Nike Ajax Corrections

[Ping Jockey]

I tried to post this in the Cold War Database Platform Requests thread, but it will not let me. So, like I did with the BOMARC Corrections, I am post this here.

Changes need to be made to the Nike Ajax missile and its launch facilities in the Cold War Database. Note that I am also submitting a list of changes for the Nike Hercules missile and its facilities. There will be some overlap and duplication, but the devil is in the details.

THE MISSILE
#665 Nike Ajax

GENERAL DATA
Guidance Type should be Command-Guided.

SENSORS / EW
Delete the box for SENSORS / EW. Nike Ajax had no onboard sensor.

COMMS / DATALINKS
Add a box for COMMS / DATALINKS that includes “NA MTR Command Datalink”. Type is “Ajax Weapon Link”, Max Range: ~36nm, Channels: 1, Properties: LOS-Limited, Secure, Receive-Only, UHF Radio.

PROPERTIES, etc.
No changes

THE LAUNCH FACILITIES
More than 200 Nike Ajax Sites were constructed across the continental US. Each site had between 2 and 6 separate underground magazines. There were two basic types of magazines (and you could find both at most sites), and each magazine fed either three or four launcher rails. I have simplified these combinations down to 7 basic configurations.

Add facilities:
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 8 Launchers
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 12 Launchers
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 11 Launchers
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 10 Launchers
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax Double Site) 16 Launchers
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax Double Site) 20 Launchers
SAM Bty (Nike Ajax Double Site) 24 Launchers

I will go into the specifics of each below. Note that the current entry (#558) is not correct and should either be deleted or modified to one of these (perhaps the 12-launcher config, since this was the most common).
Incidentally, on the Database Viewer Facilities menu, the selection-line for the Nike Ajax battery lists it as “Air Force”. Change this to “Army”.

GENERAL DATA
Nike Ajax magazines were underground with the roof at the surface with the launchers on top at ground level. Though the exact dimensions varied by type, magazines were roughly 15m long and 19 meters wide, with an area of 285 square meters. Multiply the area times the number of magazines for each facility. A large elevator moved the missiles from the magazine to the surface. Call the General Armor “Light (41 – 90mm RHA)” and the damage points ~150 (that’s for the magazines - the radars and control van were (with very few exceptions) unhardened).
The OODA cycle for the Nike Ajax is good.

SENSORS/EW
Note: I realized quite belatedly that adding and removing the radar vehicles from the MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS section also adds/removes the sensor listing from this section. Before going into the details of what needs to be added, removed or corrected, let me give a brief overview of the Nike Ajax Integrated Fire Control (IFC) system.

The Nike Ajax IFC had 4 main components (Nike Hercules added 2 more):
- The Acquisition Radar
- The Target Tracking Radar
- The Missile Tracking Radar
- The IFC Trailer

The Acquisition Radar (ACQR) was the main search radar for Nike Ajax. When Ajax sites were upgraded to Nike Hercules, they received a High-Powered Acquisition Radar (HIPAR) and the ACQR was renamed the Low-Power Acquisition Radar (LOPAR) (The radar was kept because although it had a shorter range, it had a higher scan-rate). Currently, CMANO lists this radar as “NH LOPAR” (ID #34). You could copy the “NH LOPAR “ radar and rename it something like “NA ACQR”, but it may be simpler to just rename #34“Nike ACQR/LOPAR” and use this for both Ajax and Hercules.

In addition to the Acquisition (search) radar, Nike Ajax used two Fire Control Radars. The Target Tracking Radar (TTR) used a pencil beam to track the target (duh!). The Missile Tracking Radar had two functions: It tracked the out-bound Nike (the MTR was physically and (in this respect) functionally very similar to the TTR). The MTR also transmitted command guidance course corrections to the bird, and also the warhead burst command when tracking showed the missile had reached the predicted intercept point. In this respect, the MTR functioned more like a datalink.

