Tyndall Air Force Base Radar Site

Tyndall Air Force Base Radar Site (1957-1983) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1957 on Tyndall Air Force Base in Bay County, Florida. The radar site was initially assigned a Permanent ID of TM-198, and later a Sage ID of Z-198 and a JSS System ID of J-11 in 1983. The site was deactivated in 1983 and a small compound was turned over to the FAA who continued operation of the installed radar now under the FAA ID of PAM. Operations continued under the FAA until Hurricane Michael severely damaged tower-mounted components on 10 Oct 2018. The ARSR-4 was restored to service on 16 Nov 2018. Tyndall Air Force Base FAA Radar Site. History Established in 1957 and became operational in 1957 at Tyndall Air Force Base manned by the 678th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and an early warning mission. The early warning mission involved tracking and identifying all aircraft entering their airspace while the GCI mission involved guiding Air Force interceptors to any identified enemy aircraft. Controllers at the station vectored fighter aircraft at the correct course and speed to intercept enemy aircraft using voice commands via ground-to-air radio. An additional mission of supporting the BOMARC surface-to-air missile system test launch program was conducted during the life of that program. Initial equipment included the FPS-20 search radar and a pair of FPS-6 height-finder radars. SAGE System Transition The transition of the manual GCI system to the automated SAGE system began with the installation of the FST-2 coordinate data transmitter and search radar upgrades. The FST-2 equipment digitized the radar returns and transmitted the digital returns to the SAGE direction center. Under the SAGE System, interceptor aircraft were directed to their targets by the direction center computers and controllers, greatly reducing the need for local controllers and equipment at every radar station. The FST-2 was a very large digital system using vacuum tube technology. Over 6900 vacuum tubes were used in each FST-2 requiring 21 air-conditioned cabinets, 40 tons of air conditioning, 43.5 kva of prime power, and usually a large new addition to the operations building. The FST-2B modification added two more cabinets but with newer solid-state (transistor) technology to process coded responses from aircraft transponders. SAGE System Operation Former Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09 Tyndall AFB Radar Site Direction Centers & Sectors Assigned Direction Center Sector 1956 - 8 May 1957 Dobbins Manual Direction Center M-87 35th Air Division 8 May 1957 - 1 Nov 1959 Unknown 4756th AD Group (Weapons) 1 Nov 1959 - 1 Apr 1966 Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09 Montgomery Air Defense Sector 1 Apr 1966 - 14 Nov 1969 Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09 32nd Air Division 14 Nov 1969 - 14 Nov 1969 Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04 33rd Air Division 14 Nov 1969 - 19 Nov 1969 Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04 20th Air Division 19 Nov 1969 - 1 Oct 1979 Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04 20th Air Division 1 Oct 1979 - 1 Mar 1983 Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04 TAC The site began operation as a SAGE site in 1960 initially feeding the Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09. On 14 Nov 1969 the site came under the operational control of the Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04 where it remained until deactivated in 1983 when the SAGE System was closed down. The FPS-20 search radar was upgraded to an FPS-64 in 1962 and then to an FPS-64A configuration in 1965. One of the two FPS-6 height finders was deactivated in 1969 and the other was upgraded to an FPS-116 configuration circa 1977. The FPS-116 was removed in 1988, leaving what had become the joint-use FAA site with only the FPS-64A search radar. Gap Filler Radars Tyndall AFS was responsible for the maintenance of two remote unattended gap-filler radar sites. The unattended gap filler sites were placed in locations where the main search