[ARC5] Surplus Missile Disposal

[Francesco Ledda]

The big ones that were ever loaded with hydrazine were disposed under strict control of USAF and EPA. NASA had right of first refusal, before their destruction. No civilian entity could get access to them.

The very few that were never loaded with hydrazine ended up in museums or crashed. The one stored in the Titan museum (Pima Az) was a training unit, originally located at Sheppard AFB. Department of Energy controls the “reutilization” of the all special weapons.

There are few Nike Ajax and Hercules guidance units in captivity. I have seen on Ebay few Nike Hercules APSs.

Best, Francesco K5URG


Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 10, 2024, at 16:35, scottjohnson1 <scottjohnson1 at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> Missiles are dimantled at Camp Navajo in Arizona, propellansts are stored and destroyed, along with conventional warheads. There may be other disposal centers as well.  Nuclear warheads go elsewhere for disposal.  I don't  think any missiles are ever sold intact. 
> If you ate lucky, you might get a nearly intact gyro, or maybe a fuselage section.
> 
> Scott W7SVJ 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
> 
> 
> -------- Original message --------
> From: MARK DORNEY via ARC5 <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: 3/10/24 07:56 (GMT-07:00)
> To: releazer at earthlink.net
> Cc: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Surplus Missile Disposal
> 
> Nike Zeus, Nike Hercules and Nike Ajax are systems that came onboard in the 1950s-1960s.  They are obsolete. But those surplus Missile sales need to be VERY closely monitored. What happens if folks sympathetic to Iran get a hold this stuff?  It’s old, but with a little TLC, this stuff would still work.  I don’t like the idea of long range missile parts being sold to civilian industry.  Too much can go very wrong, very fast.
> 
> Mark D.
> 
> “In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Mar 10, 2024, at 10:27 AM, releazer at earthlink.net wrote:
> 
> Relative to missile disposal I was told that they were shutting down the Nike sites and farmer in Mass. bought one of the circular drum type missile storage containers as surplus.  The containers are similar to those used for jet engines storage and transportation and are popular with farmers as feed bins.  He got the thing home and then called the Air Force to say, "There is a gol danged missile in this thing!"
> 
> Much the same thing occurred at Tinker AFB when a rancher bought a jet engine cannister at a surplus auction, got it home, and found there was jet engine in it.
> 
> As a result of the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 the DoD was required to offer surplus missiles to commercial industry.  Numerous Nike and Talos missile motors were converted for experimental sounding rocket use and the CSLA eventually meant that NASA could no longer do that work themselves but had to hire private contractors to do so. 
> 
> Wayne
> WB5WSV
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