Developing the Nike Hercules Missile The resulting system was a ground-based, anti-aircraft, guided-missile system that could detect, target, and destroy enemy bombers. It was named Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory. The system was developed by Bell Laboratories, Western Electric Company, and Douglas Aircraft.
In 1974, all remaining Nike batteries were disarmed in compliance with the SALT treaty signed with the Soviet Union. Also, the arms race's newest weapon, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) made them obsolete.
Step into the Cold War for a tour of the historic Nike Missile Site, HM69. See an actual missile and many of the original support buildings. Guided tours begin at the Daniel Beard Center and are conducted most afternoons between December and March. Accessible, 0.7 miles walking, 1.5 hours total duration.
It had great maneuverability and a speed of mach 3.65 (2,707 miles per hour). It could be armed with either a high explosive or nuclear warhead. Nike was considered to be the most formidable of the Army's anti-aircraft weapons. By the mid-1960s, there were 274 Nike-Hercules batteries and 10,000 missiles across the U.S.
By the summer of 1953, Douglas and Bell were producing missiles and equipment, and training soldiers to operate the new missile system that was christened NIKE after the Greek goddess of victory. Later it was given the name NIKE-Ajax.
Nike Missile family, From left, MIM-3 Nike-Ajax, MIM-14 Nike-Hercules, LIM-49 Nike-Zeus. Download coordinates as: Leftover traces of the approximately 265 Nike missile bases can still be seen around cities across the United States. As the sites were decommissioned, they were first offered to federal agencies.
Today they are still used, although many have been decommissioned and hazardous materials removed. The increase of decommissioned missile silos has led governments to sell some of them to private individuals.
Step into the Cold War for a tour of the historic Nike Missile Site, HM69. See an actual missile and many of the original support buildings. Guided tours begin at the Daniel Beard Center and are conducted most afternoons between December and March. Accessible, 0.7 miles walking, 1.5 hours total duration.