Nike Ajax History and Development - Historic Bucks County

313 Pages·2004·12.67 MB·English

HISTORICAL MON-OGRAPH
DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION, AND DEPLOYMENT
OF THE
NlKE AJAX GUIDED MISSILE SYSTEM
J .... r.: .....................
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--I',. . . ..... .........: ...-. .. * .......
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This docu~nent contains Infomation 8f'fecting the national
defense of the United States wlthin the meaning of the
Espionage Ism, Title l.8, U.S.C. Sections 793 and 79b.
Its transmlesian or the revelation of it# contents in any
manner to an mauthorized person is prohibited by law.
REGRADED
CONFIDENTIAL DATE -1 J* 1962
Approvea for
Release By:
30 June 1959
PREFACE
This historical monograph containe a detailed account of
the developuent, production, and deployment of the NIKE
AJAX Guided Missile System, frau the inception of the
pro3ect early in 1945 through June 1959. It was prepared
for the Office, Chief of Ordnance, in ccmplicrnce wlth
letter to the Crnmnnalng General, Rodset 81 Guided
Missile Agency, sub3ect "Bistorical Mcpsopaph on Guided
Missiles, " dated 8 May 1958.
Classified paragraphs are mmked wlth "(c ) " or "(s ) " as
appropriate; all uamarked paragraphs are cmeidered
unclassif led.
TABLE OF C B S
PREFACE
LIST OF CHARTS Am ~ T I r n S
LIST OF ICES
IN!rROTXiCTIQN
... ..........................
Orlgln of the ProJect ..................
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Feasibility Study Systa Philiosophy
DExaaPMEAP OF TEE PROGRCUd
......................
Initiation of Devel-t Prode.c.t ......................
Organization of the R&D Progrrrrm ....................
Program Control and Policy Guidance
.
111 l ! E E D m ~ P R O G R A M L E A D I l v G T O ~ T E S T S
....................................
Plan of Develiopnt
................
Basic Design Concept and Specifications
.............................
Re1dmimu.y Design Studies
....
System Capaponent Developnent and First Test Firings
...............
Propulsion and AemQwnic Test Program
.....................
Single-Plane Steering Test R o m
........................
Capaposite Steering Test
................................
Performaace Test Period
I v l x E R & D S Y S l T E M T E g P ~ G P R ~
..............................
Planning for System Tests
.....................
Test Equipment and Instmntation
.........................
Results of System Test Firings
...............................................
Sgaopsis
...........................................
Bibliograpb
iii
VI. D m - Am PRoDUCP1m OF !rEE lqMBl AJM A m sf mEM
Illtmduction...........*.*.**~**.*.*.**...*.*~..*......
The Telescoped IW Produetion Program..................
Design an8 Fabrication of the Tactical Prototype.......
Contractor Evaluation Teets............................
...................
System Improvement and Final Deuign.
The IVIKE AJAX Test ProgFclm.............................
KMEAJAX Prod~Ctiona nd Cost
Data*e.*.*e.....e..*.e*.*
.
VII ~ O F T E E ~ A J A X S Y S T E M
~ t ~ ~ ~ t i ~ . . . ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ . ~ . . ~ . ~ ~ ~ . . . . . . . . ~ ~ . ~ ~ . . ~ ~ . . . .
The Real Estate Problem.................e~.e...~e.....~
The HIKE AJAX ~~sion................................
The Shift fivm AJAX to HERCmgS........................
Who Said ~Obsoleecent~?..........e.....................
GLOSSAKY OF ABBREVIATIONS
LIST OF CHARTS AND IIjtZrSTRATIOXS
Fig. Psge
1. Tentative NlXB' Develownt Schedule.......................... 15
6. Loading Booster and Miesile in launcher wlth Hsndkbg Dolly..
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 launcher No. 3 (single- ail)
.. . . . . . . . . . . .
8. Single-Unit Booster Assembly on Bmalbl~D olly..
9 Loading Single Booster into launcher.........................
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. Oxidizer Fill, Round 14, 29 June 1948..
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ll. NIIE Mlssile 484-50 in launcher..
Evolution of the lBlKE Missile to System Test Stage...........
NIKE 490 Mlsslle Erected in Single-Rail launcher for Firing..
Evolution of the Booster to System Test Stage................
Warhead System...............................................
Evolution of the launcher to System Test Stage...............
.. . . . .
"Cn Station M l l a t i o n s , White Sanda Proving Ground..
..... . . ..
Close-up View of Mlsslle Radar Seen Aum '%" Station
System Operation Phases......................................
Camrter Rom at "Cn Station.................................
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Summary of System Test Rounds by Categarg................ llo
.. . . . . .
