Category:Boston NIKE Sites: Difference between revisions

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Boston Air Defense Area

Boston's Nike Batteries were manned initially by Regular Army troops. In 1959, National Guard units assumed control of B-03, B-15, B-55, and B-63. In 1964, the Army turned sites B-36 and B-73 over to the Guard. After the phase-out of the Nike Ajax system, sites B-05, B-36, and B-73 remained supplied with Hercules missiles.

Army Air-Defense Command Post B-21DC

The Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) B-21DC was established at Fort Heath, Massachusetts in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions. The site was initially an FSG-l Missile-Master Radar Direction Center. In early 1965 the TSQ-51 "Missile Mentor" solid-state computer system was installed.

Fort Heath Air Force Station

The Army AADCP B-21DC was integrated with the USAF SAGE System air defense radar network as Site MM-1. The Fort Heath Air Force Station located adjacent to the Fort Heath Missile-Master Radar Direction Center provided support and interface with the SAGE System. Both the AADCP and the SAGE system relied upon up the adjacent FAA ARSR-1 search radar set for search radar video. Aircraft altitude determination was provided by two Air Force FPS-6 height-finders and two U.S. Army FPS-6 height finders. The Air Force height-finders were driven by the SAGE System while the two U.S. Army height-finders serviced the Nike Systems.

The Boston Defense Area merged with Hartford & Providence Defense Areas in 1962, becoming the New England Defense Area. U.S. Air Force operations at the site ended in 1962, and Nike operations were inactivated in 1974.

See Also:

• NIKE System
• Nike Sites
• SAGE System
• Fort Heath
• Defense Installations Portal