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Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 34th Bomb Squadron "Original Thunderbirds" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 14-3 exercises at Nellis AFB. A review of the exercise can be found at www.airshowsreview.com/2014_Red_Flag_2014-3_Exercise.htm .
Capt. Bishane Whitmore, Ellsworth AFB Honor Guard officer in charge, stands at attention after completing the flag dressing sequence, June 24. The Base Honor Guard's primary mission is to represent Ellsworth and the Air Force at public and official ceremonies.
28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Photo by Senior Airman Marc Lane
Date: 06.24.2010
Location: Ellsworth AFB, US
Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/r2xcxp
U.S. Airmen with the 28th Maintenance Squadron prepare a B-1B Lancer aircraft March 27, 2011, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to support Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane, U.S. Air Force/Released)
pictionid64602038 - catalog060417-f-5756f-014.jpg - title ellsworth air force base s.d. - filename060417-f-5756f-014.jpg---Please tag this image so that info can be stored with our metadata. This material may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.)--Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (Feb. 6, 2017) - A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base at Andersen AFB, Guam. The 9th EBS is taking over U.S. Pacific Command's Continuous Bomber Presence operations from the 34th EBS, assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The B-1B's blended wing/body configuration, variable-geometry wings and turbofan afterburning engines, combine to provide long range, maneuverability and high speed while enhancing survivability. The rotation of aircraft in support is specifically designed to demonstrate the U.S.'s commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and enhance routine transiting in international airspace throughout the Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger/Released)
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The Korean War was something of the last great gasp of nose art, and was also the first war where the USAF began policing it, after complaints from commanding officer wives and chaplains. The former, of course, had been nowhere near the front lines during World War II, but during the Korean "police action," were often at home at bases in Japan. The latter noticed an uptick in risque names--one B-29 was named "Ace in the Hole," with an ace card positioned over the naked girl's crotch.
The wives demanded nose art be censored or removed entirely; the chaplains were more polite about it and would only occasionally step in to ask that certain names be changed, or that the girls be covered up just a bit more. Responses depended on whether the commanding officer or crews listened, but after Korea, nose art became increasingly rare. Vietnam saw a resurgence, but it was rare that World War II-style pinups were carried by F-4s or F-105s (the extremely raunchy "Cherry Girl" being a noticeable exception); at one point, sharkmouths were banned! Nose art also made a minor comeback during Operation Desert Storm, but to avoid offending Saudi sensibilities, what girls were on aircraft were covered up--with, oddly, the exception of the British, who stopped just short of actual nudity. (During World War II, it was rare to find Lancasters or Wellingtons with nose art; during the First Gulf War, it was rare to find RAF aircraft without nose art.) In wars since, nose art has almost completely disappeared, hidden away in landing gear or ladder doors.
"Legal Eagle II" is B-29A 44-87779, which arrived just too late to see combat during World War II, though not too late to get its name and nose art. It was later converted to a KB-29M tanker, retired in 1956, then survived decades as a target at NAS China Lake, California. In 1985, 44-87779 was recovered, restored, and donated to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. It went on display in 1997, but it would not be until 2014 that 44-87779 got its name back. It was repainted as a Korean War-era B-29, though "Legal Eagle" never saw combat.
"Legal Eagle" is one of the best B-29 restorations around, and the nose art shows an appropriately lawyerish bald eagle.
Airmen of the 28th Maintenance Group keep the B-1B Lancer functional Oct. 29, 2009, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Despite the extreme cold and large snowfall in the South Dakota climate, the maintainers are on constant standby to assure all aircraft are ready for take-off at all times. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)
Bone 01 wrings the moisture out of the early morning Gloucestershire skies as she powers heavenwards.
A North American B-25 Mitchell takes off from the flightline at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., April 18, 2019. The B-25 was flown April 18, 1942, during the Doolittle Raid – a World War II operation to bomb Japan. The mission was the United States’ response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.
Images taken at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford 2017 on the Friday and (very wet) Saturday.
All images taken with either a Nikon 1 J5 or Nikon 1 V2 cameras.
Proper descriptions and tags to follow when I get the chance!
