Editing Ellsworth Air Force Base (section)

====Nike missiles, 1957–1962====
[[File:Ellsworth AFB Defense Area.png|thumb|Nike missile air defense sites around Ellsworth]]

To provide air defense of the base, the [[United States Army]] established the [[Ellsworth AFB Defense Area]] in 1957 and constructed [[MIM-3 Nike Ajax|Nike-Ajax]] [[surface-to-air missile]] sites. Sites were located near Ellsworth AFB: E-01 was north {{Coord|44|12|09|N|103|05|50|W}}, E-20 was east-northeast {{Coord|44|09|02|N|103|00|10|W}}, E-40 was south-southeast {{Coord|44|06|14|N|103|05|54|W}}, and E-70 was west-southwest {{Coord|44|09|12|N|103|12|59|W}}. Headquarters facilities were located at Ellsworth. In 1958, batteries E-20, E-40, and E-70 were removed from service and E-01 was converted to fire [[Nike Hercules]] missiles. This battery remained in service until 1961 as part of the reduction of the air defenses in the United States against aircraft.

An Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions. The site was equipped with the AN/GSG-5(V) BIRDIE solid-state computer system. The AADCP was integrated with the Air Defense Command [[United States general surveillance radar stations|general surveillance radar facilities]]. The AADCP ceased all operations when the ADC radar site shut down in 1962.

After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as USAF military family housing until about 1990.