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Project Nike, (Greek: Ν?κη, "Victory", pronounced [nǐ?k??]), was a project, proposed in May 1945 by , to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the , in 1953. A great number of the technologies and rocket systems used for developing the Nike Ajax were re-used for a number of functions, many of which were given the "Nike" name (after , the goddess of victory from ). The missile's first-stage booster became the basis for many types of rocket including the and 's , used for upper-atmosphere research.
History[]This section does not any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (April 2011)
Project Nike began during 1944 when the demanded a new air defense system to combat the new , as existing gun-based systems proved largely incapable of dealing with the speeds and altitudes at which jet aircraft operated. Two proposals were accepted. offered Project Nike. A much longer-ranged collision-course system was developed by , named , eventually delivering the .
Bell Labs' proposal would have to deal with bombers flying at 500 mph (800 km/h) or more at altitudes of up to 60,000 ft (20,000 m). At these speeds, even a supersonic rocket is no longer fast enough to be simply aimed at the target. The missile must "lead" the target to ensure the target is hit before the missile depletes its fuel. This means that the missile and target cannot be tracked by a single radar, increasing the complexity of the system. One part was well developed. By this point, the US had considerable experience with lead-calculating , starting with the and a series of increasingly capable U.S. designs.
For Nike, three were used. The acquisition radar searched for a target to be handed over to the Target Tracking Radar (TTR) for tracking. The Missile Tracking Radar (MTR) tracked the missile by way of a , as the missile's radar signature alone was not sufficient. The MTR also commanded the missile by way of , the pulses were received, decoded and then amplified back for the MTR to track. Once the tracking radars were locked the system was able to work automatically following launch, barring any unexpected occurrences. The computer compared the two radars' directions, along with information on the speeds and distances, to calculate the intercept point and steer the missile. The entirety of this system was provided by the Bell System's electronics firm, .
The -built missile was a two stage missile using a and a (/) . The missile could reach a maximum speed of 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h), an altitude of 70,000 ft (21 km) and had a range of 25 miles (40 km). The missile contained an unusual three part , with explosive charges at three points down the length of the missile to help ensure a lethal hit. The missile's limited range was seen by critics as a serious flaw, because it often meant that the missile had to be situated very close to the area it was protecting.
After disputes between the Army and the Air Force (see the ), all longer-range systems were assigned to the Air Force during 1948. They merged their own long-range research with , while the Army continued to develop Nike. During 1950 the Army formed the Army Anti-Aircraft Command (ARAACOM) to operate of anti-aircraft guns and missiles. ARAACOM was renamed the US Army Air Defense Command (USARADCOM) during 1957. It adopted a simpler acronym, ARADCOM, in 1961.
Nike Ajax[]
The first successful Nike test was during November 1951, intercepting a drone . The first type, Nike Ajax (MIM-3), were deployed starting in 1953. The Army initially ordered 1,000 missiles and 60 sets of equipment. They were placed to protect strategic and tactical sites within the US. As a last-line of defense from air attack, they were positioned to protect cities as well as military installations. The missile was deployed first at during December 1953. A further 240 launch sites were built up to 1962. They replaced 896 radar-guided , operated by the or Army to protect certain key sites. This left a handful of 75 mm emplacements as the only anti-aircraft artillery remaining in use by the US. By 1957 the Regular Army AAA units had been replaced by missile battalions. During 1958 the Army National Guard began to replace their guns and adopt the Ajax system.
Each launch site had three parts, separated by at least 1,000 yards (914 m). One part (designated C) of about six acres (24,000 m?) contained the IFC (Integrated Fire Control) systems to detect incoming targets (acquisition and target tracking) and direct the missiles (missile tracking), along with the computer systems to plot and direct the intercept. The second part (designated L), around forty acres (160,000 m?), held 1-3 underground missile magazines each serving a group of four launch assemblies and included a safety zone. The site had a crew of 109 officers and men who ran the site continuously. One launcher would be on 15 minutes alert, two on 30 minutes and one on two hour alert. The third part was the administrative area (designated A), which was usually co-located with the IFC and contained the battery headquarters, barracks, mess, recreation hall, and motor pool. The actual configuration of the Nike sites differed depending on geography. Whenever possible the sites were placed on existing military bases or National Guard armories; otherwise land had to be purchased.
