9. There Were Nuclear Missiles at Fort Tilden During the Cold War
The Fort Tilden military base was also very active during the Cold War. During the height, the fort was home to powerful surface-to-air missiles, replacing the anti-aircraft guns which were deemed insufficient against jet fighter airplanes. During the mid-1950s, Fort Tilden was equipped with Nike Ajax Missiles, which could fire at and destroy a target from 30 miles away. By 1959, the Nike Ajax Missiles were being replaced by the Nike Hercules Missiles, a missile that could carry a warhead and could shoot over 96 miles. Both were stored in underground silos, but this area of the beach is mostly inaccessible today. The Hercules missiles were the first line of defense on Fort Tilden until they were disarmed in compliance with the 1974 SALT Treaty with the Soviet Union.