A Typical System Test la~ching(~ ound7 5, 29 Jan 52).
... ... .. ...... .. ... ..
IGOR Photographs of Round 69, 2'7 lOov 51.
I~Q~Rh otographso f ~aund7 5, 29 an 52......................
LIST OF CHARTS AND ILLuSTRATIOm (cont )
.
Fig ....................... Page
.
n.
24 IGOR Photographs of Round 5 Feb 52 ll4
.......................
IGOR Photographs of Rowad 83. 4 Mar 2 ll4
.......
IGOR Photographs of Round 90 (lire Warhead). 10 Apr 52 ll8
.......
IooR Photographs of Round 92 (lire warhead). 24 Apr 2 U8
...................................
KncE AJAX Program Schedule l24
....................................
~racking~ ntenna~ esembly 136
........
I?IKE I Launcher-Loader Installed in Section A at WSPG 139
............................
HDQ3 I Miselle Checkout Equipumt 140
................................
Dlagra~o f the I Missile
........
The lVIKE AJAX Antlaircrsft Guided Missile on Launcher 166
..
Final Desie & Operational Chancterletics of the NIkE ATAK 167
....................
The I?IKE AJAX Booster-Missile Canbination 168
.................................
The BTI(E AJAX Warhead System 169
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Canponents of the NIKE AJAX Booster ( ~ ~5a to)
...............................
The NllUZ AjAX Hydraulic Systa
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Knce AJAX Firing Stmrmarg. 1953.1958
..
Interlor of the Prototype Undergrowad Iauncher Installation
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Prototype Underground Iauncher Elevated with Mieeile
.............................
Layout of a Typical KlKg BeLtk~
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lPllQS AJA X Explosion Scene
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The lQMe AJAX sndHERcuz;eS Missiles
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The MAX-HEElCUU3S Demonstration at RoJect W .1 Jul 58
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Rr.
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1 Tentative Mllltary Cbarscterietice of the Antisircrsft
Guided Mieelle Syetem..........~..........................
.
2. Letter, COMIIRD to CO MA, Yrmefer of Research and Dey.e.l-.
opent Responeibility to Redetane Arsenal, 26 Jun 51..
3
4. List of OCM1e Relating to the NIKE Project................
..........................
5 lOIgE Field Teete, 1946 to 1951..
6. Emlution of the bJIKE Eiieeile.............................
...........
7 lPIKE R&D System Teste, 15 Hov 51 to 24 Apr 52..
8. OCN Item 32l65, "Syetea of Deei@mtinn and [email protected] .o.f. ..
Popular Hamee for Guided Eii~eilee,2~9 Apr 48..
9. OCM Item 33964, %let of Ordnance Corps Guided Eiieeile
Projects vith Type DeeigMtian snd Popular Hams,"
25 5i...................~......~................e.....
O C ~
10. OCM Item 35904, "Eetabliehment of Policy for Identif icr-
tion of Guided Eiieeile Syetana," 28 Jnl 55................
.........
ll. (RIIIE I) R&D Teete, Feb 52 to Sep 57...
12. Chronological List of FUbD, Facilitiee, and Indtlstrlal
Contracts Executed Under the HIICE AJAX Project............ 279
13 Letter, A m H q to C O m , nErploeion of Ordnance W.t.e.r.i.e.l.,
526 AA Meelle Battalioqn 4 Jun 58, w/4 Iacloeuree 283
(u) I. mTRoUUm1m
Origin of the .NIKE Project
Early in 1944-over a year before the war in Europe ended-intelli-
gence reports reaching this country indicated that the Germans were in
process of developing extremely large rocket projectiles with a range of
more than lOO.miles, whi'ch would soon be in coxribat use. These reports
also revealed that large, guided, rocket-type missiles had already been
used by the Germans with some success. Recognizing the high potential
military value of such a projectile, American officials decided that a
development program for a long-range rocket missile should be initiated
here.
Accordingly, in February 1944, the Army Ground Forces sent the Army
Service Forces an inquiry concerning the development of a direction-
controlled, major caliber, antiaircraft rocket torpedo. At that time,
the development of a specific missile was considered undesirable because
of the basic research problems yet unsolved. Therefore, the Ordnance
Department decided that, for the time being, the antiaircraft study
should be incorporated into the general guided missile studies already
underway.
Based on the results of studies conducted during the next three
months, the Ordnance Technical Committee concluded that a long-term pro-
gram was required for the development of guided missiles, starting with
a series of experimental projects from which essential theoretical data
and practical experience could be obtained. So, in May 1942, the Com-
mittee recommended that the Ordnance Department enter into development