The Nike batteries were organized in Defense Areas and placed around population centers and strategic locations such as long-range bomber bases, nuclear plants, and (later) ICBM sites. The Nike sites in a Defense Area formed a circle around these cities and bases. There was no fixed number of Nike batteries in a Defense Area and the actual number of batteries varied from a low of two in the Defense Area to a high of 22 in the Chicago Defense Area. In the Continental United States the sites were numbered from 01 to 99 starting at the north and increasing clockwise. The numbers had no relation to actual compass headings, but generally Nike sites numbered 01 to 25 were to the northeast and east, those numbered 26 to 50 were to the southeast and south, those numbered 51 to 75 were to the southwest and west, and those numbered 76 to 99 were to the northwest and north. The Defense Areas in the Continental United States were identified by a one- or two-letter code which were related to the city name. Thus those Nike sites starting with C were in the Chicago Defense Area, those starting with HM were in the /Miami Defense Area, those starting with NY were in the New York Defense Area, and so forth. As an example Nike Site SF-88L refers to the launcher area (L) of the battery located in the northwestern part (88) of the San Francisco Defense Area (SF).
During the early-to-mid-1960s the Nike Ajax batteries were upgraded to the Hercules system. The new missiles had greater range and destructive power, so about half as many batteries provided the same defensive capability. Regular Army batteries were either upgraded to the Hercules system or decommissioned. Army National Guard units continued to use the Ajax system until 1964, when they too upgraded to Hercules. Eventually, the Regular Army units were replaced by the National Guard as a cost-saving measure, since the Guard units could return to their homes when off duty.
A Nike Ajax missile accidentally exploded at a battery in on 22 May 1958, killing 6 soldiers and 4 civilians. A memorial can be found at in the Sandy Hook Unit of .
Nike Hercules[]This section does not any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (April 2011)
Even as Nike Ajax was being tested, work started on Nike-B, later renamed Nike Hercules (MIM-14). It improved speed, range and accuracy, and could intercept . The Hercules had a range of about 100 miles (160 km), a top speed in excess of 3,000 mph (4,800 km/h) and a maximum altitude of around 100,000 ft (30 km). It had solid fuel boost and motors. The boost phase was four of the Nike Ajax strapped together. In the electronics, some vacuum tubes were replaced with more reliable solid-state components.
The missile also had an optional to improve the probability of a kill. The warhead had four variants offering 2, 10, 20 and 30 kiloton yields. The 20 KT version was used in the Hercules system. At sites in the USA the missile almost exclusively carried a nuclear warhead. Sites in foreign nations typically had a mix of high explosive and nuclear warheads. The of the Nike system was also improved with the Hercules and included a mode which was successfully tested in Alaska. The mode change was accomplished by changing a single plug on the warhead from the "Safe Plug" to "Surface to Air" or "Surface to Surface".
The Nike Hercules was deployed starting in June 1958. First deployed to , 393 Hercules ground systems were manufactured. By 1960 ARADCOM had 88 Hercules batteries and 174 Ajax batteries, defending 23 zones across 30 states. Peak deployment was in 1963 with 134 Hercules batteries not including the US Army Hercules batteries deployed in Germany, Greece,[url=http://shopcheaphdheadphone.ca/mens-sweatpants_categories310/]MENS SWEATPANTS[/url], Greenland, Italy, Korea, Okinawa, Taiwan, and Turkey.
In 1961, SAC and the U.S. Army began a joint training mission with benefits for both parties. SAC needed fresh (simulated) targets which the cities ringed by Nike/Hercules sites provided, and the Army needed live targets to acquire and track with their radar. SAC had many (RBS) sites across the country which had very similar acquisition and tracking radar, plus similar computerized plotting boards which were used to record the bomber tracks and bomb release points. Airmen from these sites were assigned to Nike sites across the country to train the Nike crews in RBS procedures. The distances from the simulated bomb landing point and the "target" were recorded on paper, measured, encoded, and transmitted to the aircrews. The results of these bomb runs were used to promote or demote air crews. activity also took place between the bombers and the Nike sites. The performance of the NIKE crews improved remarkably with this "live target" practice.
