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Fairbanks Defense Area

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Sites Peter (15 miles East of Eielson AFB), Mike (10 miles southeast of Eielson AFB), Jig (5 miles south of Eielson AFB), Tare (20 miles south of Nemana), and Love (10 miles northwest of Fairbanks) were installed to replace guns defending the Fairbanks area, which included Fort Wainwright and Eielson AFB. Land for the first four sites was acquired in late 1956. Peter Kiewit Sons' Company received the contract to build the facilities, for which the government paid $12.7 million. Smaller contracts further increased the final cost. Property for Site Love was obtained in 1958. B-E-C-K Constructors won the bid to build this last Alaskan Nike installation. As with the Anchorage sites, the Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, oversaw the construction.

The 2nd Missile Battalion, 562nd Artillery, manned these sites. Life during the long, dark winters was tedious. One former missileman recalled that the Bingo game was a weekly highlight. During the long summers, the region provided many outdoor recreational activities for those who were not "pulling duty."

On December 16, 1959, Site Peter gained notoriety as the first battery to conduct a live on-site Nike Hercules missile shoot. Unfortunately, the missile self-destructed after climbing 3,000 yards, disappointing the VIPs and reporters who had been invited to watch. The next day, the 2nd/562nd succeeded in putting a "bird" in the air. Fourteen missiles roared from that launch site that winter as each of Alaska's batteries launched two missiles for their annual service practice. The firings showed how the system worked under launch conditions; problems with the target tracking and acquisition radars that had been noted elsewhere were readily apparent in Alaska. As a result, in 1962 and 1963, Alaskan sites received new high-powered acquisition radar (HIPAR).

Unlike firings that were forced to cease near Anchorage, live firings would continue at Site Peter through the late 1960s. The firings attracted much local coverage and public interest.

The sites around Fairbanks were inactivated in 1970-1971.