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Weapons
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The Nike Hercules Missile
| The Nike Hercules missile was classified as a SAM missile. SAM meaning surface to air missile. Its target was enemy planes or at least that was the official explanation. I was stationed on a Nike Hercules base for almost three years. I never actually worked with the missiles as I had a different assignment. Over the years I heard different things about the Nike Hercules. For example the word was that the missile could use three atomic war heads not just one as stated. I also heard that the missile might be able to go intercontinental, although I think it would have had to be modified with a huge booster, so I sought of doubt this. I have no way to verify these facts and they might all be false, but it does give pause for thought. The Nike Ajax was the forerunner to the Nike Hercules. It was a liquid fueled rocket and therefore much more dangerous to handle. The Nike Hercules replaced the liquid fuel with a solid propellant and was much safer. Just before I was assigned to the missile battery a Nike Ajax had blown up in the 'pits' killing many soldiers. To give you an idea of the size of a Nike Hercules with booster, we used to move a dummy setup around on a 100 foot missile trailer. I thought it might be interesting to take a closer look at this particular missile, so here is the story of the Nike Hercules. |
The following material is all from the Redstone Arsenal US Army
Nikes in the raised position As the Nike Ajax system underwent testing during the early 1950s, the Army became concerned that the missile was incapable of stopping a massed Soviet air attack. To enhance the missile’s capabilities, the Army explored the feasibility of equipping Ajax with a nuclear warhead, but when that proved impractical, in July 1953 the service authorized development of a second generation surface-to-air missile, the Nike Hercules. As with Nike Ajax, Western Electric was the primary contractor with Bell Telephone Laboratories providing the guidance systems and Douglas Aircraft serving as the major subcontractor for the airframe. In 1958, 5 years after the Army received approval to design and build the system. Nike Hercules stood ready to deploy from converted Nike Ajax batteries located in the New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago defense areas. However, as Nike Hercules batteries became operational, the bitter feud between the Army and Air Force over control of the nation’s air defense missile force flared anew. The Air Force opposed Nike Hercules, claiming that the Army missile duplicated the capabilities of the soon-to-be-deployed BOMARC. Eventually, both of the competing missiles systems were deployed, but the Nike Hercules would be fielded in far greater numbers over the next 6 years. During the course of the Cold War, the Army deployed 145 Nike Hercules batteries. Of that number, 35 were built exclusively for the new missile and 110 were converted Nike Ajax installations. With the exception of batteries in Alaska and Florida that stayed active until the late 1970s, by 1975 all Nike Hercules sites had been deactivated. Technical Specifications Length: 41 feet Diameter: 31.5 inches Wingspan: 6 feet, 2 inches Weight: 10.710 pounds Booster fuel: Solid propellant Missile fuel: Solid propellant Range: Over 75 miles Speed: Mach 3.65 2,707 mph Altitude: Up to 150,000 feet Guidance: Command by electronic computer and radar Warhead: High-Explosive fragmentation or nuclear
Windows Video, Size 20.2 Megs. Story of the Nike Hercules Free movie players available HERE
The following are my comments A through C on the three pictures above and not the US Army. (A)The Nike Ajax was the forerunner of the Nike Hercules
and used liquid fuel while the Nike Hercules was a solid fuel missile
In the picture above right there are doors. These doors are over the missile with its raising platform. With the right camouflage you would never even know the area contained missiles. |
