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.)