AT&T Archives: Nike Zeus Missile System

See more from the AT&T Archives at techchannel.att.com/archives
This film showed how industry and the armed forces cooperated in research and development aimed toward improving America's defense facilities, and the key role played by the Bell System in the development of the U.S.'s anti-missile missile system.
The film presents the story of the U.S. Army's Nike Zeus anti-missile missile system, a system designed to "protect our cities and defense installations against intercontinental ballistic missiles." It describes the important role played by the Bell System in the development of this missile system through the research of Bell Laboratories and through the work of Western Electric as the prime contractor. In narration and on-the-spot filming, the piece traces the Nike missile development program from its early beginnings with the Nike Ajax and the Nike Hercules, which were designed to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft. We see how Nike Zeus, the last member (circa 1961) of the Nike missile family detected, tracked, intercepted and finally was able to destroy enemy ICBMs traveling at speeds of 15,000 miles per hour.
Soviet development of better ICBMs decreased the value of the Nike air defense system soon after this film was made. The Nike Zeus system was examined and tested for a few years as an anti-satellite weapon, but in the end it was not used.
So what happened to the Nike systems? The program was included in SALT I discussions from 1969 to 1972. As a result, most Nike sites in the United States were deactivated by 1974. Only a few remained active through the 1970s in a coastal air defense role.
Today, anti-missile defense in the United States primarily rests on the shoulders of the Patriot system. No current systems are able to intercept contemporary ICBMs.
Produced by Transfilm-Caravel, Inc.
Footage courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center, Warren, NJ

[@nicholasmaude6906]

This film is now 60 years old. The missile shown in the film is the Nike Zeus A and if it had gone into service the version used would've been the Nike Zeus B which was developed into the LIM-49A Spartan carrying the 5MT W71 warhead.

[@jmichaellavka9758]

I was a Fire Control System Maintenance technician and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. I served in Ajax and Hercules plus Improved Hercules and ATBM systems. My best assignment was first working in Research and Development at White Sands and then being assigned to the Safeguard Tactical site in North Dakota. I was at the Missile Site Radar location in Nekoma, ND and the Perimeter Acquisition Radar was in Concrete, ND which was about 35 or 40 miles to the Northeast. We had a Co-located missile field at the MSR with both Spartan and Sprint missies, and there were 4 Remote Launch Sites to the North, South, East, and West, each about 30 miles from the MSR. The Remote sites had only Sprint Missiles. The Spartan missiles were Exo-atmospheric interceptors and the Sprints were Endo-atmospheric interceptors. All missiles were in individual underground cells . I was there as a Central Processor maintenances technician but my main function was taking care of the Nuclear employment Authority and Launch Enable systems without which the missiles could not be fired. There is a very interesting and informative site you can google. Look for the Stanley R Mickelsen Safeguard Site.

[@barneylinet6602]

Were you a "scope dope" or a "pit ape". From what i understand, the most exciting job was pulling the arming plug, which entailed reaching up the nozzle of a booster, and praying like crazy that it didn't ignite!!!!! Back in the mid Seventies i was a field engineer for Bendix, and i talked to a guy who worked on Kwajalein and told me about watching a Sprint launch (from a safe distance).

[@DamplyDoo]

Ever see any ufo or unexplained activity?

[@cgrosshart123]

I was a panel operator on an army missile sit from 1959 thru 1962. the little ajax had a range of about 25 miles and the Hercules around 65 mi. I was on one of 4 sites around Fairchild air force base which is what we were there for to protect the air base. the ajax was for single planes whereas the Hercules with a nuclear warhead could take out several planes at once. all these were 85 percent effective, most weapons today aren't much better. we fired these every summer down at Mcgregor range not far from elpaso. the little ajax could go 10000 ft. up in 2.5 seconds. I always heard the zeus was approaching 4000 miles per hour as soon as it left the launcher, pretty impressive for that period of time. we all were well protected at that time, now who knows.

[@MrShobar]

Seattle also had a Nike ring, and also a Missile Master. Hanford also had a ring.

[@PacificAirwave144]

I was on Kwajalein as a kid during Nike-Zeus testing. I always thought it was the island shaking but maybe it was just the noise shaking me. It was always impressive! But now I look at that whole era and think of the money that was spent... None of those systems had much of a life before the next system was coming out. The century-series fighters, jet bombers, ICBMs, ABMs... What an endless money pit!