Many Nike Hercules batteries were manned by troops, with a single active Army officer assigned to each battalion to account for the unit's nuclear warheads. The National Guard air defense units shared responsibility for defense of their assigned area with active Army units in the area, and reported to the active Army chain of command. This is the only known instance of Army National Guard units being equipped with operational nuclear weapons.[]
Nike Zeus[]
Development continued, producing Improved Nike Hercules and then Nike Zeus A and B. The Zeus was aimed at intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Zeus, with a new 400,000 lbf (1.78 MN) thrust solid-fuel booster, was first test launched during August 1959 and demonstrated a top speed of 8,000 mph (12,875 km/h). The Nike Zeus system utilized the ground based Zeus Acquisition Radar (ZAR), a significant improvement over the Nike Hercules HIPAR guidance system. Shaped like a pyramid, the ZAR featured a receiver aerial weighing about 1,000 tons. The first successful intercept of an ICBM by Zeus was in 1962, at in the . Despite its technological advancements, the terminated Zeus development in 1963. The Zeus system, which cost an estimated $15 billion[], still suffered from several technical flaws that were believed to be uneconomical to overcome.
Still, the Army continued to develop an anti-ICBM weapon system referred to as "Nike-X" - that was largely based on the technological advances of the Zeus system. Nike-X featured phase-array radars, computer advances, and a missile tolerant of skin temperatures three times those of the Zeus. In September 1967, the Department of Defense announced the deployment of the missile system, its major elements drawn from Nike X development.
In March 1969. the Army started the , which was designed to defend ICBMs, and which was also based on the Nike-X system. It became operational in 1975,[url=http://shopdiscountbags.com/herve-leger-dress-herve-leger-dress-new-c-163_166.html/]Herve Leger Dress New[/url], but was shut down after just three months.
Decommissioning[]This section does not any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (April 2011)
Soviet development of decreased the value of the Nike (aircraft) air defense system. Beginning around 1965, the number of Nike batteries was reduced. air defense was reduced during 1965 and air base defense during 1966,[url=http://shopwomensclothing.com/karen-millen-karen-millen-skirts-c-134_138.html/]Karen Millen Skirts[/url], reducing the number of batteries to 112. Budgetary cuts reduced that number to 87 in 1968, and 82 in 1969.
Some small-scale work to use Nike Zeus as an (ASAT) was carried out from 1962 until the project was canceled in favor of the based system during 1966. In the end, neither development would enter service. However, the Nike Zeus system did demonstrate a capability against ballistic missiles during the early 1960s. See and .
Nike Hercules was included in discussions as an . Following the signed during 1972, and further budget reduction, almost all Nike sites in the continental United States were deactivated by April 1974. Some units remained active until the later part of that decade in a coastal air defense role.
Specifications[]This section does not any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (April 2011)MissileNike AjaxNike Zeus ANike Zeus B (XLIM-49A) (LIM-49A)Length34 ft 0 in (10.36 m) overall
21 ft 0 in (6.41 m)second stage41 ft 1 in (12,[url=http://menscheapfootwear.com/adidas-shoes-adidas-eqt-grip-shoes-c-108_117.html/]ADIDAS EQT GRIP SHOES[/url].53 m) overall
26 ft 10 in (8.18 m) second stage44 ft 3 in (13.5 m)48 ft 3 in (14.7 m)55 ft 1 in (16.8 m)Diameter1 ft 0 in (0.30 m)2 ft 7 in (0.80 m) booster
1 ft 9 in (0.53 m) second stage3 ft 0 in (0.91 m)3 ft 0 in (0.91 m)3 ft 7 in (1.09 m)Fin span4 ft 0 in (1.22 m)11 ft 6 in (3.50 m) booster
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) second stage9 ft 9 in (2.98 m)8 ft 0 in (2.44 m)9 ft 9 in (2.98 m)Mass2,460 lb (1,116 kg) at launch
1,153 lb (523 kg) second stage10,690 lb (4,850 kg) at launch