The ACQR, TTR and MTR sent their data to the Integrated Fire Control trailer, which contained the operator consoles and analog computers. From here the targets were tracked and the missiles launched and controlled. Using the TTR & MTR inputs, the IFC calculated the intercept point and sent a constant series of control commands to the missile via MTR.

A few more notes on the IFC:
- As an aggregate, radars and control trailer were called the IFC site.

- In reality, the IFC site was physically located ~1-4 miles from the Launcher site. This is because the MTR could mechanically elevate & slew only so fast, and it had to track the missile zooming-off at Mach schnell. Placing the MTR at a distance reduced the angular distance traversed to something the servos could handle. For the purposes of CMANO, the physical separation doesn’t really matter and does not need to be modeled. Most scenarios involving these facilities would involve nuclear weapons, so a strike that takes out one site would likely take out the other.

- Each TTR/MTR pair could guide 1 missile against 1 target (the current SARH homing that CMANO lists for Ajax allows multiple missiles to be launched against a target, which is not correct).

- The 2 & 3 magazine sites (that is, the 8, 10, 11 & 12 launcher facilities recommended above) had only 1 TTR and 1 MTR (total, not per magazine) and thus could only engage 1 target at a time.

- The 4, 5 & 6 magazine sites (that is, the 16, 20 & 24 launcher facilities recommended above) had 2 TTRs, 2 MTRs and 2 IFC trailers and could engage 2 targets at a time. These were called “Double Sites”. (In fact, double sites were considered separate batteries with co-located launch sites. Sometimes the IFCs were co-located with each other, but often the two (with their own TTR/MTR pairs & IFC trailers) were at separate locations miles apart. Again, this does not need to be modeled).

- If the ACQR, TTR, MTR or IFC trailer was damaged, destroyed or passive, the Nike Ajax site could not engage a target.

Sensor recommendations:
Rename “NH LOPAR” (ID #34) “Nike ACQR/LOPAR”. This will be associated with mount #164 “Vehicle (NH LOPAR)” which should, itself be renamed (see below).

Nike Ajax had a smaller, less-powerful TTR than Nike Hercules. Create a “NA Target Tracking Radar” with the same characteristics as the “NH Target Tracking Radar” (#101) but change the range to ~36 nm. This will be associated with a “Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR))” that will be created (see below).

Delete the “NH Missile Tracking Radar” (#152) from the sensors. It is more correctly classified as a datalink.

COMMS / DATALINKS
Add a box for COMMS / DATALINKS that includes “NA MTR Command Datalink”. Type is “Ajax Weapon Link”, Max Range: ~36nm, Channels: 1, Properties: LOS-Limited, Secure, Send-Only, UHF Radio. This will be associated with the “Vehicle (NA Missile Tracking Radar (MTR))” to be created (see below).

MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
Delete the mount entry for the “Vehicle (AN/FPS-71 HIPAR)” (#162). This will remove the “AN/FPS-71 HIPAR” (#33) radar from the list of sensors. This radar was at Nike Hercules sites, not Nike Ajax.

Delete the mount entry for the “Vehicle (NH Target Ranging Radar (TRR))” (#166). This will remove the “NH Target Ranging Radar” (#36) radar from the list of sensors. This FC director, which complemented the TTR to improve ECCM, was only installed at Nike Hercules sites.

Delete the mount entry for the “Vehicle (NH Target Tracking Radar (TTR))” (#167). This will be replaced by a newly created unit (see below). Deleting this mount will remove the “NH Target Tracking Radar” (#101) radar from the list of sensors.

Delete the mount entry for the “Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR))” (#169). This will be replaced by a newly created unit (see below). Deleting this mount will remove the “NH Missile Tracking Radar” (#152) radar from the list of sensors.

