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New York Defense Area

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Nike defenses were placed during the mid-1950s to defend the nation's most populous city. Site designations and locations of Nike batteries defending New York include:

(NY-03/04) Orangeburg/Mt. Nebo (double site) (NY-24) Amityville/Farmingdale

(NY-09) Kensico/White Plains (NY-25) Rocky Point/Brookhaven

(NY-15) Fort Slocum (NY-29/30), Lido Beach (double site)

(NY-20) Lloyd Harbor/Huntington (NY-49) Fort Tilden

(NY-23) Hicksville/Oyster Bay (NY-99) Spring Valley/Ramapo.

Headquarters facilities were located at Tappan, Fort Totten, Fort Wadsworth, and Roslyn.

Combined with the sites located in New Jersey, the New York sites composed one of the largest defensive nets in the nation. Sites NY-03/04, NY-24, NY-25, and NY-49 received upgrades to accept Nike Hercules. Beginning in June 1960, command and control was coordinated by a "Missile Master" facility located at Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Earlier, New York's air defenses had been manually coordinated from Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island.

Perhaps to even a greater extent than elsewhere, New York site locations in proximity to major population centers made good public relations vital, especially in the wake of a highly publicized disaster at a New Jersey Nike site in 1958. During the following year a Nike missile exhibit participated in 40 major public events ranging from the State Fair to Boy Scout Camporees. Nike sites also were occasionally opened to the public.

As in several other states, during the 1960s the National Guard assumed a greater role in operating the sites.