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Launch Complex 37 HistoryPage 1 of 3
Improved Nike Hercules
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This photo shows the Improved Nike Hercules Integrated Fire Control (IFC) area,
which was located at Launch Complex 37 (formerly Army Launch Area 3) at White
Sands Missile Range. The photo was taken looking Northeast.
The radars seen are, from left to right, the Low Power Acquisition Radar (LOPAR)
(dark antenna on pedestal), the Target Ranging Radar (TRR), the Target Tracking
Radar (TTR), the Missile Tracking Radar (MTR), and the large dome on the tower
is the High Power Acquisition Radar (HIPAR). The closest building contained
the HIPAR transmitter, receiver, and control equipment. Although hard to
distinguish, there is smaller building to the left and beyond the larger
building. That is the generator building with large generators capable of
supplying power to the whole system, including the HIPAR. There are two white
vans (wheels removed) sitting against the HIPAR building. The one on the
left is the Radar Control (RC) van, which is where much of the Tracking Radar
receivers are located, along with the controls and displays for those radars.
The van on the right is the Battery Control (BC) van. The BC van is the
command and control for the Nike battery. It contains communications
equipment, displays, status boards, plotting boards, controls for the LOPAR,
remote controls for the HIPAR, and the analog computer. |