[@derekquintal]

Very impressive systems. In my opinion national defense was incredible for that time period. Well done indeed!

[@fauxbummer3794]

So which missile was flying faster, Zeus or Sprint? I remember some figures that Nike-Zeus achieved 12,500 km/h, while Sprint accelerated to Mach 10 within 5 seconds which gives 10,500 km/h, yet the Sprint missile was said to fly much faster.

[@lindaphone8070]

Thank you for sharing that with us. NIKE defended my home when I was a kid.

[@40rtyp]

I Love watching these documentaries. Being a FireControlman on the Aegis Weapon system in the Navy, it sure is intriguing to see the roots for all military branches. I know the Navy benefited greatly from Nike X with Phase Array tech. Awesome!!

[@AckzaTV]

back when hetero white men ruled

[@skateboardingjesus4006]

@@AckzaTV Oh FFS, there's always at least one malcontent trying to make some dumb and irrelevant sociopolitical point that they never get to. Do you think these technological advancements would have been different if there was more gender and racial diversity involved?

[@rongarcia6776]

I was a crewman at a Nike Hercules battery in Hardheim Germany 1974-1976. Intense to be involved with that much firepower! I was glad when the wall fell. The cold war was insane!

[@RCAvhstape]

That camera shot from on board the missile body at 13:10 is pretty cool when you consider they didn't have tiny little digital cameras like they put on rockets today. That sucker was film, it was probably big and had to operate its mechanicals under that huge G load and vibration.

[@MrShobar]

Other mechanical equipment on the missile (e.g., the gyroscopic platform) had to perform successfully under the same loading. It therefore doesn't surprise ma at all that a camera (with film) could do all that.

[@d.e3777]

4 Jahre Luftwaffe

[@digranni128]

Verdade ,câmera on board em 1961 ! Very cool 🙋

[@StevieDamnit]

It was most likely filmed with a propped 16mm camera which was very durable. People that could afford them used them for vacation/home movies quite frequently.

[@K6III450MHZ]

The list of companies needed to produce this system is impressive. Just imagine the number of Americans employed.

[@Gpacharlie]

K6III450MHZ And the spin offs from this technical advancement.

[@steve94044]

The same company that brought you pink princess phones and chocolate trimline phones also made Nike Missiles that some were armed with Nukes. If you ever get to San Francisco take a tour of SF-88 in Marin Headlands. It's the last fully restored Nike Missile Base in the West Coast and maybe the US. It's now a park and a museum of the history of the Nike system before the SALT II and SALT III treaties in the Carter era shut them all down in the early 1970's. PBS "California's Gold" TV series with Hewell Howser did a program on the SF-88 base worth checking out. They just aired it on KQED channel 9 a few weeks ago. Jan 2017.

[@georgewallot7739]

My experience in Alaska had one high explosive missile and all the rest were nukes on each launcher system.

[@Gpacharlie]

I worked at then helped shut down B 2/52 in Key Largo

[@zerocool2352]

This is pretty amazing to learn about. I wish we still had little documentaries like this that could explain the big projects our government & corporations work on.

[@holmesmail]

My grandpa told me stories about when he was involved with Nike testing. Once the ground radar locked onto a freight train going into a tunnel and blew a few of its cars up.

[@georgewallot7739]

When I was in the Nike Hercules support during the early 1960s, the procedure was to look through a optical system to determine if the target tracking antenna was actually tracking the target. I personally watched 2 firings. This was at Ft. Richardson, Alaska.

[@kj6qvb]

Highly doubtful. Your grandfather must have been on the sauce ;-)

[@Gpacharlie]

Alex Holmes It’s a great story. Is Grampa Irish?

[@Gpacharlie]

George Wallot Me at Isle of Crete 1980.

[@racerdude7730]

We were also very proud of what we could do back then. We dont have that anymore. In 2001 we had that back after 9/11 for awhile but then it all fell away again. I find it to be sad

[@hertzair1186]

racerdude7730 : Anti-nationalism from liberalism.

[@hagerty1952]

Great piece of history for a rocket nerd!

[@barneylinet6602]

I would like to get a de-militarized Nke Zeus for display in my front yard. Getting real tired of the old pink flamingos there....

