Editing Surface-to-air missile (section)

===Post-war deployments===
[[File:Nike ajax 32.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Nike Ajax]] was the first operational SAM system.]]
[[File:SA-2 Guideline.JPG|thumb|right|[[SA-2 Guideline]] surface-to-air missiles, one of the most widely deployed SAM systems in the world]]

In the immediate post-war era, SAM developments were under way around the world, with several of these entering service in the early- and mid-1950s.

Coming to the same conclusions as the Germans regarding flak, the [[U.S. Army]] started its [[Project Nike]] developments in 1944. Led by [[Bell Labs]], the [[Nike Ajax]] was tested in production form in 1952, becoming the first operational SAM system when it was activated in March 1954.<ref name=flight>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1962/1962%20-%201337.html "Nike Zeus"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928045209/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1962/1962%20-%201337.html |date=2013-09-28 }}, Flight International, 2 August 1962</ref> Concerns about Ajax's ability to deal with formations of aircraft led to greatly updated version of the same basic design entering service in 1958 as the [[Nike Hercules]], the first nuclear-armed SAM.<ref name=flight/> The [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] had also considered collision-course weapons (like the German radio-controlled concepts) and launched Project Thumper in 1946. This was merged with another project, Wizard, and emerged as the [[CIM-10 Bomarc]] in 1959. The ''Bomarc'' had a range of over 500&nbsp;km, but it was quite expensive and somewhat unreliable.<ref>[http://radomes.pandapawuniverse.com/C_BOMARC.php "The Boeing IM-99/CIM-10 BOMARC"]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, National Air Defense Radar Museum</ref>
Development of [[Rheinmetall Air Defence|Oerlikon]]'s [[RSD 58]]<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1955/1955%20-%200007.pdf "Swiss Guided Missile"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515025848/http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1955/1955%20-%200007.pdf |date=2013-05-15 }} ''Flight'', 7 January 1955, p. 7.</ref> started in 1947, and was a closely held secret until 1955. Early versions of the missile were available for purchase as early as 1952,<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201746.html "Guided Missiles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515022443/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201746.html |date=2013-05-15 }}, ''FLIGHT'', 7 December 1956, p. 910.</ref> but never entered operational service. The RSD 58 used [[beam riding]] guidance, which has limited performance against high-speed aircraft, as the missile is unable to "lead" the target to a collision point. Examples were purchased by several nations for testing and training purposes, but no operational sales were made.<ref>Bill Gunston, ''Rockets & Missiles'', Salamander Books, 1979, p. 156.</ref>

The [[Soviet Union]] began development of a SAM system in earnest with the opening of the [[Cold War]]. [[Joseph Stalin]] was worried that [[Moscow]] would be subjected to American and British [[Strategic bombing|air raids]], like those against [[Berlin]], and, in 1951, he demanded that a missile system to counter a 900 bomber raid be built as quickly as possible. This led to the [[S-25 Berkut]] system ([[NATO reporting name]]: SA-1 "Guild"), which was designed, developed and deployed in a rush program. Early units entered operational service on 7 May 1955, and the entire system ringing Moscow was completely activated by June 1956.<ref>''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' Vol. 11, pp. 1175–1176, general editor Bernard Fitzsimons, Purnell & Sons Ltd. 1967/68.</ref> The system failed, however, to detect, track, and intercept the only overflight of the Soviet capital Moscow by a U-2 reconnaissance plane on July 5, 1956.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gruntman |first1=Mike |title=Intercept 1961 : the birth of Soviet missile defense |date=2015 |location=Reston, VA |isbn=9781624103490 |edition=1st}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gruntman |first1=Mike |title=Intercept 1961: From Air Defense SA-1 to Missile Defense System A [Scanning our Past] |journal=Proceedings of the IEEE |date=April 2016 |volume=104 |issue=4 |pages=883–890 |doi=10.1109/JPROC.2016.2537023 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2016.2537023 |issn=1558-2256}}</ref> The S-25 was a static system, but efforts were also put into a smaller design that would be much more mobile. This emerged in 1957 as the famous [[S-75 Dvina]] (SA-2 "Guideline"), a portable system, with very high performance, that remained in operation into the 2000s.<ref>[http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/s75.htm "S-75"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005194237/http://astronautix.com/lvs/s75.htm |date=2012-10-05 }}, Encyclopedia Astronautica</ref> The Soviet Union remained at the forefront of SAM development throughout its history; and Russia has followed suit.

The early British developments with ''Stooge'' and ''Brakemine'' were successful, but further development was curtailed in the post-war era. These efforts picked up again with the opening of the Cold War, following the "Stage Plan" of improving UK air defences with new radars, fighters and missiles. Two competing designs were proposed for "Stage 1", based on common radar and control units, and these emerged as the RAF's [[Bristol Bloodhound]] in 1958,<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202746.html "Bloodhound: The SAGW System of the Royal Air Force."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101232426/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202746.html |date=2013-11-01 }}, ''Flight International'', 23 October 1959, pp. 431–438.</ref> and the Army's [[English Electric Thunderbird]] in 1959.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202460.html "Thunderbird"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003050450/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202460.html |date=2013-10-03 }}, ''Flight International'', 25 September 1959, pp. 295–299, 302–303.</ref> A third design followed the American ''Bumblebee'' efforts in terms of role and timeline, and entered service in 1961 as the [[Sea Slug (missile)|Sea Slug]].<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200786.html "Seaslug: The Most Missile in the Least Space"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101232412/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200786.html |date=2013-11-01 }}, ''Flight International'', 21 November 1958, pp. 790–794</ref>