Nike J

The Nike J was the name given to the Japanese version of the Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile. It was produced in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the first test firings of the missile took place in November 1970. It differed from the standard Nike Hercules in one important respect, because it could not be fitted with the special nuclear warhead that the original American missile could carry. The missile was about 12.5 metres long and 0.8 metres in diameter, with a wing span of 2.1 metres and a weight of around 4.5 tons. It was powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket, reached a speed of about Mach 3, had a range of roughly 130 kilometres and was steered to its target by radio command guidance.