Airmen of the 28th Maintenance Squadron prepare a B-1B Lancer to support Operation Odyssey Dawn on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 27, 2011. Their work was made especially difficult by severe weather, including four inches of snow; glare ice, and freezing fog. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)
One of the lessons of World War II was that the United States would not always be able to count on friendly nations to base its bombers in—England had come very close to being overrun, which had been the impetus behind the B-29 Superfortress and the B-36 Peacemaker. In addition to this, the weight of nuclear bombs at the time was such that very large aircraft would be required to carry them. Looking ahead to a replacement of the B-36, a specification was issued for an aircraft that could fly 10,000 pounds of ordnance 5000 miles to a target, and back, at 300 mph. Boeing was awarded the contract in June 1946 with its Model 462, a gigantic six-engined aircraft that would carry two crews; it was designated the XB-52. The USAF soon had second thoughts and asked Boeing for a smaller bomber with the same specifications.
This began an arduous process and the XB-52 went through several different designs, scaling down the design, adding wing sweep, and moving from piston engine to turboprop design. All were rejected by the USAF as being no improvement over the B-36 in speed. After being rejected again on 21 October 1948 by the USAF’s chief of bomber development, a team of Boeing engineers locked themselves in a hotel room for the weekend, only leaving to buy supplies at a hobby shop. By that Monday, the USAF was given the Model 464-49 and a model to go along with it: a swept-wing bomber powered by eight jets. At last, the USAF was satisfied, and objections to the engines were swept aside by Curtis LeMay, head of Strategic Air Command: the engines, he stated, would catch up to the design.
Finally, Boeing rolled out the first XB-52 in April 1952; the USAF had already ordered 13 B-52As by this time, with the only major change to the design a switch from B-47 style tandem seating to a more traditional flight deck. So successful was the test program that only three B-52As were built: the Stratofortress, as Boeing had named it, was ordered into full production as the B-52B.
While teething problems, such as fuel leaks, plagued the B-52 fleet in the 1950s, it was considered very successful, rapidly replacing first the B-36 and then the B-47. It showed its global reach in an around-the-world flight in January 1957, which easily broke the previous record set by B-50s. The B-52’s range and loiter time was proven in Chrome Dome and Giant Lance deployments, where bombers from the continental United States would fly to points around the Soviet Union, wait at “fail-safe” locations in case of nuclear war, and then return to base. Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was thought that the B-52 force would not survive against Soviet surface-to-air missiles, and B-52s were switched to low-level penetration duties. There was fear that this would overstress the airframe, but the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fellow) soldiered on.
Though built for nuclear war, the B-52 was to instead find its first combat high over the jungles of Vietnam. Because the B-52 flew at such high altitude and was capable of carrying an enormous bombload, it was hoped that B-52 strikes could surprise the Viet Cong and destroy them en masse in their jungle strongholds. Codenamed Operation Arc Light, the first B-52 mission was undertaken by a mix of B-52Es and Fs in June 1965. To increase bombloads even more, the B-52D force was modified under Project Big Belly to carry over a hundred 750-pound bombs, for a total bombload of 60,000 pounds. These were first used operationally during the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in November 1965.
The effects of Arc Light were mixed: because of both operational restrictions and Rules of Engagement, VC and North Vietnamese Army units would often be gone by the time the B-52s arrived, with the bombs doing little but rearranging the South Vietnamese landscape. When a VC/NVA unit was caught in the open, however, as at Khe Sanh, the results were devastating. Several North Vietnamese divisions were destroyed in Operation Niagara, mass B-52 strikes around the besieged Marine base.
While B-52s had been prevented by restrictions from going into North Vietnam, those restrictions were gradually ended by President Richard Nixon, beginning in 1971. Unlike in South Vietnam, B-52s would be facing a much higher antiaircraft threat over North Vietnam, especially from SAMs and MiG fighters. With this in mind, the B-52D force was equipped with the latest in electronic countermeasures under Project Rivet Rambler. The B-52s were sent north during Operation Linebacker (May-October 1972) but on a limited basis; the real test would come during Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, when the B-52 attacked Hanoi itself. The B-52Ds came off better than the later G models also committed to action: due to their Rivet Rambler ECM, SAM fire control radars had a difficult time locking on in the mass of jamming in B-52D cells. Of the 17 B-52s lost during Operation Linebacker II, only two were B-52Ds. As for their effectiveness, by the end of Operation Linebacker II, North Vietnam was effectively rendered defenseless and quickly returned to the negotiation table.
