Хүйтэн дайны үед баригдсан энэхүү өвөрмөц байгууламж нь цөмийн пуужингаас хамгаалах зорилготой байсан ч ашиглалтад орсноос хойш ердөө нэг өдрийн дараа хаагдах шийдвэр гарчээ.
АНУ-ын Хойд Дакота мужийн Некома хотын ойролцоо байрлах Стэнли Р.Микельсений нэрэмжит “Safeguard” цогцолбор нь Хүйтэн дайны үеийн хамгийн нүсэр бөгөөд ер бусын байгууламжуудын нэг юм. 1970-1974 оны хооронд 5.7 тэрбум долларын өртгөөр баригдсан энэхүү бетон пирамид нь Гранд Форкс агаарын цэргийн баазын пуужингийн талбайг Зөвлөлтийн баллистик пуужингийн цохилтоос хамгаалах зорилготой байв. Байгууламжийг 714,000 шоо метр бетон, 27,500 тонн ган төмөр ашиглан бэхжүүлж, дэвшилтэт радарын систем болон 46 ширхэг пуужин харвах төхөөрөмжөөр тоногложээ.
Тус цогцолбор 1975 оны аравдугаар сарын 1-нд албан ёсоор ашиглалтад орсон боловч маргааш нь АНУ-ын Төлөөлөгчдийн танхим үйл ажиллагааг нь зогсоох шийдвэр гаргасан байна. Энэхүү шийдвэр нь АНУ болон ЗХУ-ын хооронд байгуулсан пуужингийн довтолгооноос хамгаалах системийн хязгаарлалтын гэрээтэй (SALT) холбоотой байв. Ийнхүү олон жил баригдсан байгууламж стратегийн өөрчлөлтийн улмаас богино хугацаанд үүрэг гүйцэтгэж, 1976 онд бүрмөсөн хаагджээ.
Олон арван жил эзгүй байсан энэхүү байгууламжийг 2017 онд Кавалер дүүргийн Ажлын байрыг хөгжүүлэх удирдах газар худалдан авсан байна. Орон нутгийн эрх баригчид болон хөгжүүлэгчид уг пирамид хэлбэртэй байгууламжийг өндөр хүчин чадалтай дата төв болгон өөрчлөх төлөвлөгөөг танилцуулжээ. Энэхүү шинэ төсөл нь серверийн дулааныг хүлэмжийн аж ахуйд ашиглах замаар цөмийн хамгаалалтын хуучин байгууламжийг орчин үеийн дижитал дэд бүтэц болгон хувиргах зорилготой юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A $5.7 billion military complex built in the North Dakota plains to defend against Soviet missiles became operational in 1975 before quickly losing its purpose. The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex remains one of the most unusual remnants of the Cold War, a massive concrete pyramid designed for nuclear defense that spent only a short time fulfilling its original mission.
Located near Nekoma, North Dakota, the site was created during one of the most tense periods of the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. Its role was to protect the Minuteman missile fields at Grand Forks Air Force Base from a possible ballistic missile strike.
The project represented a major investment in American missile defense. Built with advanced radar systems and heavily reinforced structures, the complex reflected the scale of the nuclear competition between the two superpowers. But the strategic environment changed before the installation could become a lasting part of U.S. defense policy.
A Concrete Pyramid Built for the Nuclear Age
The Safeguard Complex was approved by Congress in 1969 and constructed between 1970 and 1974. It was designed to defend critical missile infrastructure against a possible Soviet attack.
The installation included two major radar systems. The Perimeter Acquisition Radar (PAR) monitored the northern approach for incoming missiles, while the Missile Site Radar (MSR) was housed inside the pyramid-shaped command center.
The radar network controlled a defensive system equipped with 30 Spartan long-range interceptor missiles and 16 Sprint high-speed interceptors. The pyramid was built as a hardened military structure, with thick concrete walls designed to protect the facility during a nuclear confrontation.
The scale of construction was considerable. Figures from the Center for Land Use Interpretation show that the project required around 714,000 cubic feet of concrete, 27,500 tons of reinforcing steel, and more than 2,200 miles of wiring. More than 3,200 workers took part in the construction.
The pyramid itself cost nearly $140 million at the time, making it one of the most expensive elements of the complex. Its unusual shape was not decorative but a functional design intended to support the powerful radar equipment inside.
A Strategic Project Stopped by Diplomacy
The facility’s active life was remarkably short. The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex officially opened on October 1, 1975. The following day, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to shut it down. The decision came after the SALT negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union changed the future of missile defense. The 1972 agreement limited both nations to a restricted number of anti-ballistic missile sites, making a larger American network unnecessary.
Reports from the Grand Forks Herald explain that the original Safeguard program was supposed to include several facilities across the country. The Nekoma installation became the only completed site after other planned locations were canceled.
The shutdown did not happen immediately after the vote. The complex continued limited operations until its final closure in 1976, ending a project that had taken years to build but had only a short military lifespan.
The Forgotten Fortress Reborn
Following its closure, the pyramid remained unused for decades. Military equipment was removed, sensitive systems were transferred, and sections of the facility were dismantled. The site also required environmental cleanup operations over the years. The property eventually changed ownership. In 2017, the Cavalier County Job Development Authority acquired parts of the former complex, including the pyramid.
Local authorities later announced plans involving a new use for the Cold War structure. A developer specializing in cryptocurrency and sustainable computing proposed transforming the installation into a secure high-performance data center.
The project also included a greenhouse that would reuse heat produced by computer servers. The transformation would give the former missile defense site a completely different function, moving from nuclear protection to digital infrastructure.
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