Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
Figure 80. Nike family. America’s first ABM family. From right to left
(and in the order of their deployment), the Nike Ajax, Nike Hercules,
and Nike Zeus. (Reprinted from US Army Aviation and Missile Command.)
As with most missiles, the Zeus encountered problems. But
using the experience gained in other missile programs, these
problems were largely overcome. Throughout, the missile encountered
difficulties involving the radar detecting the incoming
target and discriminating the warhead from the decoys and debris
(and with the electronics to properly guide the interceptor). 17
The Kennedy Administration
In 1961, the outgoing Eisenhower administration passed the
ABM program on to the new president, John F. Kennedy, who
was caught between the desire to expand nonnuclear military
capabilities and the growing Soviet ICBM threat (not to men-
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