate this process. Its XM41 launcher-side vehicle worked with an XM42 target vehicle to reproduce the basic launch-and-track exercise without the cost and hazards of firing a live missile. Limited production began in 1965, and the Army contracted for 67 trainers in 1966. Testing and design changes continued through the late 1960s. A 1969 Fort Knox evaluation found that crews using the XM41–XM42 trainers could reach the required skill level with about three live training missiles instead of as many as seven. The M551 entered combat service in Vietnam in 1969, but the Shillelagh guidance equipment was not fielded there and the missile was not used in that conflict. The XM35 belongs specifically to the Sheridan missile-training program rather than the vehicle’s conventional-gun combat use.
Ideal For
This item offers a documented connection to one of the U.S. Army’s most unusual Cold War armored-vehicle training programs. Its NSN, part number, and known parent equipment make it useful for identifying loose XM35 trainer components or adding technical detail to a Sheridan and Shillelagh display. It may also serve as a reference piece when studying the specialized equipment developed to train guided-missile crews without repeated live launches.
- M551 Sheridan collections
- MGM-51 Shillelagh displays
- Cold War training-device collections
- XM35, XM41, M41, or XM42 research
- Military museum exhibits
- Restoration and parts-identification reference
Approx length 28", Approx width 5", Approx height 5", Approx weight 11lbs.
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