Intended for use as an auxiliary weapon by bomber aircraft, the missile was successfully test fired in 1958, but the program was cancelled in the early 1960s.
The Wagtail project was initiated in 1956, with Minneapolis-Honeywell being contracted to develop a short-range, solid-rocket-powered missile.
[2][3] The Wagtail missile was intended to be fitted with a guidance system that utilised an inertial navigation system and a terrain-following radar, which allowed the missile to be fired from and navigate at extremely low altitudes.
[2] By 1958, the Wagtail project had progressed to the point of live-fire flight testing; the missile was planned to be fitted to the B-58 Hustler bomber in operational service, while an alternative configuration was proposed as a bomber defense missile, which would be fired rearwards from the carrier aircraft.
[2] However, in the early 1960s (prior to fiscal year 1962), despite the missiles' flight testing having proved successful,[4] the Wagtail project was canceled.