Edit: CL-11L Nike Missile site

CL-11L Nike Missile site

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 By: <a class='user-link' href='https://virtualglobetrotting.com/user/kjfitz/' title='kjfitz: Info'>kjfitz</a>. 
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 The program began with the Nike-Ajax missile, which became operational in 1953. It was the first operational guided SAM system in the United States, capable of intercepting and destroying high-altitude enemy aircraft. Nike-Ajax missiles used conventional warheads but were limited in range and payload. 
 
To address these limitations, the more advanced Nike-Hercules missile was introduced in 1958. Nike-Hercules could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads, extending its capability to destroy multiple bombers or even large formations with a single strike. It had a greater range and altitude, making it a cornerstone of U.S. continental air defense. 
 
Later developments, like the experimental Nike Zeus program in the 1960s, sought to transform Nike technology into an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). While Zeus was never widely deployed, it laid the groundwork for future ABM systems. 
 
The Nike missile program was eventually phased out in the 1970s due to advancements in intercontinental missile technology and the changing nature of strategic threats. However, its legacy influenced modern missile defense systems, and remnants of Nike missile sites can still be found across the United States, many converted into historical or recreational areas.

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