Nike Hercules

Nike Hercules was the Army's only deployed nuclear-armed surface-to-air weapon. Its mission was air defense of major urban centers against enemy bombers. Later, this mission was changed to defense against enemy missiles, rather than bombers., Developed as a replacement for Nike Ajax, Nike Hercules was essentially an Ajax with four of each component: a cluster of four solid-fuel rocket boosters to accelerate the missile, and four liquid-propellant engines to carry the warhead to its target. Eventually the liquid propellant was changed to a solid fuel for the engine., Hercules was designed to use the supporting components of the Nike Ajax system, although the increased capability of Hercules necessitated some additions to ground equipment. A High-Powered Acquisition Radar (HIPAR) was installed to track targets at greater range. Alternate Battery Radars (ABARS) were installed as backup units. And a Target Ranging Radar (TRR) was added to counter enemy radar jamming attempts., Hercules development began in the early 1950s, when the Army became concerned that Nike Ajax was incapable of stopping a massed Soviet air attack. First the Army explored the possibility of equipping Nike Ajax with a nuclear warhead, but that proved impractical. In July 1953, the Nike B program was authorized, to design a missile that could intercept aircraft flying 1,000 miles per hour, at an altitude of 60,000 feet, and a horizontal range of 50,000 yards. It was renamed Nike Hercules in December 1956., Nike Hercules testing began in 1955 at White Sands Proving Ground. On September 30, 1955, tragedy struck. A liquid-fueled engine undergoing static test exploded with such force that the protective bunker collapsed. Five people were injured and one was killed, the only missile-testing death in the history of White Sands Missile Range., Because of this incident, fuel for Nike Hercules' engine was changed from liquid to solid propellant., At White Sands Missile Range, Nike Hercules achieved many firsts: first intercept of a drone on October 31, 1956, first test using the new solid propellant sustainer engine on March 13, 1957, direct hit on a Corporal missile on June 3, 1960, and finally intercept of its own kind - another Hercules - in late 1960., The first production Nike Hercules missiles were delivered in 1958 and quickly began replacing the Ajax on Nike sites. In June 1961, Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) began phasing in Improved Hercules which largely involved improvements to radar to take advantage of Hercules' greater performance. High-Power Acquisition Radar (HIPAR), Target Tracking Radar (TTR) and Target Ranging Radar (TRR) were all improved and made far more compact for increased mobility., During the Cold War, the Army established 145 Nike Hercules sites in the continental U.S., protecting metropolitan areas and Strategic Air Command (SAC) bomber bases. They remained strategically deployed in the continental U.S. until 1974, although Nike Hercules continued to see service abroad into the early 1990s. Originally, the Army planned to replace Hercules with Patriot, but this plan was not implemented., More than 25,000 Nike Hercules missiles were manufactured during its long history. At White Sands Missile Range, 680 Nike Hercules missiles were fired, more than any other missile ever tested here., Length: 41 feet , Diameter: 31.5 inches , Weight: 10,000 pounds , Range: Greater than 75 miles , Altitude: 30 miles , First Firing: 1955