This photograph shows a Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) Nike Hercules missile battery at Bellows Field, Waimanalo. Click to enlarge
The 199th Fighter Squadron’s alert mission began on July 1, 1956 with two fully armed F-86 Sabres on five minute alert during daylight hours. The 109th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron provided radar surveillance and ground-controlled intercept (GCI) capability-at the Punamano AFS (Kahuku).
The 199th Fighter Squadron transitioned to 24-hour active air defense alert at 0001, October 23, 1958. The dedication of a new double-hangar and crew shelter was held the day before. Five-minute active air defense alert, on a 24-hour basis, continues today with the F-22 Raptors.
The Hawai‘i Army National Guard were an important part of the air defense system for a decade. The 298th Air Defense Group (ADA Gp) manned several Nike-Hercules guided missile batteries on O‘ahu. The missiles had the dual capability of striking aerial and surface targets supported by the Target Tracking Radar (TTR) systems. This defense mission was January 1961 to March 1970.
Retiree News posted articles about the Nike-Hercules mission.
Check Six: Missile-Age Minutemen
Check Six: HIARNG Nike-Hercules Program This post has a link to an excellent article about the HIARNG Nike-Hercules mission written by John D. Bennett.
Many of the HIARNG technician displaced when the mission terminated transferred to the Hawai‘i Air National Guard to continue their technician careers.
