The Pyramid of North Dakota
The remnants of an early American attempt at missile defense
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Click to enlarge. Giant Pyramid near Nekoma, North Dakota USA - part of the Antiballistic Missile system constructed over eight years for approximately $6 Billion and operational for not more than three days. Upon closure, the giant tunnels beneath were flooded with water. source
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Click to enlarge. This is the PAR "backscatter radar" site that was designed to track missiles being fired from Russia. The concept was to detect and shoot down incoming nuclear missiles over Canada where presumably no one would mind. source
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Click to enlarge. In the city park of Langdon, North Dakota, just a few miles down the road from the sleepy town of Nekoma, sits a sharp-edged painted missile. Flowers are planted at its base, and not too far from this armament are the swingsets and slides for small children, with the city pool a few hundred feet down the way. Both the elementary and high schools are located nearby. (from loneprairie.net) source
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The Safeguard Program was developed in the 1960s to shoot down incoming Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles. Built at a cost of 6 billion dollars in Nekoma, North Dakota, the site was a massive complex of missile silos, a giant pyramid-shaped radar system, and dozens of launching silos for surface-to-air missiles tipped with thermonuclear warheads.
However, due to its expense, and concern over both its effectiveness and the danger of detonating defensive nuclear warheads over friendly territory, the program was shut down. Today it is a military-industrial shell in the middle of nowhere, or in the words of one writer, "a monument to man's fear and ignorance."
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Sources
http://srmsc.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Formersite.jpg
http://web.archive.org/web/20071230063941/http://www.nukephoto.com
- Cost $0
- Address
The Pyramid of North Dakota
Nekoma
ND
58249
United States
Directions / Map
Directions
The closest town is Langdon North Dakota which sits 7 miles to the north of Nekoma and 20 miles west of the PAR radar at Concrete, ND. Langdon sits at the intersection of State Highways #1 & #5 which is approximately 15 miles south of Canada and 40 miles west of Minnesota. See below for Google Earth and lat/long coordinates. Don't miss the Sprint Missle still standing in the middle of the Langdon Park!
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By Anonymous June 23 2009
This pyramid is hardly giant. Based on that photo with people in the foreground, it looks 7 stories, tops. The small pyramids in Egypt are massive in comparison and the biggest only owns the adjective "Great". Giant Radar Station, maybe.
By merreborn June 23 2009
The google map appears to be fairly off target. The coords are 48.589419,-98.356739 :
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=48.589419,-98.356739&spn=0.01,0.01&t=h&q=...
By Anonymous June 23 2009
wtf did billion dollars come from? please cite source?
By Anonymous June 23 2009
pictures are too small. can't see detail :(
By Anonymous June 24 2009
My dad was stationed there in 1973-1975 when I was just a boy.
Here's a link to more information: http://srmsc.org/msr2000.html
By Anonymous June 24 2009
As a resident of Concrete, ND, I see these buildings along with many other missile silos quite often. The PAR site (the winter picture) is much bigger than Nekoma and still very much active (it tracks the ISS and whatnot). With connections and special arrangements, one can get a tour of the PAR building. Inside of these structures is something straight out of a movie. They have a command center room with giant computers and screens, 3 story rooms of wires and electonics, fallout shelters, and sleeping quarters. Quite impressive actually.
Apparently, Nekoma was only used for 1 hour of actual opperation. By the time they finished building it, it was no longer needed and was shut down.
By Anonymous June 24 2009
Yes moronic American Military thought they could shoot down nukes over us Canadians!!!!!!! Right, who cares about the Canadians eh!!!
Now they want to lay claim to the Canadian Arctic and steal all of our fresh water.
By Anonymous June 24 2009
To Anon (resident of Concrete) - Actually, the entire system was flawed and so was used as a bargaining chip in the Salt I negotiations. GE pulled out of the project (after several years of large investments) because it was becoming obvious that the system would not perform as designed. The truth is out there!
By Anonymous June 29 2009
Sure they closed it down!!!! yeah right.
By Anonymous June 29 2009
Just like they closed down Camp Hero at mountak.
By Anonymous June 30 2009
my brain hurts...
By Anonymous June 30 2009
theres always some secret horsehit going on in those military bases_hold on to your secrets cause when things come to light it wont be pretty, or will it?
By trauman July 1 2009
I've posted a response to this entry on my personal blog at http://ryantrauman.com/traumanblog/2009/06/24/sacred-north-dakota-pyramids/
Please feel free to respond either here or on my blog itself. Thanks.
By Anonymous July 10 2009
I, too am a resident of Concrete, North Dakota. The PAR is still in operation and operated by the US Air Force.
One of the current missions for this radar is to assist NASA in tracking space junk.
About 30 military personnel are stationed at this installation and about 120 civilians are also employed here.
By Anonymous July 10 2009
The US Government still owns the ABM Site at Nekoma, ND. There is the possibility of the US Gov't to place the installation in "surplus" status.
Cavalier County is looking at possibly taking ownership of this facility to use it for economic development purposes. One use that surfaced recently was to use the installation for Unmanned Aviation Vehicles (UAV's) testing. The Grand Forks Air Force Base is possibility obtaining a mission for UAV's and the Nekoma Site would be used testing the UAV's, because of its remote location and more open air space. Over 100 wind generators were erected (by Florida Power and Light) north of the Nekoma Site now, so the UAV air space may have become more restricted.
A private contractor has a contract to maintain the site, such as mowing. Therefore, the installation is considered to be in "caretaker status".
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