Hamptons Missile Base Protected America
Secluded within the serene landscape of the Westhampton pine barrens is a relic of the Cold War era—the former BOMARC Missile Base. Officially known as the Suffolk County Air Force Base Missile Annex, the site played a pivotal role in America’s air defense strategy during a time when the threat of aerial attacks loomed large.
As geopolitical tensions escalated in the mid-1950s, the United States sought to bolster its defensive capabilities against potential incursions by Soviet bombers. The Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center’s missile program emerged as a solution, introducing the first long-range anti-aircraft rockets capable of intercepting enemy aircraft. To deploy these missiles effectively, strategic locations were selected along the eastern seaboard, including Westhampton.
Construction of the missile base commenced in 1955, and the facility became operational about four years later. It was the second BOMARC complex to be activated in the U.S. and featured 56 rocket launcher shelters arranged in two flights. This configuration allowed for the simultaneous readiness of multiple missiles, ensuring rapid response capabilities according to the system’s specifications. The annex operated under the aegis of the 6th Air Defense Missile Squadron, which was responsible for maintaining and operating the defensive weapons.
The missile base was an integral component of the New York Air Defense Sector, a network designed to protect major urban centers such as New York from aerial threats. The facility’s operations were synchronized with the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, an advanced network that processed radar data to detect and track incoming aircraft. Upon identifying a potential threat, SAGE would relay information to the missile base, where BOMARC missiles could be launched to intercept and neutralize enemy bombers before they reached their targets.
Advancements in missile technology and the shifting dynamics of aerial warfare led to the deactivation of the Westhampton BOMARC and the 6th Squadron in 1964. Its missiles were never deployed. In the years that followed, the site underwent various transformations. By 2009, the 187-acre complex had found new purposes, serving as a county impound lot and a shooting range utilized by Suffolk law enforcement and the FBI. A county clerk storage facility came dangerously close to being burned during the March 8 Pine Barrens fire and the 1995 Sunrise Fire that destroyed 7,000 nearby acres.
As President Trump proposes a new “Golden Dome” defense system, the remnants of the BOMARC base stand as silent witnesses to the need to protect the nation. Its history is not just a tale of missiles and machinery but also a testament to the strategic efforts undertaken to safeguard peace during one of the most tense periods in modern history.