5,523 lb (2,505 kg) second stage10,980 lb (4,980 kg)22,700 lb (10,300 kg)28,900 lb (13,100 kg)Maximum speed 2.25 (ca. 1485 mph true airspeed @ 50k ft; 2390 km/h)Mach 3.65 (ca. 2094 mph true airspeed @ 65k ft; 3877 km/h)Mach 4 > (ca. 2800+ mph; 4,900 km/h arbitrary)Range25 mi (40 km)87 mi (140 km)200 mi (320 km)250 mi (400 km)460 mi (740 km)Ceiling69,900 ft (21,300 m)149,900 ft (45,700 m)?170 mi (280 km)350 mi (560 km)First stageSolid-fuel
(59,000 lbf or 263 kN static thrust for 2.5 seconds)Hercules M42 solid-fueled rocket cluster
(4x M5E1 Nike boosters)
220,000 lbf (978 kN) total TX-135
400,000 lbf (1,800 kN)Thiokol TX-135
450,000 lbf (2,000 kN)Thiokol TX-500
500,000 lbf (2,200 kN)Second stageLiquid-fuel
(2,600 lbf or 11.6 kN static thrust for 21 seconds)Thiokol M30 solid-fueled rocket
10,000 lbf (44.4 kN)?Thiokol TX-238Thiokol TX-454Third stageNoneNoneNoneThiokol TX-239Thiokol TX-239Warhead conventional3 warheads each surrounded with
2 layers of 1?4 in (6 mm) hardened steel cubes
Nose: M2: 4.5 lb (2.0 kg) 12 lb (5.4 kg) total
Mid-body: M3: 92 lb (42 kg) Comp. B, 176.8 lb (80.2 kg) total
Aft: M4: 59 lb (27 kg) Comp B, 121.3 lb (55.0 kg) totalT-45 HE warhead weighed
1106 lb (500 kg) and contained 600 lb (272 kg) of
M17 blast-fragmentationNuclear warhead onlyNuclear warhead onlyNuclear warhead onlyWarhead nuclearConventional warhead onlyW-31 nuclear 20 kt (M-22)W-31 nuclear (400 kt)
(5 Mt)
thermonuclearSupport vehicles[]This section does not any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (April 2011)
These trucks and trailers were used with the Nike system.
M254 truck, missile rocket motor, M255 truck, body section, M256 truck, inert, M257 truck, inert, M442 truck, guided missile, rocket motor, M451 truck, guided missile test set, M473 truck, guided missile body section, M489 truck, missile nose section, M242 trailer, M33 fire control, radar dish van mount, 2-ton,M243 trailer, M33 fire control, antenna hauler, 2-ton,M244 trailer, M33 fire control, computer van, 2-ton,M258 van, radar tracking centralM259 van, guided missile directors trailerM260 low bed antenna mountM261 flat bed, guided missileM262 van, launch control stationM304 van, electronic shop, Nike AjaxM359 van, electronic repair shopM382 van, electronic repair shopM383 van, electronic repair shopM406 low bed antenna mountM424 van, guided missile directors trailerM428 van, guided missile tracking stationM429 dolly, for Nike trailersM430 dolly, trailer, rear, for Nike trailersM431 dolly, trailer, front, for Nike trailersM432 dolly, trailer, rear, for Nike trailersM529 trailer, low bed, 7-ton, missile, NikeM564 trailer van, electronic shop, 9-ton,M565 dolly, trailer, front,M573 dolly, front, launch control station,M582 van, shopM583 van, shopM584 dolly, trailer, front,M589 dolly, trailer, front, electronic,M595 dolly, trailer, front, antenna,M657 trailer, van radar simulator test station,M699 dolly trailer, rear,M802 trailer, electric shop, radar course direct central, Nike HerculesDeployment[]This section needs additional citations for . Please help by . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)
By 1958, the Army deployed nearly 200 Nike Ajax batteries at 40 "Defense Areas" within the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) in which Project Nike missiles were deployed. Within each Defense Area, a "Ring of Steel" was developed with a series of Nike Integrated Firing and Launch Sites constructed by the Corps of Engineers.
The deployment was designed to initially supplement and then replace gun batteries deployed around the nation's major urban areas and vital military installations. The defense areas consisted of major cities and selected bases which were deemed vital to national defense. The original basing strategy projected a central missile assembly point from which missiles would be taken out to prepared above-ground launch racks ringing the defended area. However, the Army discarded this semimobile concept because the system needed to be ready for instantaneous action to fend off a "surprise attack." Instead, a fixed-site scheme was devised.
