Sandy Hook in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Nike Missile Site
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 15, 2022
Missiles emerged from silos beneath the pavement, and waited on launching racks while radar tracked the skies. During the 1950’s – the Cold War Era – Nike missiles were stationed here to defend the New York-Philadelphia corridor against long-range bombers.
The peninsula of Sandy Hook provided an isolated location for newly-developed forms of radar. Like other batteries in the area these weapons were mounted as deterrent rather than aggressor. The missile base was closed in 1974, and the missile defenses for this area are now hidden in the Midwest.
Guiding the Missiles
Radar provides the deadly accuracy of these surface-to-air missiles. Long-range search radar emits radio waves that bounce off an unidentified aircraft and return flight-path information to a control computer, which activates tracking radar to lock on the target. If the target is confirmed to be an enemy, the control computer launches the missile and guides it with a command radio.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1974.
Location. 40° 26.855′ N, 73° 59.637′ W. Marker is in Middletown Township, New Jersey, in Monmouth County. It is in Sandy Hook. Marker can be reached from Hartshorne Drive north of Atlantic Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Highlands NJ 07732, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Nike Missile Radar Site (a few steps from this marker); British Embarkation (within shouting distance of this marker); H.M.S. Assistance Tragedy Memorial (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Last Tragic Episode of the American Revolution (about 600 feet away); Nike-Hercules (approx. ¾ mile away); Nike Ajax Explosion Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Nike-Ajax (approx. ¾ mile away); Guardian Park Picnic Area (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Middletown Township.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 15, 2022
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.