There are a couple of ways of modeling the Nike Ajax IFC:

Option 1:
Currently CMANO models the Nike IFC as several separate vehicles listed as mounts. Although it may seem odd to have such vital parts of a fixed installation in vehicles, this is more-or-less historically correct. Even though the launcher sites were fixed, and the radars were usually mounted on fixed platforms, the IFC equipment (including the antennae)was built to be easily portable on a few hours notice. To accurately model the IFC in this fashion, do the following:

Create a mount based on #204 “Vehicle (HQ Unit (Generic))” and rename it “Vehicle (Nike IFC Trailer)”.

Change the name of “Vehicle (NH LOPAR)” (#164) to “Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR)”[/u]. This will have the “Nike ACQR/LOPAR” radar (renamed from “NH LOPAR” (ID #34).

Create a mount based on “Vehicle (NH Target Tracking Radar (TTR))” (#167) and rename it “Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR))”. This will have the “NA Target Tracking Radar” radar we created above.

Create a mount based on “Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR))” (#169) and rename it “Vehicle (NA Missile Tracking Radar (MTR))”. This will have the “NA MTR Command Datalink” we created above.

Double Sites will have two each of the IFC, ACQR, TTR & MTR vehicles (and their associated radars & datalinks).

Option 2:
Since damage to any one of the 4 components of the IFC will prevent the Nike Ajax facility from firing, it may be simpler to create a single mount called the “Nike Ajax IFC” that incorporates the following:
“Nike ACQR/LOPAR” radar (renamed from “NH LOPAR” (ID #34).
The “NA Target Tracking Radar” radar we created above.
The “NA MTR Command Datalink” we created above.
Double Sites will have two of these mounts.

Whichever option you pick, just make sure that single-IFC facilities can only control one missile at a time against one target, and Double Sites can control one missile at each of two targets at a time.

Enough nerd-talk! Let’s get on to the sexy stuff:

Delete the 12 Nike Ajax weapons mounts (#2131)

Delete the Nike Ajax magazine (#462)

The basis for the Nike Ajax mounts & magazines will be the “Nike Hercules 3-Missile Lnchr Complex” (#546) and the “Nike Hercules 4-Missile Lnchr Complex” (#2311). Both of these are found on the “Mounts” menu, and both come with their own magazines which do not have to be added separately. Copy and rename these to create the “Nike Ajax 3-Missile Lnchr Complex” and the “Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex”.

Nike Ajax missiles were smaller than Nike Hercules, so more missiles could fit in each magazine (10 missiles per Ajax mag, 6 missiles per Hercules mag). Note that no single magazine ever held both Ajax and Hercules at the same time.
Currently, the listing for the mounts & magazines show all of the launchers loaded (either 3/3 & 4/4) AND the magazines full (6/6 & 8/8). This would never be the case since the missiles on the launchers come from the magazines. Also, the listed reload time for Nike launchers is currently set at 600 seconds, which is much too long. Although the launcher rails were moved and connected manually, most of the actual time was spent raising the elevator (~20-30 seconds) and elevating the rail to the launch angle (~30 seconds). ~90 – 100 seconds is a realistic reload time. I’ll have more to say about reloading below, but let’s finish the database changes first.

Create a Weapon Record for “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (3/3) – ROF:11”
Create a Weapon Record for “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (4/4) – ROF:11”

These represent the loaded launch rails. Note that they are based on the MIM-14B Nike Hercules weapons records #1599 and #2624, which can be copied & modified, if that’s easier.

Change Weapon Record #2363 to “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (7/10) – ROF:90
Change Weapon Record #2364 to “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (6/10) – ROF:90

These are the partially-emptied magazines following the launcher loading. Note that Nike Ajax sites did not have a GMTR (if one even existed for that missile).

On the Mount we created called the “Nike Ajax 3-Missile Lnchr Complex”:
Add our modified Weapons Record #2363 “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (7/10) – ROF:90”
Add our created Weapons Record “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (3/3) – ROF:11”
The Weapon Status should say “(7 on mount mag)”.

On the Mount we created called the “Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex”:
Add our modified Weapons Record #2364 “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (6/10) – ROF:90”
Add our created Weapons Record “MIM-3A Nike Ajax (4/4) – ROF:11”
The Weapon Status should say “(6 on mount mag)”.

