A Battery 9th MSL Btn
(Wing Missile) SQN 54

Bierset / Soller

ATBM capability 1969 till 78

On July 28th, 2000 the areas of former 54 Squadron (Belgian Air Force) still showed the shape of a Nike site. The squadron was withdrawn and disbanded in Summer 1989, but the buildings still exist and the areas seem to be untouched. The fire control area is used for disaster relief training (Technisches Hilfswerk). It can easily be reached from a car park on the motorway Xanten-Sonsbeck by a small road to the top of "Sonsbecker Berg". The launcher area is situated within farming fields. The road to this site is closed for public traffic, but it takes only a 15 minutes walk from the motorway Xanten-Sonsbeck to the gate. The main tower , which must have been erected in the early eighties to improve security of the nuclear section, can be seen from the motorway. Both sites, which were built in the early 70ies, are still surrounded by fences and nature has not recovered the concrete plains and buildings. Even the double fences around the hardened nuclear facilities have not been pulled down. The camp at Xanten on the same motorway is no longer inhabited by immigrants, but has been rebuilt into a workshop area. It is used by services which maintain historical monuments (Denkmalschutz).
The photos of the launcher area were taken from the east side. The last photo shows "Sonsbecker Berg" viewed from the launcher area. On another hill north of the launcher area the radarpost Marienbaum has its position . This Hughes Air Defence Radar was once an important link in NATO airdefence and a part of the former CRC Uedem . Being maintained by a technical crew it still provides information for NATO air control.

Text by J. Dreifke.

1988 - 1989

U.S. A-Team 507th USAAD Commander