The MGR-1 "Honest John" rocket was the first nuclear surface-to-surface rocket in the US arsenal. Designated Artillery Rocket XM31, the first such missile was tested in 1951, and deployed in January 1953. The designator was changed to M31 in September, 1953 and were deployed in Europe several months later.
The M31 consisted of a truck-mounted, unguided, solid-fueled rocket that was transported in three separate parts that were combined in the field, mounted on an M289 launcher, and aimed and fired in about 5 minutes.
Production of the MGR-1 and variants finished in 1965 with a total production run of more than 7,000 rockets. The system was replaced with the MGM-52 Lance missile in 1973, but were deployed with US Army National Guard units as late as 1982.
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