Category:Chicago NIKE Sites

<googlemap version="0.9" lat="41.877789" lon="-87.644806" type="map" zoom="9" width="800" height="500" scale="yes" overview="yes" controls="large" controls="large" scale="yes" overview="yes" icons="http://www.fortwiki.com/mapicons/icon{label}.png"> (C) 41.92276, -88.02958, C-72C Addison (L) 41.91392, -88.01587, C-72L Addison (C) 42.05313, -87.99307, C-80C Arlington Heights (L) 42.06335, -88.0004, C-80L/81L Arlington Heights (D) 42.06502, -87.99557, C-80DC Arlington Heights (R) 42.06507, -87.99447, C-80R Arlington Heights (C) 42.05585, -87.98866, C-81C Arlington Heights (C) 41.83228, -87.60369, C-40C Burnham Park (L) 41.84563, -87.60995, C-40L Burnham Park (C) 42.22583, -87.81123, C-98C Fort Sheridan (2) (L) 42.22338, -87.82233, C-98L Fort Sheridan (2) (C) 41.65773, -87.53260, C-44C1 Hegewisch/Wolf Lake (C) 41.65718, -87.53035, C-44C2 Hegewisch/Wolf Lake (C) 41.67629, -87.52802, C-44L Hegewisch/Wolf Lake (C) 41.55062, -87.64763, C-49C/50C Homewood (L) 41.54323, -87.63959, C-49L/50L Homewood (C) 41.79599, -87.57673, C-41C Jackson Park (L) 41.78467, -87.58004, C-41L Jackson Park (C) 41.72237, -87.96655, C-61C Lemont (L) 41.72768, -87.97712, C-61L Lemont (C) 42.22029, -87.95716, C-92C Libertyville/Mundelein (L) 42.22581, -87.94837, C-92L Libertyville/Mundelein (C) 42.22078, -87.94791, C-94C Libertyville/Mundelein (L) 42.22585, -87.95719, C-94L Libertyville/Mundelein (C) 41.96394, -87.63304, C-03C1 Montrose/Belmont (C) 41.96330, -87.63223, C-03C2 Montrose/Belmont (L) 41.93904, -87.63463, C-03L Montrose/Belmont (C) 41.80968, -88.14672, C-70C Naperville (L) 41.79935, -88.14909, C-70L Naperville

(C) 41.66849, -87.75992, C-51C Worth/Palos (L) 41.67468, -87.77418, C-51L Worth/Palos

(C) 42.12053, -87.76980, C-93C Northfield/Skokie (L) 42.1261, -87.78113, C-93L Northfield/Skokie

(C) 41.60944, -87.87637, C-54C Orland Park (L) 41.60605, -87.85740, C-54L Orland Park

(C) 42.15466, -88.04666, C-84C Palatine (L) 42.15721, -88.05896, C-84L Palatine

(C) 41.63182, -87.08803, C-32C Porter/Chesterton (C) 41.63208, -87.07432, C-32L Porter/Chesterton (C) 41.5388, -87.5161, C-46C Munster (L) 41.52746, -87.51538, C-46L Munster (C) 41.52411, -87.17695, C-47C Hobart/Wheeler (L) 41.5332, -87.1667, C-47L Hobart/Wheeler (C) 41.61310, -87.41020, C-45C Gary Municipal Airport (L) 41.61651, -87.42057, C-45L Gary Municipal Airport (C) 41.5574, -87.35482, C-48C South Gary (L) 41.55740, -87.37157, C-48L South Gary </googlemap> Illinois All Illinois Counties

Chicago Area NIKE Defense System (1955-1974) - The NIKE missile defenses of the Chicago area (including Gary, Indiana) during the Cold War presented unique challenges to the planners and builders. The highly populated area and the vast expanse of Lake Michigan dictated the placement of batteries in urban areas so as to maximize the coverage over the lake. The typical circle of coverage around a city became a half circle of coverage at Chicago. Some 21 separate launch sites were constructed (some with two site designations) within the Chicago-Gary Defense Area by the Chicago District of the Corps of Engineers.

The Chicago Area NIKE batteries were commanded and coordinated from the AADCP command post at Arlington Heights (C-80DC) using the Missile Master computer system and later the Missile Mentor System. Each launch site had a corresponding control site with radar that acquired the enemy targets and tracked both the incoming targets and the outgoing NIKE missiles until the intercept was accomplished. In most cases, these control sites also served as the administrative and housing areas for their respective batteries. Each battery was garrisoned with about 100-140 personnel.

All of the Chicago Area Defense System was initially equipped with the Nike Ajax missiles. As the newer, longer range, Nike Hercules missiles became available some Ajax sites were converted, including C-03, C-41, C-49/50R, C-61, C-72, C-93, C-46, and C-47. Many of the unconverted Ajax sites were closed in the 1960s as the Hercules sites were activated. By 1974 the NIKE system had become obsolete and the entire system was deactivated.

See Also:

• NIKE System
• SAGE System
• Defense Installations Portal