We have Chuck to thank for these radar manuals on the page below! 

Chuck used these manuals during his maintenance training in 1963 at Ft. Bliss, TX. He was then stationed on a Nike Ajax site at Swedesboro, NJ and a Nike Hercules site at Crete, NE.

click photo for larger view!

This photo shows the IFC (Integrated Fire Control Area) from some distance. The item on the left is the Nike Acquisition radar, the white "ball" in the center is a tracking radar and the radar on the right is the AN/FPS-75 ABAR (Alternate Battery Acquisition Radar).

click photo for larger view!

Remembering Nike -By Chuck Zellers 2005

The title lets you think of shoes but the term "Nike" was used more than once in the past. My notes here focus on the experiences I remember and not on the technical aspects of the Nike Missile Air Defense Program. For those who would like to know more technical information, I suggest visiting Ed Thelens web site at www.ed-thelen.org.

I enlisted in the Army on October, 18, 1960. The recruiter encouraged me to get into "a new program" called Nike air defense. After leaving basic training in Ft. Hood, TX, I was assigned to a Nike Ajax site in Swedesboro, NJ. Nike Ajax was initially deployed and was a short range (25 miles) liquid fueled missile. I was assigned to the IFC (Integrated Fire Control) Area. Each Nike site had two "areas." One where the missiles where stored and launched (the Launcher Area), and the IFC where target acquisition, tracking, launch and missile guidance occurred.

I spent my first year in OJT (On the Job Training) to learn each operator assignment. Days were routine and much time was spent on such fun duties as K.P. guard duty, and cleaning the barracks and site area. In those days there were no civilian people hired to due such things. Just to note the were no female soldiers as we know them today.

Anyhow, each missile site had about 100 or soldiers including officers split evenly between each area. The IFC area contained the barracks, mess hall, base exchange, motor pool, day room, and orderly room. The Launcher area contained the missile launchers, German Shepherd security dogs an other logistic buildings. Launcher Area personnel used the IFC for eating and sleeping.

Living the life of a Nike soldier was much different from the Infantry or Armor. Actually compared to those assignments, Nike was pretty nice. The life of an IFC operator was a unique one. Each day in the BC(Battery Control) or RC(Radar Control) was at first challenging as you learned how to operate each radar, then understanding how each radar and computer subsystem interacted. Oh, by the way, the Nike computer was an analog computer whose input was analog data from the target tracking and missile tracking radar to compute the "point of intercept" then issuing the destruct command to explode the warhead.

The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 brought a new challenge to us. The Philadelphia defense consisted of 12 or so Nike sites. Each would take turns in rotation, assuming various states of ready. From full red status, to other less levels of alert. When the Cuban issue started, all missile batteries went on full alert, I think it was called Defcon 3, not sure about that anymore.  Missiles were raised on their launchers, ready to go. This lasted for 10 days or so, being on alert around the clock, working 12 HR shifts. During this time several airplanes off the New Jersey coast were challenged for identification using IFF or other methods. Nothing came of it but it was a very interesting time! Around that time actress, dancer Juliet Prowse came to visit us. We all gathered in the mess hall, were handed a small pack of cigarettes and could visit with her. Don't remember why she was there but suppose it was because of the Cuban thing.

Earlier the same year, I became aquatinted with FUIF. FUIF stands for Fire Unit Integration Facility. The FUIF system was used to electronically tie each missile battery with Missile Master. Missile Master was an Air Force operation that tracked all aircraft and assign target(s) to each battery. In that way, multiple missiles were not targeted against the same aircraft. I attended a 3 week field maintenance training course. I was then assigned to maintain the FUIF equipment in addition to being a Fire Control Operator.

In February 1963, I took a "short discharge" to reenlist for 3 more years. This allowed me a choice to attend AN/FPS-75 surveillance radar maintenance training. The short discharge program allowed those who completed at least 2 years active duty to reenlist for another 3 or 6 years, even if they had not completed their first tour of duty.

ST 44 188-1 Introduction to Radar - A manual to download...

click  picture to download the zip file 

ST 44-188-2G Introduction and Start- Stop to The AN/TPS-1G

click  picture to download the zip file 

ST 44-188-3G  Modulator, Transmitter
 And RF Systems of the A/N TPS-1G

click  picture to download the zip file 

ST 44-188-4G  A/N TPS-1G Reciever System 

click  picture to download the zip file 

ST 44-188-5G  A/N TPS-1G Moving Target Indicator System 

click  picture to download the zip file 

ST 44-188-6G  A/N TPS-1G Indicator System 

click  picture to download the zip file