radar lacked coverage. These sites were equipped with short range FPS-14 or FPS-18 search radars and FST-1 Coordinate Data transmitters that sent digitized radar target data to a SAGE direction center and to the main radar site. Both the radar set and the FST-1 were dual channel to increase site up time. Maintenance teams were dispatched for regularly scheduled maintenance or when fault indicators on the FSW-1 remote monitoring equipment suggested the site had problems. The FSW-1 also allowed remote operation of specific functions such as channel changes for the radar and for the FST-1, it also allowed remote operation of the diesel generators at the gap filler site. The Tyndall AFS gap-filler radars were located at Carrabelle, FL, and Eglin AFB, FL. Tyndall AFS Gap Filler Radar Sites (edit list) ADC NORAD Location State Type From To GPS Notes TM-198A Z-198A Carrabelle FL FPS-14, FST-1 FPS-18, FST-1 1959 1970 29.865833, -84.631389 TM-198B Z-198B Eglin AFB FL FPS-14, FST-1 FPS-18, FST-1 1959 1970 30.553889, -86.760 BUIC System Tyndall AFS became a BUIC I NCC site in 1962 and went operational as a BUIC II site in 1965. It was selected as a BUIC III site and went operational with BUIC III on 7 Mar 1968. The site first served as a BUIC III training site before going operational in 1969. In 1970 the 678th Radar Squadron (SAGE) became the 678th Air Defense Group (BUIC). The BUIC III system provided a backup for a SAGE direction center with the GSA-51 computer system and provided the ability to display sector-wide radar data on consoles for local weapons controllers. The system duplicated the functionality of the vacuum tube direction center computers with the more up-to-date GSA-51 computer system and replaced the FST-2 with a more up-to-date coordinate data transmitter, first one of four prototypes FYQ-40s and later the production FYQ-47. The radar site provided support for the BOMARC System through the 1970s, first in support of some 150 test launches and later for U.S. and Canadian crew training exercises. These launches took place from the test site on Santa Rosa Island over the Gulf of Mexico and were later controlled from the Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09 and the BUIC System at Tyndall. Closure As the threat from a Soviet bomber fleet lessened the decision came to mothball the BUIC system in 1974. Tyndall was the only BUIC site that remained active. The 678th Air Defense Group and the BUIC site at Tyndall were deactivated on 1 Mar 1983. Tyndall AFB FAA Radar Site About 1965 the Tyndall radar site became a joint-use FAA/ADC facility feeding data to the FAA's Jacksonville ARTCC and the Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09. After the closure of the Tyndall radar site in 1983, a separate FAA compound was established as JSS Site J-11 which operated a FPS-64A search. In 1982 the FPS-116 height finder was supported by USAF operating location OLAL 20th ADS. It was removed about 1988. In 1990 the FAA site is shown as operating an FPS-66A search radar and a CD-2C Common Digitizer. The Tyndall FAA site now operates an FAA ARSR-4 radar and an ATCBI-6M Beacon set. The radar site data is now available to the USAF/NORAD Battle Control System-Fixed (BCS-F) operations centers (EADS & WADS) as well as the FAA Jacksonville ARTCC (ZJX) and adjacent ARTCCs. Other federal agencies have access to the data under the Homeland Security umbrella. Hurricane Michael Update Tyndall AFB FAA Radar Site after Hurricane Michael. Antenna Remains are in the Red Heap at the Top of the Compound, No sign of the Radome. Tyndall AFB FAA Radar Site after Hurricane Michael from (NOAA). Closeup of the Tyndall AFB FAA Radar Antenna after Hurricane Michael. The FAA radar site ARSR-4 radome was swept away by Hurricane Michael on 10 Oct 2018. The antenna and the pedestal were also stripped from the tower and severely damaged. The tower is still in place and damage to the remainder of the equipment has not been reported. This post-hurricane NOAA view of the site is not clear enough to identify specific parts and locations except for the antenna which looks like a tangled pile of metal out from