What was the Nike missile system?
Nike-X was a proposed US Army anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system designed to protect major cities in the United States from attacks by the Soviet Union’s ICBM fleet. The name referred to its experimental basis, it was intended to be replaced by a more appropriate name when the system was put into production.
Did Nike missiles carry nuclear warheads?
Hercules was originally developed as a simple upgrade to the earlier MIM-3 Nike Ajax, allowing it to carry a nuclear warhead in order to defeat entire formations of high-altitude supersonic targets….Nike Hercules.
| MIM-14 Nike Hercules | |
|---|---|
| Mass | 10,710 pounds (4,860 kg) |
| Length | 41 feet (12 m) overall 26 feet 10 inches (8.18 m) second stage |
What was the range of a Nike missile?
The Hercules missile could travel 87 miles down range and 150,000 feet in altitude. 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.
What replaced the Nike Hercules missile?
The later Nike Hercules, also command-guided, had a range of 85 miles. After 1956 the Talos was supplemented by the Terrier, a radar-beam rider, and the Tartar, a semiactive radar homing missile. These were replaced in the late 1960s by the Standard semiactive radar homing system.
How many missile silos are in Texas?
12 silos
It is actually part of a complex of 12 silos located around Texas and formerly run by Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene. To learn more about the silos check out this guy’s site: Phildorsett.com.
Why are missiles called Nike?
Nike, named for the mythical Greek goddess of victory, was the name given to a program which ultimately produced the world’s first successful, widely-deployed, guided surface-to-air missile system.
What is the most powerful weapon in the US arsenal?
B83 nuclear bomb
The B83 is a variable-yield thermonuclear gravity bomb developed by the United States in the late 1970s and entered service in 1983. With a maximum yield of 1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ), it has been the most powerful nuclear weapon in the United States nuclear arsenal since October 25, 2011.
Where did the Nike Zeus missile come from?
A Nike Zeus B missile is launched from the Pacific Missile Range at Point Mugu on 7 March 1962. This was the ninth launch of a Zeus from the Pt. Mugu site, today known as Naval Base Ventura County. A view of Kwajalein during the Zeus era, looking eastward.
What is the Nike-Hercules missile system?
In 1954, after studies were completed, contractors were authorized to proceed with the development of the new system, designated the Nike-Hercules Air Defense Guided Missile System. This system provided the additional capabilities required, including an intercept range in excess of 150,000 yards, more than three times the range of the Nike-Ajax.
Why is the Zeus B missile so big?
During development, the concept changed to protect a much larger area and intercept the warheads at higher altitudes. This required the missile to be greatly enlarged into the totally new design, Zeus B, given the tri-service identifier XLIM-49, mounting a 400 kiloton W50 warhead.
When did the military start studying the Zeus missile system?
In 1959 the Defense Department ordered one more study on the basic Zeus system, this time by the PSAC.
