We would like to thank our loyal fellow members of the Nike Historical Society for your continued support over the years.
We will be closing the Society, including the store, as of March 31, 2024.
We have acquired a large repository of Nike technical information.
The web site will continue to be available.
It has been our pleasure to keep the legacy of the Nike missile's contribution of the successful conclusion to the Cold War.
the Board of Directors
Nike Historical Society
NIKE I - AJAX
MAY 1951 - Publication of Surface-to-Air Guided Missile System report
(NIKE I).
APR 1952 - Series of firings to test tactical control system and
JUN 1952 lightweight 3-fin booster.
JUL 1952 - First firing of production missile.
NOV 1952 - Start of R&D tests with Prototype Ground Guidance system.
- Start of Engineer/User tests.
OCT 1953 - Start of Army training firing at Red Canyon with production
systems.
JUL 1953 - Start of Ordnance Proof tests.
DEC 1953 - First deployment of production system at defense site.
1954 - Continued firings in support of production, training
1955 and deployment. Includes cold weather tests at Ft.
1956 Churchill, Canada, and sea level tests at Salton Sea.
Also includes several-demonstrations against special
targets.
1957 - Now known as NIKE AJAX, the firing program continued 1958 in
support of production and in demonstrations of system
performance and effectiveness.
1959 - Occasional batch firings in support of both AJAX and
and later HERCULES for special exercises and hardware qualification
tests.
OCT 1966 - Last firings of AJAX by contractor to shakedown HERCULES
system modified for high "g" maneuver capability.
(Total of 743 firings including 92 early R&D, and 77 with special
round numbers for demonstrations and other exercises.)
(Plus 17 dummy rounds.)