Vietnam was the swan song for the “tall-tail” D models. With the B-52Bs out of service and the B-52E/Fs withdrawn by 1978, the B-52D continued in service until 1982, when it was withdrawn from service, having hit the end of its airframe life. The B-52 was to continue on, but the next wars would be fought by comparatively newer, “short-tail” B-52G/Hs. 28 B-52Ds survive in museums today, including both MiG-killer aircraft.
56-0657 is one of the surviving "tall tails" left, and is appropriately displayed at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth AFB--appropriately, because it was the first B-52 to land at Ellsworth in 1956. Assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing, it did see service in Vietnam as part of various detachments to Andersen AFB in Guam; as such, 0657 received the Big Belly modification. It survived the war and returned home in 1971, though not to Ellsworth, as the 28th BW had converted to the B-52H. It is not known what other unit 0657 served with afterwards, but it was retired and stored sometime around 1982 with the rest of the D models. Given its unique status as the first B-52 to come to Ellsworth, it made sense to save 0657, and in 1987 she was donated to the base.
56-0657 wears Strategic Air Command's version of USAF Southeast Asia camouflage, which eliminated the brown portion of the scheme in favor of two shades of green; the black undersides were for night operations over North Vietnam. It used to be displayed with bombs on the wing multiple ejector racks (MERs), but the bombs were removed sometime before 2014. It is a beautifully preserved specimen of the older B-52 models, and the sheer size of the "BUFF" never ceases to amaze--its tail can be seen from Interstate 90.
When I was a kid, my family and I were on a trip from Denver to Great Falls, Montana. In the very empty area between Casper and Buffalo, Wyoming, we were driving on Interstate 25 when a B-52D came over at very low level--enough to shake the ground and smell the exhaust. The crew was obviously practicing their low-level penetration tactics, or just giving the old bomber one last run, as this was in 1982. It was a sight never to be forgotten.
Airmen from the 28th Bomb Wing stand in place to great the return of two B-1B Lancers on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 30, 2011. The B-1s bombed targets in Libya in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)
A KC-135 Stratotanker from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., refuels a B-1B Lancer during a training exercise over South Dakota. For more than 50 years the KC-135 has provided the core aerial refueling capability for the Air Force. The aircraft can travel up to 1,500 miles with 150,000 pounds of transfer fuel, which enables the Air Force to project rapid, flexible military power. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Mary O'Dell/92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs)
Rockwell B-1B Lancer supersonic strategic bomber 86-0121 'Symphony of Destruction' of the USAF 37th BS based at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota lining up for departure from RIAT at RAF Fairford in July 2003 as 'BONE 12' (scanned photograph)
Airmen from the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron check over a technical order, while working on a B-1B Lancer, during a Phase II Operational Readiness Inspection, Oct. 15. Maintenance Airmen use the TO on every piece of the B-1 they work on - to ensure safety and accuracy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. - A B-1B Lancer taxis on the flightline during a Phase II Operational Readiness Inspection, Oct. 15. The B-1 can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli).
