Nike Hercules

[EchoOneOne]

I would like to request the inclusion of the Nike Hercules SAM as an AI asset in the Fulda Map. Given the historical significance of this system in Cold War air defense, its addition would enhance the authenticity and strategic depth of the scenario.

[Whiskey11]

ED has said they will not be adding Nike Hercules because "it's not time frame appropriate" but when I pointed out these systems remained operational until 1988 in West Germany, they said it will focus primarily on IHAWK and Patriot.  Hopefully a modder will pick it up and build it... even if the launchers aren't connected together.

I'm just hopeful we'll get some generic copy-pasta Nike sites as 3D assets in addition to the numerous SA-2, SA-3, SA-5 sites dotted around East Germany....

[Northstar98]

12 hours ago, Whiskey11 said:

ED has said they will not be adding Nike Hercules because "it's not time frame appropriate" but when I pointed out these systems remained operational until 1988 in West Germany, they said it will focus primarily on IHAWK and Patriot.

Ironic that they call Nike Hercules not timeframe appropriate (what research are they doing exactly?) when their Patriot is a PAC-2 system which wasn't introduced until the early 1990s (so obviously, not the 1980s and after the fall of the Berlin Wall and during reunification).

As for the HAWK, it's maybe a more minor point (as they haven't modelled the differences), but it's inconsistent to one variant (HIPIR called one thing (AN/MPQ-46), but has the model of something else (AN/MPQ-57 w/ HEOS) with a missile with a designation that fits neither (MIM-23K, the missile appropriate to the former is the MIM-23B and the latter, MIM-23C. The MIM-23K is incidentally from the mid 1990s when the Cold War was over).

[Guest]

Hello, the Nike Hercules missile system is missing in DCS. Are there plans to introduce the system?

[Don Rudi]

+1 for the Nike Hercules. It is mandatory for the new Cold War map. It was the backbone of the air defense well into the 80s, Germany was basically littered with Nike sites (I had one a few km from my home). So how can it not be "time appropriate"?!?  

[upyr1]

I've asked for the Nike as well 

[Guest]

Am 15.3.2025 um 21:35 schrieb Whiskey11:

ED has said they will not be adding Nike Hercules because "it's not time frame appropriate" but when I pointed out these systems remained operational until 1988 in West Germany, they said it will focus primarily on IHAWK and Patriot.  Hopefully a modder will pick it up and build it... even if the launchers aren't connected together.

I'm just hopeful we'll get some generic copy-pasta Nike sites as 3D assets in addition to the numerous SA-2, SA-3, SA-5 sites dotted around East Germany....

Without the Nike Hercules System is a no go. 

Pre-defense with NIKE and HAWK

In its strategic concepts for the defense of Western Europe (MC 14/12 to MC 14/3), NATO relied from the outset on the principle of a defense deployed as far east as possible in order to keep as much damage as possible away from the Federal Republic of Germany. This was initially referred to as “forward defense” and later as “forward defense”.

The concept of the air defense belt also envisaged that (initially) the US United States forces would operate from deep space. With their long-range stationary anti-aircraft missile system NIKE, they were able to combat aircraft at high and medium altitudes.
At the end of the 1950s, NATO decided to establish a second, forward air defense belt. With the HAWK system, aircraft at low and medium altitudes could now also be fought effectively.

In 1965, the Bundeswehr completed the deployment of its air defense within NATO (see maps). By the end of the Cold War, this included six NIKE and nine HAWK battalions. Other anti-aircraft missile troops in the Federal Republic of Germany were provided by the United States of America, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Most of the 15 German combat areas and positions were located in northern Germany. There were two HAWK battalions in Schleswig-Holstein, four in Lower Saxony and three NIKE battalions. In North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, the Bundeswehr also covered a large area with three NIKE battalions and one HAWK battalion. Two HAWK battalions were stationed in Bavaria.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version).

Quelle: https://zms.bundeswehr.de/de/mediathek/zmsbw-aktuelle-karte-luftverteidigung-5509524

null 

[Whiskey11]

16 hours ago, RedHorse said:

Without the Nike Hercules System is a no go. 

Pre-defense with NIKE and HAWK

In its strategic concepts for the defense of Western Europe (MC 14/12 to MC 14/3), NATO relied from the outset on the principle of a defense deployed as far east as possible in order to keep as much damage as possible away from the Federal Republic of Germany. This was initially referred to as “forward defense” and later as “forward defense”.

The concept of the air defense belt also envisaged that (initially) the US United States forces would operate from deep space. With their long-range stationary anti-aircraft missile system NIKE, they were able to combat aircraft at high and medium altitudes.
At the end of the 1950s, NATO decided to establish a second, forward air defense belt. With the HAWK system, aircraft at low and medium altitudes could now also be fought effectively.

In 1965, the Bundeswehr completed the deployment of its air defense within NATO (see maps). By the end of the Cold War, this included six NIKE and nine HAWK battalions. Other anti-aircraft missile troops in the Federal Republic of Germany were provided by the United States of America, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Most of the 15 German combat areas and positions were located in northern Germany. There were two HAWK battalions in Schleswig-Holstein, four in Lower Saxony and three NIKE battalions. In North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, the Bundeswehr also covered a large area with three NIKE battalions and one HAWK battalion. Two HAWK battalions were stationed in Bavaria.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version).

Quelle: https://zms.bundeswehr.de/de/mediathek/zmsbw-aktuelle-karte-luftverteidigung-5509524

null 

Respectfully, you are telling me something I already know and have conveyed to ED.  Like you, all I can do is hope ED or Ugra will change their mind... sadly, it seems ED is NOT interested in doing so at this time. I'm just relaying the message from them, here.

Edited March 18 by Whiskey11

[upyr1]

I thought my thread name was funny