Location
IFC: 570 Read School Road
Launcher Area: E of Phillips Hill, S of Rte117: Provident Way
Present Status
IFC: Site is used by the Rhode Island Air National
Guard’s 281st Combat Communication’s Group. On
25 Sep 75 the control site property was designated the Coventry ANG Station, Air National
Guard. It was assigned to the United States Property and Fiscal Officer, State of
Rhode Island for real property jurisdiction and control. This site was still active
in the mid 1990s
Launcher Area: Site is now Central Coventry Park with
all buildings intact but boarded up and sealed off.
Contacts
Kris Gove
Article in Coventry Courier
Pictures
Aerial Views
Links
RI ANG: http://www.riang.ang.af.mil/281CCG/homepage.htm
Army Corps of Engineers Update: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/publicac/updteri.htm
Reuse by USAF:
http://members.tripod.com/~Scott_Murdock/usaf/usafnike.html
Article in Coventry Courier:
www.ricentral.com
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Dates
of Operation
1956-1961 1964-1974 History
Active Army Sep 56-Dec 61; site scheduled to be operational
in Aug 56, housing and IFC completed by Nov 56 with launcher area in Dec 56; ARNG
Nike-Ajax site 6 Dec 60- Feb 62; Jul 64- Oct 74 Nike-Ajax site converted into a radar/
headquarters site with the introduction of Nike-Hercules. A BIRDIE/ Missile Mentor
facility was added to the site and the site assumed the target designation role for all
batteries in New England after the four NE defense areas were consolidated in the late
1960s.
Weapons Systems & Missile Load
Nike Ajax / 30 (10 per launcher section)
12 mounted on launchers (4 per launcher section)
Missile Magazines/ Launcher Sections
3 Magazines.
1
type "B", 2 Ajax
Units
HHB, 751st AAA Missile BN
(Nike)(Continental)
Sep 56-Oct 58
Btry B, 751st AAA Missile BN
(Nike)(Continental)
Sep 56-Oct 58 redesignated (Nike Ajax) Apr 58
Radar Sec of HHB off site Jan 58
HHB (-radar section), 4th Missile BN
(Nike-Ajax),
68th Artillery Oct 58- Dec 61
Btry B, 4th Missile BN (Nike-Ajax), 68th
Artillery
Oct 58- Dec 61 redesignated (Nike-Hercules)
Jun 59
Btry B, 2d Missile Battalion, 243d
Artillery
(RI ARNG) Dec 60- Feb 62.
HHB, 56th Artillery BDE (Air Defense)
Oct 64- Feb 65
HHB, 24th Artillery Group (Air Defense)
Feb 65-Oct 74 redesignated ADA Group Sep 71
HHB, 3d BN (Nike-Hercules), 5th Artillery
Sep 72
HHB, 1st BN (Hercules), 5th ADA
Sep 72- Oct 74 |