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (Feb. 6, 2017) - A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, lands at Andersen AFB. The 9th EBS is taking over U.S. Pacific Command's Continuous Bomber Presence operations from the 34th EBS, assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. This marks the second deployment of B-1s to Guam in over a decade. The B-1 is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system capable of tracking, targeting and engaging moving vehicles as well as allowing aircrew to receive targeting data from the Combined Air Operations Center or other command and control assets to strike emerging targets rapidly and efficiently. The U.S. military has maintained a deployed strategic bomber presence in the Pacific since March 2004, which has contributed significantly to regional security and stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger/Released)
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ELLSWORTH AFB, S.D. -- As the cold weather rolls in, Ellsworth crew chiefs continue to work diligently on the B-1B Lancer, Oct. 28. Airmen ensure they wear all the proper cold weather gear while working outside. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)
Lightning strikes behind a B-1B Lancer during an evening thunderstorm Sept. 9, 2010, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Ellsworth is home to the 28th Bomb Wing which maintains a fleet of 28 B-1s. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airmen Corey Hook)
"B-26K Counter Invader Rebuilt from WW II A-26 Invader. 64-17640 (ex 44-35896) remanufactured in 1964 for counter-insurgency operations in Vietnam with the 1st Special Operations Wing. By 1967 it was temporarily redesignated A-26A because Thailand, where it was based, wouldn’t permit bombers to be there. On 10/23/69 it was back in the US stored at MASDC, and in 1971 the state of Georgia Forestry Commission purchased it, registered it as N267G, but didn’t place it in service; they left it in open storage in Macon, GA. In May 1977 it was sold to an unknown owner in Matairie, LA. later that same year it was sold to Air Spray (1967) of Edmonton, Alberta for forest fire fighting. However, after they ferried it to Billings, MT, a certification dispute arose with the Canadian DOT so the plane was left in open storage. By 1978 the plane was purchased by Arnie Carnegie of Edmonton, Alberta, but that July it was sold to Arthur W. McDonnell of Mojave, CA, who registered the plane as N2294B; it was still in the USAF camouflage. It was used as a race plane until 1980 when it was acquired by the South Dakota Air & Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, through the National Museum of the USAF loan program." - www.joebaugher.com
Airmen from the 34th Bomb Squadron work to de-ice a B-1 in preparation for Operation Odyssey Dawn at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 26, 2011. This mission marked the first time the B-1 fleet has launched combat sorties from the continental United States to strike targets overseas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Adam Grant)
The history of the B-1 Lancer is a long, troubled, and ultimately successful one. With the cancellation of the high-altitude XB-70 Valkyrie and the retirement of the low-altitude B-58 Hustler bombers, this left the USAF with no real replacement or even supplement for the B-52 Stratofortress, which by the mid-1960s, was felt to be increasingly vulnerable to Soviet air defenses. Four separate studies called for a supersonic bomber, probably with variable-sweep wings, capable of high-speed, low altitude penetration of the Soviet Union, but nothing came of these studies until 1969, when President Richard Nixon, drawing on the experience of the Vietnam War, ordered the military to adopt a “flexible response” to war: the prevailing attitude to that point had been all-out nuclear war from the beginning, and Vietnam had shown that not all future wars would be nuclear.
A manned bomber would offer the flexibility Nixon called for, and a new aircraft would supplement the aging B-52 as well as the FB-111A Aardvark, which was not performing to hoped standards. The USAF called for designs, and in 1970 Rockwell was chosen to build three prototypes and one pre-production aircraft; the new aircraft was designated B-1.
Since Rockwell could draw on nearly a decade of studies, the B-1 prototype first flew only four years later, in December 1974. It was a radical looking design, with a blended, long fuselage, four engines fed by variable intakes pushing the aircraft to Mach 2, a high swept tail, and variable-sweep wings. Since much of the B-1’s attack plan called for low-level attack, two vanes were attached at the nose to smooth the flight. Flight testing went relatively smoothly and the USAF ordered 244 B-1As in 1976.
Unfortunately, the B-1 now faced enemies it would struggle far more to vanquish than enemy defenses: politics and cost. The inflationary 1970s had doubled the cost of each aircraft, and to new President Jimmy Carter, the increase in cost coupled with the development of cruise missiles made the B-1 a fiscal and unnecessary nightmare; Carter had also been informed of a technology breakthrough that now allowed for the development of a truly stealthy bomber. With all of this in mind, Carter abruptly cancelled the B-1, leaving the USAF once more dependent on the B-52 and a handful of FB-111s, albeit armed with cruise missiles; flight testing of the four existing B-1As would be allowed to continue. Carter’s decision proved a politically damaging one: Ronald Reagan used the cancellation as a political weapon that helped Reagan to the Presidency in 1980.
Reagan had promised to restart development of the B-1, and he was assisted in this by a USAF study in which it was predicted that the B-52, even with cruise missiles, would no longer be able to survive Soviet air defenses after 1985. The Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB, what would become the B-2 Spirit) was not projected to be operational until 1990. As such, the B-1 would be a useful “interim” bomber between the very non-stealthy B-52 and the stealthy B-2. In 1982, the USAF ordered 100 B-1Bs from Rockwell.