the southeast base of the tower, outside the compound fence. The FAA Public Affairs Office confirms that the ARSR-4 was restored to service on 16 Nov 2018, just 37 days after it went off the air. Tyndall AFS Major Equipment List Search Radar HF Radar Data Systems Comm IFF/SIF/Beacon FPS-20 FPS-64 FPS-64A FAA FPS-66A FAA ARSR-4 FAA FPS-6 FPS-6A FPS-116 FST-2/A/B FYQ-40 GSA-51/A BUIC GYK-19 BUIC FYQ-47 FAA CD-2 FAA Single Chan (12) Multi Chan (2) GKA-5 (1) GPA-124 ATCBI-5 FAA ATCBI-6M FAA Unit Designations 678th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron (1956-1965) 678th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (1965-1970) 678th Air Defense Group (1970-1979) 678th Air Defense Group (TAC) (1979-1983) 678th Assignments Feb 1956 - Activated as 678th AC&W Squadron at Dobbins AFB, GA Feb 1956 - Assigned to 35th AD Summer 1956 - Moved to Tyndall AFB, FL 8 May 1957 - Assigned to 4756th AD Group (Weapons) 1 Nov 1959 - Assigned to Montgomery ADS (Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09) 15 Jun 1965 - Redesignated 678th Radar Squadron (SAGE) 1 Apr 1966 - Assigned to 32nd AD (Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09) 14 Nov 1969 - Assigned to 33rd AD (Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04) 19 Nov 1969 - Assigned to 20th AD (Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04) 1 Mar 1970 - Redesignated 678th Air Defense Group 1 Oct 1979 - Redesignated 678th Air Defense Group (TAC) 1 Oct 1979 - 1983 Assigned to TAC (Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04) 1 Mar 1983 - Deactivated Tyndall Air Force Base Radar Site Partial Commanders List (edit list) Assumed Relieved Rank Name Cullum Notes 1956-08 Major McDonald, Donald M. N/A First Commander 1966-05 1968-07 Lt Colonel Bilby, Bedford B. N/A 1968-07 1969~ Colonel Spencer, William R. N/A 1972~ Lt Colonel Domke, William N/A 1972-06~ 1972-11 Lt Colonel Williams, Floyd C. N/A 1972-11 1973-04-21 Colonel Schmidt, Edwin V. N/A Deceased while Commander 1973-04 1975-04 Lt Colonel Manning, Joseph T. N/A 1975-04 Lt Colonel McKinzie, Michael G. N/A 1976-07 1977~ Colonel Leavitt, David N. N/A Current Status FAA JSS site on Tyndall Air Force Base in Bay County, Florida. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Tyndall Air Force Base in Bay County, Florida. Maps & Images Lat: 30.0760296 Long: -85.61064 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: Radar Site 24', GATR Site 25' GPS Locations: 30.07603, -85.61064 FAA Radar Site 30.07633, -85.60990 USAF Radar Site 30.08222, -85.61881 GATR Site See Also: SAGE System BUIC System BOMARC System Permanent System Radar Sites US Radar Sets JSS/FAA Radar Sites Jacksonville ARTCC Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09 Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04 Sources: Cornett, Lloyd H. & Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization (1946-1980), Office of History ADC, Peterson AFB, Colorado, 31 Dec 1980, 179 pages, Pdf, page 85, 159-160. Winkler, David F., Searching the Skies: the Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, USAF Hq Air Combat Command, 1997, 192 pages, Pdf, page 108. NORAD/CONAD Historical Summary Jan-Dec 1966, dated 1 May 1967, Command History Division, HQ NORAD/CONAD, Unclassified (originally classified Secret), pdf, pages 28-31, Backup Intercept Control Systems USAF Unit History - 678th Radar Squadron FAA - Site Listing of Legacy Radars as of 23 Dec 2016. U.S. DoT - Recommendation on Transition from Primary/Secondary Radar to Secondary-Only Radar Capability 1994. FAA - Three Level Weather For ARTCC Displays - Project Implementation Plan, FAA Order 7110.14A, 14 Feb 1990. FAA - SSR/DMTI Modification - Project Implementation Plan, FAA Order 6340.20, 6 Jul 1988. ADTAC Communications Digest, July 1982, Tactical Air Command, page 45. Links: Wikipedia - Tyndall Air Force Base. NOAA-View of Tyndall AFB FAA Radar Site after Hurricane Michael. Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center News Vol.4 Issue 7 - The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center Responds Quickly to Hurricane Michael’s Devastation Visited: 2 Oct 2021