ANSWER: The effective range of a surface-to-air guided missile depends upon several things other than the distance to which the missile can be fired. Among these are the reflective characteristics of the target, the target speed and even the target altitude. The exact performance of a weapon is classified. Therefore, we release only a nominal figure. The figure for the range of the NIKE HERCULES is "over 75 NM". Comparable figures for BOMARC are "over 200 NM" for the early model and "over 400 NM" for the advanced model.

ANSWER: Both missiles are supersonic. They have more than adequate speed to attack any known type of manned aircraft and will have a margin of speed advantage over any foreseeable manned aircraft.

ANSWER: Both missiles have adequate altitude capabilities to cope with any known or foreseeable manned aircraft. The BOMARC has air breathing engines and is therefore confined to atmosphere which will support combustion. The NIKE HERCULES is powered by solid propellant rocket and can operate at even higher altitude.

ANSWER: The basic conception for the air defense of the United Stares is a defense in depth. Such a defense can subject invading aircraft to continuous attack of increasing severity as they approach a target area. Under this concept enemy aircraft detected by our early warning radar would first be attacked by manned interceptors. They would next be attacked by the BOMARC guided missiles and manned interceptors. Any which succeeded in approaching critical areas defended by NIKE HERCULES would come under attack by that system as well as BOMARC and manned interceptors. Both NIKE HERCULES and BOMARC would normally be assigned targets by the semi-automatic ground environment system known as SAGE where that system is available. NIKE HERCULES can be operated autonomously, that is, it is self sufficient and can operate either with or without SAGE. BOMARC is designed for fast reaction by being integrated with SAGE.

ANSWER: Specific test data is classified. Both the NIKE HERCULES and the early BOMARC have passed through their development tests and have been launched by troops trained for operational units. During these tests each system has successfully intercepted high performance jet target drones. These test firings and troop training shots have demonstrated that both systems are very effective. There is an improved version of BOMARC still in development.

ANSWER: First of all, personnel are selected for a guided missile unit only if they meet specified criteria. Those who are to have technical responsibilities are then given special training courses. The Army trains technicians for the NIKE HERCULES units in schools established at Fort Bliss, Texas, and at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Courses for the various specialties range from 8 to 51 weeks in duration. The Air Force currently conducts similar individual training of specialists at the Boeing plant in Seattle, Washington. This training program will be transferred to an Air Training Command school at Chanute Air Force Base.

ANSWER: A battalion of four batteries of HERCULES requires about 150 acres in fee and about 350 acres in easement, for a total of about 500 acres.

A BOMARC squadron with approximately the same number of missiles requires about 70 acres in fee and about 30 acres in easement, for a total of about 100 acres.

As most HERCULES units are replacing NIKE AJAX units, few additional land acquisitions will be required.

BOMARC will be installed on military owned property, where possible. Where military property is not available sites will be located some distance from cities which will minimize interference with civilian activities.

ANSWER: The safeguards included in both of these weapons and in the launching site arrangement make the chances of hazard to their civilian neighbors virtually impossible. In addition to the safeguards built into the equipment and into the launching site arrangement - the personnel who will man and handle the equipment are carefully screened and thoroughly trained. Moreover, the units are given thorough periodic inspections both to assure that the safety features of the equipment are operational, and that the established procedures are followed.

ANSWER: A comparison of these two missile systems on a unit cost basis can be very misleading. While BOMARC does cost more per unit than does the NIKE HERCULES, it can reach out and defend a larger area than can the NIKE HERCULES. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A defense comprised of both systems takes advantage of the desirable characteristics of both weapons systems. Actual cost figures are classified inasmuch as arithmetic could be applied to available contract information to produce approximations of our existing and planned missile stocks.