Hole in the Head Press

W-31 Warhead Image

W-31Y2 Warhead

New Mexico Nike Accident

Porter, Indiana Nike Launch Site - Then and Now

Battery B, 1st Missile Battalion, 60th Artillery, 11 February 1962 (SC 593786 US Army)

Google Earth

What Are These Things?

This is a Control, Radio Set C-1299/GR

 

This is a Control, Antenna C-1495/M

Anybody know what these are?   How were they used?  Bad light. Phone Camera.

Nike Storage

Lots of Nike stuff stored in an undisclosed location

 

Phone camera doesn't have a very good flash

HQ & HQ Battery 426th Antiaircraft Missile Battalion - 1957

Happy Holidays from Hole In The Head Press

W-31 Warhead Time Line

The W-31 warhead was deployed on the Nike-Hercules.  Thousands of them were manufactured but very little has been published about them. This time-line has been developed from Chuck Hanson's material as well as other open sources.

Mid 1951 - Boosted, fission concept confirmed by IVY shot during GREENHOUSE series.

June 1952 - Project HEAVENBOUND study by Air Defense Command examines atomic weapons in the air defense role.

April 13, 1954 - AEC tells MLC that boosted air-defense weapons will be developed.

July 1953 - MLC settles on a 30" warhead for the NIKE-B to be operational in early 1957

December 1954 - Army asks AEC to develop the MK7 and a new 30" warhead for the NIKE-B.

January 1955 - DMA authorizes development of new 30" air-defense warhead

March 1955 - The Santa Fe Operations Office issued a scope-of-work covering the design of adaption kits for the XW-7 and the new 30" air-defense warheads.

March 1955 - Sandia and LASL suggest a higher yield air-defense warhead to increase the kill radius of the NIKE-B.

23 March 1955 - Sandia conducts static load test on the XW-31 to determine the structural adequacy of the XW-31 and the Nike case sections. (Report)

April - 1955 - TEAPOT confirms the practicality of small, boosted warheads.   

June 1955 - The Assistant Secretary of Defense requests a feasibility study on a high yield air-defense warhead.

Summer 1955 - Test program proposed safety tests on the XW-31.

August 1955 - The XW-31 is deleted from one-point safety tests because the design was still evolving.

August - 1955 - The DMA requests development of the new, high-yield weapon.

Mid September 1955 - Sandia and LASL present the formal design of the XW-31 with a lower yield than the weapon suggested in March.

November 1955 - A Sandia study report recommended that the XW-31 warhead replace the XW-7 warhead on the Air Force’s CROSSBOW missile.

January 1956 - The Department of Defense approves the high-yield program (XW-37) for the NIKE-B.

February 1956 - Both the XW-31 and XW-37 were scheduled to be operational by October, 1958.

Late February 1956 - A proof test of the XW-31 for the NIKE-B was scheduled for the Spring of 1957 at the NTS.

April 1956 - Development engineering begins on the high-yield warhead, XW-37, for the
NIKE-B

 27 June 1956 - Sandia presents the ordnance characteristics of the XW-31/37 to the SWDB.

June 1956 - First flight tests of the XW-31 scheduled to begin. (Rescheduled for October)

June 1956 - The XW-31 or XW-37 warhead are proposed for the Air Force’s CROSSBOW anti-radiation missile.

September 1956 - The XW-37 is effectively cancelled when the XW-31 became the XW-31-Y1 and the XW-37 became designated the XW-31-Y2.

October 1956 - First flight tests of the XW-31 to begin after being rescheduled from June, 1956

15 October 1956 - Sandia study on the use of parachute recovery of air-defense warheads to prevent plutonium contamination. (Report)

October 1956 - The proposed ordnance characteristics of the XW-31/NIKE-B were forwarded to the DMA.

November 1956 - The NIKE-B becomes the NIKE-HERCULES

February 1957 - A new version of the XW-31, the XW-31-Y3 is created.

March 1957 - Production engineering begins on the XW-31.

July 1 1957 - Operation PLUMBOB, shot Coulomb A, tests the one-point safety limits of the XW-31
   
September 6, 1957 - Operation PLUMBOB, shot Coulomb B, tests the one-point safety test of the XW-31

Mid September 1957 - Sandia released the design of the XW-31

May 1958 - The XW-31-Y3 was proof tested during the Holly shot of Operation HARDTACK at the PPG.

June 1958 - The adaption kit for the XW-31/NIKE-HERCULES design released.

June 1958 - First basic NIKE-HERCULES battery deployed.

9 July 1958 - Report of Test Flight No. 7.8-24  XW-7/Nike Hercules Warhead Installation. Beacon failure at 3.8 seconds into flight.  (Report)

October 1958 - The W-31 Mod 0 became operationally available.

March 1959 - Sandia proposed incorporation of handling-safety devices in W-31 warheads.

September 1959 - The MLC accepted Sandia’s suggested safety changes.

June 1962 - The design for the W-31 Mod 2 was released.

4 November 1962 - Project Dominic I, Shot Fishbowl, W-31 detonated over Johnston Island.

March 1963 - Production of the W-31 Mod 2 began.

July 1967 - Retirement of the W-31 warheads began

June 1987 - Approximately 75 NIKE-HERCULES equipped with W-31 warheads remain in service in Europe.

Where to Purchase Rings of Supersonic Steel

Where, I hear you asking, can I purchase my very own copy of the 3rd Edition of Rings of Supersonic Steel?

Well, right HERE for a start.  Here's a list of a bunch of places to order the book.

You're welcome.

The 3rd Edition of Rings Of Supersonic Steel and The Last Missile Site Now Available

Wow! 

The 3rd Edition of Rings of Supersonic Steel and The Last Missile Site are now available for sale.

Both books can be purchased for 50% off until 1 August from Atlas books.

Follow this link for Rings of Supersonic Steel

Follow this link for The Last Missile site

You can order Rings of Supersonic Steel from these other fine booksellers, but the 50% discount is only available from Atlas Books.

Enjoy!