The Core Value Consultants Blog

I just finished a great deal of research on land based defense systems in the United States while working at my local magic shop.  Nike air defense missiles were the first supersonic ground based anti-aircraft missiles.  These missiles were deployed and manned throughout the greater Los Angeles area from 1954-1969 and protected an area of approximately 4,000 miles.  Other sites can be observed throughout the entirety of the nation.  The major control system for these missiles is ground based, which means radar information is fed to a computer guidance system within the missile for target acquiring and pursuit.  From 1958-1963 the upgraded Nike-Hercules missile became the standard as a fear of large formation bombers grew stronger.  These upgraded missiles contained better tracking equipment, improved fuel storage, and had the capability to carry nuclear warheads.  Eventually the Nike batteries outlived their usefulness, as the perceived threat to our country changed yet again to long-range missile attacks, and were decommissioned early in 1974.