Missile Master
| Missile Master | |
| military installations | |
 The Missile Master was a complex with a main building containing a computer system and with local radars (5 in this depiction) for command and control of "up to 24 Nike Hercules AD missile batteries" (1 shown). The nuclear bunker's raised roof sections held HVAC equipment to collect hot air from the electronic equipment below, and the shaded roof area denotes the interior location of the Antiaircraft Operations Center (AAOC).
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| Country | United States |
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| 9 states | CA IL MA MD MI NJ(2) NY PA WA |
| The term "Missile Master" was also colloquially applied to the inspection staff (evaluation team) that simulated attacks to assess AN/FSG-1 crews (e.g., via short notice annual practices, SNAP).] | |
 Ft Meade building
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empty Highlands bunker in 2008
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bunker floor plan
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Arlington Heights AI bunker
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1961 Arlington Heights site (5 radars)
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Ft MacArthur bunker
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sketch of Oakdale complex
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Missile Master was a type of US Army Missile Command military installation for the Cold War Project Nike, each which were a complex of systems and facilities for surface-to-air missile command and control. Each Missile Master had a nuclear bunker (except for the initial Ft Meade site) housing the Martin AN/FSG-1 Antiaircraft Defense System, as well as additional "tactical structures" for "an AN/FPS-33 defense acquisition radar (DAR) or similar radar, two height-finder radars," and identification friend or foe secondary radar (e.g., AN/TPX-19 radar interrogator). The radars, along with Automated Data Links (ADL) from remote Nike firing units, provided data into the AN/FSG-1 tracking subsystem with the DAR providing surveillance coverage to about 200 mi (320 km).
Missile Master radars were usually at a single area with the nuclear bunker (e.g., co-located with a USAF radar station) such as the 44 acres (18 ha) purchased for the Arlington Heights Army Istallation. Conversely, the Fort MacArthur Direction Center used radars ~3 mi (4.8 km) away at San Pedro Hill AFS. The single-site Camp Pedricktown Army Air Defense Base was later reconfigured to use radar data from Gibbsboro AFS 15 mi (24 km) away —then closed when the Philadelphia Defense Area was consolidated with the New York Defense Area.
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Wikipedia