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The Nike series missiles were surface-to-air missiles for point defense against aircraft and ballistic missiles. Development of the Nike-Ajax (SAM-A-7) began in 1945 at Bell Laboratories. The first Nike-Ajax site became operational in December 1953 and initial plans called for installations at forty major cities in the continental United States, as well as at U.S. installations in foreign countries. As deployed the Nike-Ajax consisted of a Douglas-built airframe and a Bell (Aerojet-General) powerplant guide by a Westinghouse radar guidance system. It was superseded by the more powerful Nike-Hercules (SAM-A-25) and Nike-Zeus and was phased out of the U.S. inventory by 1965.

 Identifier

NASM.XXXX.0207

Date

1957-1959

Provenance

No donor information, gift, unknown, XXXX-0207, unknown

Extent

1.09 Cubic feet ((1 records center box))

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of technical manuals for the Nike-Ajax missile system. Most of the manuals cover the electronic, electrical, and guidance equipment for system testing and operation.

Rights

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Topics

Nike rocket

Antiaircraft missiles

Surface-to-air missiles

Air defenses -- United States

Air defenses

Rockets (Aeronautics)

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuals