Nike Missile Sites
1954-1974
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Nike Missile Sites 1954-1974 |
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For two decades, during some of the most tense years of the Cold War, the New York metropolitan
area was defended by a series of U.S. Army "Nike" surface to air missile
batteries. During the middle and late 1950s, a total of 19 Nike
missile batteries were constructed in New York City, on
Long Island, in Westchester and Rockland Counties, and within the
northern half of New Jersey.
Additional
related facilities including remote radar sites, air defense command posts,
housing areas, headquarters facilities
and maintenance shops were also created during this period.
Nike missile sites were established during the 1950s as part of a nationwide air defense program
designed to to defend major population centers, industrial facilities
and other important sites against long range Soviet
bombers armed with nuclear bombs. Nike missiles provided a last line of defense
against
air attack. In this role they were part of a complex air defense network
which included radar installations, interceptor aircraft, radar picket
ships and picket aircraft,
civilian ground observers, antiaircraft artillery (gun) batteries and partially
automated command and control systems.
This Web site provides information about each of the historic Cold War era Nike
air defense sites located within the former New York Defense Area. Portions of
the site may
be unavailable at this time due to a major reorganization of this material.
Additional information will be placed online in the future.
To contact the author click
here to contact
Donald E. Bender at cwresearch2@yahoo.com
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