The B-1B differed substantially from the B-1A, though not much externally. It was heavier, because it was now given the capability to carry external weapons and range was increased. The variable intakes were replaced with simpler fixed ones, though the internal structure of the intakes were altered to make it more stealthy: although the B-1 lost its ability to reach Mach 2, it now had one-fiftieth of the radar signature of a B-52. Avionics were far more comprehensive, and the electronics suite was significantly upgraded. The crew capsule escape system, which was never reliable, were replaced by standard ejection seats. The first B-1B was delivered to the USAF in June 1985, with squadron strength a year later.
Ironically, the B-1 would never be used against its intended foe in its intended role. By the time of the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the B-1 program was struggling: engine fires and high-profile crashes had grounded it during the First Gulf War, and with the Cold War over, its existence was called into question. However, the ever-increasing age of the B-52 and the slashes to B-2 Spirit production meant the B-1 was still needed: its high speed penetration ability, range, and bombload were still very competitive. Unlike the B-52, the B-1 could also operate from shorter runways. As a result, the B-1 force was switched over to a purely conventional role, and was gradually upgraded with improved avionics, as well as the capability to drop precision-guided weapons.
The USAF also addressed the B-1’s lack of an official nickname: crews had been calling it the “Bone” (a play on the words “B-One”); the USAF preferred the term Lancer, reflecting the aircraft’s ability to penetrate enemy defenses and its shape, similar to that of a lance, with wings fully swept. Finally, in 1998, the Lancer got a chance to show its capability in Operation Desert Fox, airstrikes meant to derail Saddam Hussein’s nuclear program, then a year later in the Kosovo War.
Entering the 21st Century, once more plans were announced to retire the B-1 as a cost-saving measure. Once more, plans changed. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan after 2001 saw the Lancer used extensively, once more due to its speed and loitering time. Coalition troops in Afghanistan appreciated the B-1’s ability to respond quickly and drop bombs accurately in support of troops in contact—on more than one occasion, B-1s simply made low level supersonic passes over Taliban positions to deafen and intimidate the enemy into retreat.
As a result of these actions, the USAF has decided to keep the Lancer in service until 2040, albeit at a reduced force number of 67 aircraft. Of the original 100 B-1Bs and four B-1As built, nine have been lost in crashes; a further nine are on display in museums, a rare occasion for an operational aircraft.
85-0072 was the biggest surprise arrival at Flight Over the Falls 2017, the first airshow in Great Falls, Montana in nearly six years. Prior to this, the last Montana airshow to feature a B-1 was around 1985. 85-0072 is named "Polarized" and carries nose art of a snarling polar bear just behind the cockpit; the name refers to 85-0072 being the first B-1 to ever fly over the North Pole.
"Polarized" shows off the almost sinuous shape of the Lancer, and the "iron ball" antiradar gunship gray paint. She belongs to the 32nd Bomb Squadron of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth; formerly 85-0072 served with the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. The 32nd BS is one of the most legendary bomber squadrons in the USAF, with a lineage dating back to World War I. Appropriately enough for an airshow that hosted the Thunderbirds, the 32nd BS shares the same nickname! Its stylized thunderbird symbol is carried on the tail cap, as well as on the forward fuselage. USAF Global Strike Command--the modern-day equivalent of Strategic Air Command--has its patch on the tail just above the data block.
The last time I saw a B-1B was in 1985. So far this year, I've seen two.
B-1B Lancers are parked on the flightline. Carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)
Rockwell B-1B Lancer supersonic strategic bomber 86-0128 'Dakota Fury' of the USAF 37th BS based at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota lining up for departure from RIAT at RAF Fairford in July 1998 (scanned photograph)
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), S.D. to Andersen AFB, Guam, takes off for a bilateral mission with Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s in the vicinity of the Senkaku Islands, Aug. 15, 2017. These training flights with Japan demonstrate the solidarity and resolve we share with our allies to preserve peace and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Christopher Quail)
The imposing shape of 86-0139 "Bone 02" as she makes her way to runway 27 for an early morning departure. Sadly, the sun was hiding for the second B-1 departure of the morning so it was a bit dull..
