Evening star., 1957-12-06
Army Activafes
|E|ectronic Air
Defense System
BY L. EDGAR PRINA
star star Correspondent

FORT MEADE. Md. Dec. 9
The Army activated the first
fully operational electronic ali
defense control system in the
United States here yesterday.
Known as the Missile Master
the system win control and CO.
ordinate the FIRE Of the 20 Nike
Ajax guided missile batteries
protecting the Washington
Baltimore Government -indus-
try complex against air attack
Manufactured by the Martin
Company's Orlando. Fla. plant,
the air defense system will be
installed at each Of the Nike
bases throughout the United
States. But although Martin
has q second unit ready. the
Army said II would be i8 months
before q site for IL can be
selected. a building constructed
to house It and the system In
stalled.
In ceremonies here. Army
Secretary Brucker said the
Missile Master will significantly
strengthen" Army anti-aircraft
defenses around major cities
and key defense areas. He said
II would control the new Hawk
missile for use against low-alt-
itude aircraft and the Nike
Hercules. successor to the Ajax.
when these weapons become
available.
Must Improve System
Declaring that the Nation
must continue to improve its
air defense system. the Sec
retary said:
THE Missile Master is q de-
Iyelopment which should vastly
increase the kill potentialities
of our anti-aircraft missile or
ganizations by -co-ordinating
the fires OF all Army anti-air-
craft weapons in an engage
ment with numerous enemy
planes launching q simultane-
Olis attack "
He said that the Army Nike
Zeus. an 'anti-missile missile.
might well lend itself to con-
troll and coordination through
use Of the basic principle Of
the Missile Master system.
The Missile Master was de-
signed for use against modern
super-sonic bombing planes. but
officials have stated that II
could be used effectively against
air-breathing missiles.
The cost of the electronic
air defense system viii average
about 81 million per unit. with
an additional 50 million for the
site.
Continuous Information Flow
The Missile Master. which
win operate in conjunction with
units Of the Air Forces semi
automatic ground environment
area defense system. known as
SAGE. when that system be-
comes operational, works this
way:
1t collects information on the
location OF aircraft and their
Identity. presents this data on
electronic display consoles. and
distributes it to the missile fir-
ing batteries. Each Nike battery
thus receives a continuous flow
Of fresh information on all air
craft within the defense area
and on the activities of the
other Nike batteries aswell.s
Each battery commander is
provided with, all the data
needed to enable him to make
q proper selection Of the target.
In addition. Missile Master
operators observe the activities
Of all Nike batteries in the
system on special consoles and
are able to direct a specific
firing unit to a particular tar
get, when necessary. or TO pre-
vent friendly aircraft from be-
ing fired upon by our own
weapons.
The Missile Master installa-
ton here Is being operated by
the 35th Anti-aircraft Artillery
Brigade under the command of
Brig. Gen. c. G. Dunn.
Prior to the new system. re-
search for which started in
l945. anti-aircraft batteries
were controlled and co-ordi-
mated by voice telephones from
a central defense command post
where targets were plotted man.
ually on a map Of the area.