Reeves Instrument Corporation
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer and radar technology |
| Predecessor | Reeves Sound Laboratory (branch of Reeves-Ely Laboratories) |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Fate | Became subsidiary of Claude Neon, Inc. in 1955; later merged into Dynamics Corporation of America |
| Headquarters | Garden City, New York , United States |
Area served | United States defense sector |
| Products | Guided missile simulation systems, Strategic Air Command integrated radar, computer and communication systems ("Q" systems), Reeves Electronic Analog Computers (REAC), Bomb Scoring Centrals (AN/USQ-24, AN/MSQ-35, AN/MSQ-77, AN/TSQ-81, AN/TSQ-96) |
| Parent | Claude Neon, Inc.; later Dynamics Corporation of America |
Reeves Instrument Corporation (RICO) was a manufacturer specializing in computer and radar technologies during the Cold War, serving the United States defense sector. The firm managed the Project Cyclone facility dedicated to guided missile simulation and was responsible for creating multiple Strategic Air Command integrated radar, computer, and communication systems known as "Q" systems.
History
The roots of Reeves trace back to Reeves Sound Laboratory, a branch of Reeves-Ely Laboratories (R.E.L.), which by 1946 was engaged in research on advanced radar, gunfire control mechanisms, tracking systems, guided missile controls, and aircraft instrumentation. In 1946, RICO obtained a contract from the Department of the Navy to develop a guided missile simulation system and oversee a simulation laboratory. Beginning in 1947, the company developed the Reeves Electronic Analog Computers (REAC) and expanded its computing laboratory two years later in 1949. The guided missile simulation system was completed and successfully tested by early 1949.
During the initial Cold War period, Reeves created the AN/USQ-24 (AN/MSQ-2A) Bomb Scoring Central, which was a modification of the MSQ-2 Close Support Control Set developed by Rome Air Development Center. These Bomb Scoring Centrals were utilized for Radar Bomb Scoring (RBS) and ground-directed bombing during the Korean War through TADPOLE-controlled sites. By 1955, Reeves Instrument Corporation became a fully owned subsidiary of Claude Neon, Inc., which subsequently merged with Dynamics Corporation of America; similarly, Reeves-Ely Laboratories integrated into Dynamics in 1956.
In 1958, RICO moved its manufacturing operations to its facility located at Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York.
Throughout the early 1960s, Reeves manufactured the AN/MSQ-35 Bomb Scoring Central utilized in Strategic Air Command's RBS missions. By 1965, it had developed the AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Central designed for ground-directed bombing during the Vietnam War. A portable vacuum tube version was introduced in 1967. One variant, the AN/TSQ-81, was lost during the Battle of Lima Site 85 in Laos. Toward the conclusion of the conflict, the vacuum-tube based AN/TSQ-96 Bomb Directing Central equipped with a solid-state Univac 1219B ballistic computer was deployed for ground-directed bombing applications.