Now we are ready to build the Facilities:

SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 8 Launchers
GENERAL DATA
Area: 570 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
2 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
Either
1 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
1 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
1 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
1 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add the NA Target Tracking Radar to SENSORS / EW
1 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add the NA Missile Tracking Radar to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 20 Nike Ajax missiles total


SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 12 Launchers
GENERAL DATA
Area: 855 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
3 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
Either
1 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
1 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
1 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
1 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add the NA Target Tracking Radar to SENSORS / EW
1 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add the NA Missile Tracking Radar to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 30 Nike Ajax missiles total

SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 11 Launchers
GENERAL
Area: 855 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
2 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
1 x Nike Ajax 3-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “3 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+7 on mount magazine)”.
Either
1 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
1 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
1 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
1 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add the NA Target Tracking Radar to SENSORS / EW
1 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add the NA Missile Tracking Radar to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 30 Nike Ajax missiles total

SAM Bty (Nike Ajax) 10 Launchers
GENERAL DATA
Area: 855 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
1 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
2 x Nike Ajax 3-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “3 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+7 on mount magazine)”.
Either
1 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
1 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
1 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
1 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add the NA Target Tracking Radar to SENSORS / EW
1 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add the NA Missile Tracking Radar to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 30 Nike Ajax missiles total

SAM Bty (Nike Ajax Double Site) 16 Launchers
GENERAL DATA
Area: 1140 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
4 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
Either
2 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
2 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
2 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
2 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add 2 NA Target Tracking Radars to SENSORS / EW
2 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add 2 NA Missile Tracking Radars to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 40 Nike Ajax missiles total

SAM Bty (Nike Ajax Double Site) 20 Launchers
GENERAL DATA
Area: 1425 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
5 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
Either
2 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
2 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
2 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
2 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add 2 NA Target Tracking Radars to SENSORS / EW
2 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add 2 NA Missile Tracking Radars to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 50 Nike Ajax missiles total

SAM Bty (Nike Ajax Double Site) 24 Launchers
GENERAL DATA
Area: 1710 square meters
MOUNTS / STORES / WEAPONS
6 x Nike Ajax 4-Missile Lnchr Complex
Weapons (per mount) should read “4 x MIM-3A Nike Ajax (+6 on mount magazine)”.
Either
2 x Nike Ajax IFC
or
2 x Vehicle (Nike IFC)
2 x Vehicle (Nike ACQR/LOPAR) This should add the Nike ACQR/LOPAR to SENSORS / EW.
2 x Vehicle (NA Target Tracking Radar (TTR)) This should add 2 NA Target Tracking Radars to SENSORS / EW
2 x Vehicle (NH Missile Tracking Radar (MTR)) This should add 2 NA Missile Tracking Radars to COMMS / DATALINKS
Unit Weapons: 60 Nike Ajax missiles total

And finally, a word (or three or four hundred) about reloading...
Background:
When the site went on alert, they loaded and elevated the 4 launchers. Combat doctrine was to launch the missile closest to the elevator first (advanced magazines had a launcher on the elevator itself). As soon as it cleared the pad, the launch site crew would raise the next missile from the magazine, make the connections and raise the missile. This procedure took only 1-2 minutes. If, during this time the fire control station needed to launch another missile, they would select the bird on the elevator/launcher of one of the other magazines. When the first magazine’s turn came around again, it again fired the bird on/near elevator and reloaded. This would continue until the magazine was empty, then they would fire the missiles on the outriggers.

This makes sense, if you think about it. The first missiles will be fired at maximum range, which makes for the longest flight time and thus gives the ground crew the most time to reload. As the commie hoards close the range, the flight time (and thus the time between shots) gets shorter. Depending on the closing speed and range of the missile (i.e. Ajax or Hercules), there comes a time when the crew does not have time to reload.

(What follows refers to current and past modeling of the US Nike Hercules facility (#402). Since the Nike Ajax facilities we’ve created above are based upon this model, they should follow the same rules.)

