This photograph shows Nike Ajax missiles, the U.S. Army's first operational guided surface-to-air weapon, mounted on their erector-launcher at an air defense missile battery. Deployed beginning in 1954, Nike Ajax batteries ringed major American cities and strategic sites throughout the Cold War, standing ready to intercept Soviet bomber formations. Many of these installations, including numerous batteries in California, were operated by Army National Guard air defense units working alongside active-duty crews as part of the nation's continental air defense network. Project: 218663