Cold War Leftovers - Air Defenses

"History is on our side. We will bury you!" Nikita Khrushchev, 1956

"Vigilant and Invincible" U.S Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) motto

In the 1950's, the Soviet threat came in the form of bombers, not missiles. The Army Antiaircraft Command (ARAACOM), which later became the Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) was given the task of providing antiaircraft forces to defend critical areas of the country. As an improvement over outdated antiaircraft guns, the Nike Ajax guided missile system was developed by Bell Telephone, Western Electric and Douglas Aircraft. The original Nike Ajax missile had a range of approximately 25 miles while later enhancements created the Nike Hercules which had a range of approximately 100 miles and the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead. Eventually, over 100 Nike Hercules batteries were deployed, many in the north eastern part of the U.S. where they were intended to defend large targets such as cities and industrial areas.

Operating from 1954 to 1974, Nike missile sites were on alert 24-hours-a-day, manned by both Army troops and National Guard forces. A typical site would have an Integrated Fire Control (IFC) area which housed acquisition, targeting and tracking radars, as well as other command and control functions. The Launcher Area and missile magazine were usually located some distance (up to a mile or more) away from the IFC area.

The Nike system acted as a last line of defense should the Soviets attack and their bombers get past U.S. interceptors. However as the cold war progressed, the main Soviet threat became ICBMs and it seemed unlikely that Nike missile sites would survive such an attack and still be able to provide a credible defense against follow-on bombers. Nike sites were deactivated over a number of years with the last ones standing down in the 1970's. The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) put a final end to the Nike system.

Nike Missile Magazine, ©Art Maples

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought sudden urgency to protecting south Florida. This Nike site in the Florida Everglades was different than most in that all its facilities were built above ground. Most Nike sites were located near populated areas and for safety reasons the missile magazines had to be built underground. At this battery, the heavy doors on the front of the magazine would slide open and the missiles would be rolled out on the tracks seen in the lower right-hand portion of the photograph. From this position, they could then be fired. These magazines are presently used by the National Park Service for storage.

The missile magazine are surrounded by an earthen berm, into which is built a launch control room. These rooms now stand empty except for peeling paint and the occasional snake or frog. This sign is one of the few reminders of a much tenser time.

In the event that something went terribly wrong, the launch control room had a ladder leading up to an escape hatch at the top of the earthen berm. Left partially open over the years, this hatch now has tree branches growing through it.

References and Special Thanks