The technology and equipment that are used by militaries around the world have certainly evolved a great deal over the years. But it’s interesting to catch a glimpse of what life was like for those soldiers and their families who were living on and around these bases and other installations.
Some private buyers have taken these old military complexes and turned them into different kinds of money-making tourist attractions. There have been submarines turned into clubs and restaurants, bunkers turned into wine cellars and more. And then, there are the buildings that have been forgotten over time, left out on display in their crumbling states – mainly because in most of these cases, the cost of removal just doesn’t seem worth it, considering it can scale up to the billion dollar range to properly dispose of all the materials.
The Nike Hercules Antiaircraft Missile Base
In the 1940’s, the U.S Army launched Project Nike to develop a new type of anti-aircraft missile system. Nike Hercules in Key Largo, Florida, was the second to be built. The weapon had an optional nuclear warhead and a range of up to 100 miles traveling at nearly 3,000 mph.
By the middle of the 1960’s, the value of Nike aircraft decreased until the project was ultimately decommissioned by 1974. Nike Hercules can now be seen displayed at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.
