Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Characteristic	Units	Ajax	Hercules
length	feet	21	27
weight	pounds	1,050	5,250
payload	pounds	300	1,000
body diam	inches	15	32
fin diam	inches	50	90
thrust	pounds	2,500	13,500
propellant	type	liquid: - red fuming nitric acid - jet fuel (JP-4) - ignited by UDMH	solid
burn time	seconds	30	29
thrust	pounds	2600	10,000

The Nike surface to air missile system was named after the winged goddess of victory in Greek mythology. Two versions of this system defended the U.S. and other places from hostile aircraft.
The 1st version, the Nike Ajax, was deployed in the U.S. from 1954 to the early 1960s. It had an effective range of 25 miles.
The 2nd version, the Nike Hercules, was developed which was faster, had a range of over 75 miles, and had nuclear capability. The Hercules was deployed starting in 1958. In 1963, there were 134 Nike Hercules and 77 Nike Ajax batteries defending the U. S.
The Hercules is still in use (with a digital computer [PDP-11 Mod 20] replacing the analog computer, and a few other enhancements) by several countries today.