Due to geographical factors, the placement of Nike batteries differed at each location. Initially, the planners chose fixed sites well away from the defended area and the Corps of Engineers Real Estate Offices began seeking tracts of land in rural areas However, Army planners determined that close-in perimeter sites would provide enhanced firepower. Staggering sites between outskirt and close-in locations to urban areas gave defenders a greater defense-in-depth capability.
Each Nike missile battery was divided into two basic parcels: the Battery Control Area and the Launch Area.
The Battery Control Area contained the radar and computer equipment. Housing and administration buildings, including the mess hall, barracks, and recreation facilities, were sometimes located in a third parcel of land. More likely, however, the housing and administration buildings were located at either the Battery Control Area or the Launch Area, depending upon site configuration, obstructions, and the availability of land.
The Launch Area provided for the maintenance, storage, testing, and firing of the Nike missiles. The selection of this area was primarily influenced by the relatively large amount of land required, its suitability to extensive underground construction, and the need to maintain a clear line-of-sight between the missiles in the Launch Area and the missile-tracking-radar in the Battery Control Area.
The first Nike sites featured above-ground launchers. This quickly changed as land restrictions forced the Army to construct space-saving underground magazines. Capable of hosting 12 Nike Ajax missiles, each magazine had an elevator that lifted the missile to the surface in a horizontal position. Once above ground, the missile could be pushed manually along a railing to a launcher placed parallel to the elevator. Typically, four launchers sat atop the magazine. Near the launchers, a trailer housed the launch control officer and the controls he operated to launch missiles. In addition to the launch control trailer, the launch area contained a generator building with three diesel generators, frequency converters, and missile assembly and maintenance structures.
Because of the larger size of the Nike Hercules, an underground magazine's capacity was reduced to eight missiles. Thus, storage racks, launcher rails, and elevators underwent modification to accept the larger missiles. Two additional features that readily distinguished newly converted sites were the double fence and the kennels housing dogs that patrolled the perimeter between the two fences.
The Nike Hercules was designed to use existing Nike Ajax facilities. With the greater range of the Nike Hercules allowing for wider area coverage, numerous Nike Ajax batteries were permanently deactivated. In addition, sites located further away from target areas were desirable due to the nuclear warheads carried by the missile. Unlike the older Ajax sites, these batteries were placed in locations that optimized the missiles' range and minimized the warhead damage. Nike Hercules batteries at SAC bases and in Hawaii were installed in an outdoor configuration. In Alaska, a unique above-ground shelter configuration was provided for batteries guarding Anchorage and Fairbanks. Local Corps of Engineer Districts supervised the conversion of Nike Ajax batteries and the construction of new Nike Hercules batteries.
Nike missiles remained deployed around strategically important areas within the continental United States until 1974. The Alaskan sites were deactivated in 1978 and Florida sites stood down during the following year. Although the missile left the U.S. inventory, other nations maintained the missiles in their inventories into the early 1990s and sent their soldiers to the United States to conduct live-fire exercises at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Leftover traces of the approximately 265 Nike missile bases can still be seen around cities across the country. As the sites were decommissioned they were first offered to federal agencies. Many were already on Army National Guard bases who continued to use the property. Others were offered to state and local governments while others were sold to school districts. The left-overs were offered to private individuals. Thus, many Nike sites are now municipal yards, communications and FAA facilities (the IFC areas), probation camps, and even renovated for use as Airsoft gaming and MilSim training complexes. Several were completely obliterated and turned into parks. Some are now private residences. Only a few remain intact and preserve the history of the Nike project. There are also a few sites abroad, notably in , and .
Defense areas within the United States were:
Nike as sounding rocket[]This section needs additional citations for . Please help by . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)
The Nike was also used as in the following versions:
Survivors[]This section does not any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (April 2011)Bases[]Missiles[]See also[]Sources[]References[]External links[]Wikimedia Commons has media related to .1948-1951 system1951-1955 system1955-1963 systemUndesignated types 1–5051–100101–150151–Project NikeSounding rocketsBy platformBy target typeBy Lists