ABM Launch Site
Marshall Islands /
Kwajalein /
Ningi /
World
/ Marshall Islands
/ Kwajalein
/ Ningi
World
military, missile launch facility, rocket launch pad
Launcher for anti-ballistic missile system at Meck Island, Kwajalein Atoll.
The launch pad was originally constructed as part of the Nike-X program in the 1960s. Sprint and Spartan missiles were launched from silos at this point. The ground had to be raised, otherwise the bottom of the silos would be under water. Supporting the launches was the MSR building to the south, as well as the planned MAR-II on Kwajalein Island, although that was later cancelled. Meck hosted one of two such launchers, Illigany, to the west, had a launcher with no MSR.
When these programs were cancelled the site went unused for a time. In the 1980s it was re-activated as part of the SDI program, where it hosted a variety of test programs like the Homing Overlay Experiment, and more recently, the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle.
The launch pad was originally constructed as part of the Nike-X program in the 1960s. Sprint and Spartan missiles were launched from silos at this point. The ground had to be raised, otherwise the bottom of the silos would be under water. Supporting the launches was the MSR building to the south, as well as the planned MAR-II on Kwajalein Island, although that was later cancelled. Meck hosted one of two such launchers, Illigany, to the west, had a launcher with no MSR.
When these programs were cancelled the site went unused for a time. In the 1980s it was re-activated as part of the SDI program, where it hosted a variety of test programs like the Homing Overlay Experiment, and more recently, the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meck_Island
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 9°0'21"N 167°43'37"E
- Meck 0.3 km
- Bucholz Army Airfield (KWA/PKWA) 31 km
- Dyess Army Airfield (ROI/PKRO) 53 km
- Wreck of HIJMS RO-39 311 km
- Wreck of USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) 876 km
- Battle of Tarawa 1026 km
- Red Beach No. 3 1028 km
- Black Beach No. 2 1028 km
- Wake Island Airfield (PWAK / AWK) 1151 km
- Wake Island Atoll 1155 km
- Kwajalein 31 km
- Kwajalein Atoll 47 km
- Roi Namur 51 km
- Wreck of HIJMS RO-42 139 km
- Lae Atoll 163 km
- Wotho Atoll 228 km
- Wotho Island 229 km
- Rongelap 258 km
- Rongelap Atoll 276 km
- Ailinginae Atoll 279 km
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