This illustration, from a US Army booklet, shows the evolution of the Nike Ajax and Hercules missiles, and their associated support equipment.
In the background is the original Nike I (later known as Ajax) is shown with the LOPAR radar (rectangular) and the associated tracking radars (spherical). In "slice 2", the slightly enlarged Hercules is shown, before its conversion to solid fuel. The missile grows dramatically in slice 3, when it moved to solid fuel and began to be deployed alongside Ajax, along with larger tracking radars and the much more powerful HIPAR radar. Slice 4 shows the Army's first attempts at a semi-mobile system, using truck-mounted reloaders and inflatable structures for the control equipment. Ajax is shown being phased out. Finally in slice 5, experiments with fully mobile systems based on the GOER vehicle and optionally removing the booster cluster for short- and medium-range engagements are shown. Neither of the mobile options would be deployed operationally, that role being filled by the MIM-23 Hawk.
US Army Rocket and Guided Missile Agency
<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Military/NikeHercules.html">http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Military/NikeHercules.html</a>