Currently, CMANO launches from each of the 3 or 4 launchers of one mount, and then moves on to the next mount while the first mount reloads all of its launchers (rendering it unable to fire for 30-40 minutes under the old, erroneous 600-second ROF). This is not correct.

Earlier versions of the CWDB (426, for one) modeled reloading correctly, launching one missile from each mount/magazine and immediately reloading the one that just fired. However, the reload time was set to 600 seconds (10 minutes), by which time the engagement was usually over – with the SAM site having only launched 3 of its many missiles. With the reload time for these facilities set to 90 seconds, this isn’t a problem. Set the battery to launch one from each mount and reload immediately.

Thanks for your patience & hard work!

[Cik]

thanks for posting. these immense infodump posts you do are fascinating.

no sarcasm FYI. if i may ask, where is this stuff on NIKE/BOMARC coming from?

[Ping Jockey]

ORIGINAL: Cik
no sarcasm FYI. if i may ask, where is this stuff on NIKE/BOMARC coming from?

A great many sources - not just websites, but online pdfs and print books. I visited a restored Nike site in Marin county and talked to some Nike vets in Texas where I live. I've also done some direct research using USGS overhead photos. I'd like to compile a bibliography, but that might wait while I work on the Nike Hercules recommended changes. That is likely to be the most complicated one yet.

I'm continually astonished at how huge the air defense system was back then, and how surprisingly few people seem to know that it even existed.

Ah, it's a proud and lonely thing to be a wargamer! [:)]

[Ping Jockey]

This is a bump for the Nike Ajax recommendations for easy comparison with the Nike Hercules recommendations.

As an addendum to the above, change the abilities for the Nike Ajax Acquisition Radar (ACQR, aka LOPAR) to "Early '60s" and the Ajax Target Tracking Radar (TTR) to "Late '50s"

[Demetrious]

ORIGINAL: Ping Jockey

ORIGINAL: Cik
no sarcasm FYI. if i may ask, where is this stuff on NIKE/BOMARC coming from?

A great many sources - not just websites, but online pdfs and print books. I visited a restored Nike site in Marin county and talked to some Nike vets in Texas where I live. I've also done some direct research using USGS overhead photos. I'd like to compile a bibliography, but that might wait while I work on the Nike Hercules recommended changes. That is likely to be the most complicated one yet.

I'm continually astonished at how huge the air defense system was back then, and how surprisingly few people seem to know that it even existed.

Ah, it's a proud and lonely thing to be a wargamer! [:)]

I have an actual journalism degree, and I'm jealous as hell of you. That's good work - that's work that ought to be put into a book itself, you know? You're not just improving a video game, you're preserving history. One of the things I love the most about CMANO's Cold War database is how its made combat dynamics of decades past much more intuitive and understandable, and part of that has been a tour-de-force in forgotten Cold War history. And here you are, unearthing stuff like this, some of it via personal footwork and interviews. Anyone who says video games don't have academic merit are proven wrong by you alone.

You should be proud of yourself. [&o]

[PN79]

I have a questions regarding availability of missiles for Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules. Does anybody know if there were some separate central storages with additional missiles for the SAM batteries? And do you know composition of West German Nike Ajax batteries (the ones operated by Luftwaffe)?

[Ping Jockey]

Please forgive me if I am brief. I got home from a 12-hour shift, spent over an hour writing a detailed response, then accidentally deleted it with a key-stroke. I am very tired and very angry with myself.

ORIGINAL: PN79

I have a questions regarding availability of missiles for Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules. Does anybody know if there were some separate central storages with additional missiles for the SAM batteries?

Short answer: No.

And do you know composition of West German Nike Ajax batteries (the ones operated by Luftwaffe)?

I'm sorry, I don't have information about sites outside the United States. I suggest you try http://ed-thelen.org. It is the best online repository of Nike information.

Good luck.

[PN79]

Thank you for reply. Brief clear response is all what I needed.