1960-12-15-sc-p18-closure-of-nike-ajax

December 15, 1960 Spokane Daily Chronicle Page 18:

Sites’ Closure Won't Impair Area Defense

Closure of two of the four Nike antiaircraft missile sites surrounding Fairchild air force base will not lessen the military protection capability.

Lt. Col. Max R. McCarthy, First missile battalion commander at Fairchild, made this point today, explaining that the two remaining Nike Hercules sites will be able to shoot "bigger missiles that fly further and do more when they get there."

To be closed are the Nike Ajax missiles at Airway Heights and Four Lakes. These sites have the smaller Ajax missiles with conventional explosive warheads for shooting down aircraft.

Others Fire Hercules

The remaining two Nike sites near Deep Creek and Medical Lake have the larger Hercules missiles that have greater range and an atomic warhead capability. The Deep Creek site already can shoot the Hercules and the Medical Lake battery will soon be ready, Colonel McCarthy pointed out.

Each of the four sites presently has its own housing and mess facilities and is under the command of the First missile battalion headquarters at Fairchild.

Both the Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules are designed to shoot down aircraft or air breathing missiles. They are ground-to-air type missiles although the Hercules can be utilized as a ground-to-ground type weapon.

Colonel McCarthy said the inactivation of Battery A and B (Airway Heights and Four Lakes) will be accomplished during the next calendar year.

Colonel McCarthy said the present 500-man strength of the battalion will be reduced about a third during the next year.

Plans for disposition of army military housing at Cheney were not immediately known here, The army has 16 family housing units at Cheney in addition to the mess and barracks facilities at the site. The Airway Heights battery does not have family housing at the location but does have mess and barracks facilities.