Airmen step off a Boeing 767 after returning from a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia July 28, 2010, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Airmen were reunited with friends, family and co-workers in the morning with a second group of Airmen to arrive later in the day. Off camera, Col. Steven Hiss, 28th Bomb Wing vice commander, greets returnees. (U.S Air Force photo byAirman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)
As aircraft became faster and flew higher after World War II, the assumption made by both sides of the Cold War was that conventional antiaircraft guns were now obsolete. The Korean and Vietnam Wars proved that this was not quite true, but both the United States and the USSR began working on guided surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) that could intercept high-flying bombers. Bell Aircraft won the contract for the US Army's SAM project, codenamed Nike.
Given the radars available in 1950, when the Nike project began to come to fruition, a single cell of bombers would present as a single blip on the radar. This meant that the Nike missile would hit only one aircraft and miss the others. It would be possible, but not cost effective, to salvo missiles at the cell in the hopes of knocking down all the bombers, so the Nike was armed with a nuclear warhead. Even if only one bomber was hit, the blast would still destroy or cripple the others. The project was divided into the Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules, depending on what type of warhead was to be used. The Nike Ajax was simpler, so it was deployed first, in 1954--the first operational SAM.
By the standards of the time, the Ajax was quite advanced: when launched, the booster would launch it to a ceiling of 70,000 feet at Mach 2.2; once the booster fell away, the missile itself would be guided to the target by the controller, using radar for the intercept. Because of its large size, the Ajax was not very maneuverable, but as it was designed to be used from fixed bases against Soviet bombers, this was not deemed a problem. The radars were primitive and, despite having anywhere from 4-6 missiles on hand, the site could only guide one missile at a time, and it only had a range of 30 miles. It carried a conventional warhead.
Nonetheless, it was better than nothing, so 265 SAM sites were built around American cities and strategic targets. At first, the Army realized this was going to be a problem: to defend New York and Chicago, for instance, the battery would need to be built very close to the city itself, if not inside of it. The Army feared accidental explosions, as the Ajax missile itself used volatile liquid fuel. However, as the missiles were stored underground before being loaded and raised to fire, this turned out not to be an issue, and only one Ajax site suffered an explosion.
The Ajax's lack of range was always a concern, however, and even as the Nike Ajax reached full deployment around the US, and in Western Europe and Japan, the Nike Hercules was already beginning to replace it. The Hercules was a much longer-ranged, more reliable missile, and could carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. The last US-based Nike Ajax site converted to Hercules in 1963, though Japan's Ajaxes remained in service well into the 1970s. After the Ajax was retired, the Army found itself with thousands of unusued boosters, so these were turned into sounding rockets.
EDIT (2024): All this time, I had this missile listed as a Nike Hercules. It isn't--it's a Nike Ajax. Whoops.
In 1957, to defend the 28th Bomb Wing's bombers at Ellsworth AFB, the US Army built four Nike Ajax batteries around the base. Three of the batteries were only active for a year before they were dismantled in 1958, while the remaining site was converted to MIM-14 Nike Hercules operations. It was deactivated in 1961.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian Arbogast (left) and Staff Sgt. Nicole Tauzin prepare to unload a BD-56 bomb from an Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber aircraft April 26, 2012, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The weapons flight is responsible for loading munitions in preparation for flying. The Airmen are weapons load crew members assigned to the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kate Thornton)
The two aircrews from the 34th Bomb Squadron and 28th Operations Support Squadron stand in front of a B-1B at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 30, 2011. Two B-1B Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing launched early Sunday, March 27 from Ellsworth Air Force Base to strike targets in Libya in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)
Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 14-3 exercises at Nellis AFB. A review of the exercise can be found at www.airshowsreview.com/2014_Red_Flag_2014-3_Exercise.htm .
Airmen of the 28th Maintenance Squadron prepare a B-1B Lancer to support Operation Odyssey Dawn on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 27, 2011. Their work was made especially difficult by severe weather conditions including snow, ice, and freezing fog. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)
Everyone is all smiles as Capt. William Jacks walks with his wife, Nicole, and daughters, Rachel (left) and Anna, after returning home from a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia, July 28, 2010, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Captain Jacks is a B-1B Lancer pilot assigned to the 34th Bomb Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo BY Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)