[@MrSpacinmason]

This video is more valuable than the missles because it is the 21st century and wars are won by men who understand SAM.

[@ojsilva1975]

I’m really impressed with AT&T back in the 60s they really developed an anti-intercontinental ballistic missile system? wow…

[@907sled]

Awesome!

[@thetreblerebel]

You can see static displays of these and more FA weapons at Fort Sill Oklahoma. Home of the Air Defense FA and the Field Artillery

[@Zoomer30]

Proper stretching is critical when developing a ABM system.

[@Mithranos]

8:20 Missile Command game idea is formed.

[@enochster7964]

I will never look at Nike sports company the same way again 🙂🤙

[@creeper50]

Who would choose the name so strange? Naikizus sounds funny

[@001kb]

big problem is that only one missile can be fired and guided till impact then one more. very slow rate of fire. The new standard only need guided during terminal impact )few seconds. so multiple missiles can be fired. plus pac 3 patriot are semiactive so if the on board radar has a better chance of interecpt it uses it and not ground radar

[@Anvilshock]

Low rate, not slow rate. A slow rate is a slowly changing rate.

[@Thebuilderofthings1]

"Push the button Max!"

[@Patriot20054]

No i

[@stuntmanmike37]

And now we have no anti-ballistic missile, missile. Thanks a lot congress.

[@Gpacharlie]

stuntmanmike37 Though the SAM missile batteries would probably be the first targets in a war.

[@numnut1516]

This is literally false, and was when you made this blindingly stupid comment 9 years ago. Think for a second. Use that grey matter between your ears, please.

[@shm1968g]

AT&Tのベル研究所が関わっていたとは意外だ。

[@TheKeithvidz]

SPARTAN evolvoled from it. Both short lived systems.

[@AckzaTV]

0:45 OUR GREATEST THREAT: ALIENS!

[@vancepomerening4794]

Wow, Phil Knight sure was prescient. Shoot sneakers at those ICBM's.

[@bigbob1699]

In 1975 we were told that our Herks would be replaced with the Zeus system , they lied .

[@FylthyBeest]

Would you care to expand?

[@user-wh1vx8pj2x]

これ　核搭載出来たんだ　　対ソビエトに　今自分は７６歳懐かしいのぅ

[@zarte001]

emergency, emergency, we're shooting without LCT...

[@edwardmiller2249]

IF YOUR WATCHING THIS..CHECK OUT SPRINT 0 TO MACH 10 IN 5 SECONDS..NO WONDER THE U.N. DIDN'T WANT THE U.S. TO HAVE THAT WEAPON.

[@thetreblerebel]

A very big Surface to Air Missile.. like tree

[@capworld]

Star wars was never made operational. The ABM treaty is another reason to consider. Safeguard system was the closest to being put into service but it was axed. Yes the Standard Missile could be used against the Carrier Killer but it was first conceived as a anti-aircraft missile first in the 60's-70's and was adapted to Anti-theater Missiles in the same way as the Patriot PAC-2 was. Yes Russia is having a cow because they believe that it would affect their ICBM'S US disagrees using Iran

[@FylthyBeest]

What?

[@Zoomer30]

Nike Zeus: Just Do It (unless you want to be a radioactive cinder)

[@jmr1068204]

These old documentaries with the orchestra music are so cheesy.

[@ronniefarnsworth8224]

jmr1068204 I love them,good old memories when America was strong !! Now look at us in "Obama's World " what a mess !!!

[@basswarnow]

+Ronnie Farnsworth What do you want Obama to do? Invade some other country? Send american soldiers to death? The economy is doing great, the crisis is surpassed and purchasing power is increasing. America is doing fine.

[@ronniefarnsworth8224]

Philipp X Right !!!!! Sorry man I can't help you with views like that. Economy !!! I don't know one friend that is doing better - - they all are struggling like me or worst ! Clueless you must love the Traitor Hillary LMAO Semper Fi

[@RCAvhstape]

+jmr1068204 No way, the music is awesome, totally goes with the whole Cold War feel of it.

[@MrShobar]

You'd prefer the cheesy synthesizer (or computer-generated) music of today?

[@AckzaTV]

trump card lol

[@Zoomer30]

So if Trump plays a Trump card, how do you trump the trump card played by Trump if you want to trump him?

[@firefly3981]

VOTE