ARADCOM

ARADCOM, or the Army Air Defense Command, was a major command of the United States Army responsible for ground-based air defense of the continental United States. Established in 1957 during the Cold War, ARADCOM managed a nationwide network of Nike missile sites designed to protect American cities and strategic locations from Soviet bomber attacks. At its peak, the command oversaw several brigades and regiments operating hundreds of missile batteries across the country. ARADCOM was inactivated in 1974 as advances in intercontinental ballistic missile technology reduced the threat posed by manned bombers, rendering the command’s mission obsolete.