Every day there is another story, more outlandish than they day before, with respect to the current Administration. The latest is The “Golden” Dome, a system to protect the entire United States from a missile attack.

In essence, it is a missile defense system that intercepts missiles launched against the United States from outer space. It takes its genesis from Israel’s “Iron Dome” system. That system was first conceived in the early 2000’s, and became operational in 2011.

Israel’s system is a network of radar detectors and missile launchers designed to protect it from a short range missile attack. Each missile that Israel launches costs approximately $40,000+.The United States has funded most of the development costs of this system, estimated to be in the billions.

Obviously, there are practical differences. The first is land mass. The United State is significantly larger, 400+ times larger. Also, if the United States were to be targeted, it would probably be with Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that are long range and hypersonic. Experts believe that to defend against that type of attack, the defense system would need to be in outer space.

It has been reported that this “Golden” Dome system could cost at least $175 billion over 10 years. It is also said, that the current budget bill that is being prepared, has $25 billion in it for developing such a system. No one really knows what the cost of such a system would really be and if it is even feasible. The President has said that this system will be fully operational before the end of his term of office – 2029. As one would say, if you believe that, I will sell you the “Brooklyn Bridge.”

This discussion brought me back to 1960, when I was a member of the Virginia National Guard and assigned to a Nike Ajax missile site outside of Fairfax, Virginia.

When I was on active duty, I had received advanced training, at Ft. Bliss Texas, on the Nike Ajax system. Upon leaving active duty, I was assigned to the Fairfax site as a “week-end warrior.” This site was one of many, that surrounded the Washington D.C. area

The Nike Ajax system was a guided missile, surface to air system, that was designed to attack conventional, hostel bomber aircraft, that were flying at subsonic speeds and very high altitudes. The perceived threat was the fact that Russia, during the Cold War, was developing long-range bomber aircraft, capable of reaching the United States, and in 1949, they exploded their first atomic bomb.

During late World War ll, the United States realized that their anti-aircraft artillery systems did not provide adequate protection. Germany had been developing aircraft with jet engines. These aircraft flew higher and faster, and as a result, the current anti-aircraft systems were inadequate.

Bell Labs was considered the world leader in radar, and all things related. In 1945, they were selected to be develop a system that protected against high altitude bombers, flying at high rates of speed.

The system that was finally developed, included two radar systems, one for tracking the missile (MTR), another for tracking the target (TTR), and an analog computer to plot the intercept point, and launch the missile.

In early 1950, the Nike Program was accelerated and an initial production run of 60 launch stations and 1,000 missiles was approved to be complete by December 1952. It was planned to continue production of 1,000 missiles per month.

By the end of 1952, 3 complete ground systems and 1,000 missiles had been produced, and delivered to the Army at White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico.

In total, 350 launch systems were eventually produced and 13,714 missiles. In 1957, the National Guard Units of the various states, took over the full time manning of the individual sites.

Between 1956 and 1960, 265 batteries were built around the majority of populated cities in the Northeast, and around the coasts. These included New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among many others. There were also numerous sites around many of our military installations.

The Nike Ajax only had a range of 25 miles, so to protect a populated area you needed a number of batteries surrounding the city. Initially the land area needed was approximately 100 acres so most were located in rural areas, around the cities. As an example, there were 22 batteries protecting the Chicago area.

A normal Nike Ajax System included several radar systems, computers, missiles, and launch areas. The missiles were stored underground, and raised to ground level on an elevator, and then moved to the launch pad. It was not unusual to have 4 to 6 launch areas and 12 underground missiles per site. Each Nike Ajax missile could only attack one target at a time. The missile could reach 70,000 feet and travel at almost 1,700 mph (Mach 2.3)

In late 1952, development of the Nike Hercules missile was started. This missile would have the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead, and thus the ability to attack more than one aircraft at a time. Also, the range was 50 miles, double that of the Ajax.

Conversion of sites to the Nike Hercules began in the later part of 1958. However, not many sites were eventually converted. The last Nike Ajax site was decommissioned in 1963.

As Russia developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, the Nike sites became obsolete. Essentially all Nike sites were eliminated by 1974.

I served as a week-end warrior, in the Virginia National Guard, for approximately 3 years – 1960-1963. Our site was decommissioned in 1963. I always wondered about the decisions that were made to activate such a system. Russia didn’t have the capability of reaching our shores. However, the “Cold War” was alive and well!

We still have Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that are supposed to be a deterrent.

We need to find a better way! Spending $175 billion, to develop such a system, when we could do so much good by embracing “Global Economics,” and diplomacy to settle our differences, makes no sense to me.