Burns Air Force Station

Burns Air Force Station (1955-1970) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1955 near Burns, Harney County, Oregon. Named Burns Air Force Station after the location. Initially assigned a Permanent ID of M-118 and later a Sage ID of Z-118. Abandoned in 1970. Burns AFS FPS-90 Tower Foundation Bldg 200. Burns AFS Radio Site Bldg 230, now a Bonneville Power Administration Communications Facility Burns Air Force Station Entrance Gate with one of the two Radio Site Buildings in the Background (Bldg. 133) History Burns AFS Power Production Facility Bldgs 206-207 (connected) and Operations Bldg 204 in the Background just before being Demolished. (2004) Burns AFS Operations Bldg 204 Foundation. (2016) Established in 1955 and became operational on 8 Jun 1955 as Burns Air Force Station manned by the 634th 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. Initial equipment included the MPS-7 mobile search radar and by 1959 two FPS-6 height-finders were added. 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 Beale SAGE Direction Center DC-18. The site began operation as a SAGE System site in January 1961, initially feeding the Stead SAGE Direction Center DC-16. With the closure of Stead AFB and DC-16 in 1966, Burns AFS was connected to the Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13. The search radar was upgraded to an FPS-7B and both height-finder radars became FPS-90s. In July 1964 a serious fire destroyed the FPS-7B search radar and it was replaced with an FPS-66A search radar from Condon Air Force Station. Condon had just installed a new FPS-27 and their FPS-66A was surplus. The removal of the FPS-7A and the replacement with the FPS-66A took about two months to complete. With the closure of the Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 in 1969, Burns AFS was connected to the McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12 until the site closed a year later. Burns AFS SAGE Direction Centers & Sectors Assigned Direction Center Sector 1 Jul 1960-1 Sep 1960 Beale SAGE Direction Center DC-18 San Francisco ADS 1 Sep 1960 - 1 Apr 1966 Stead SAGE Direction Center DC-16 Reno ADS 1 Apr 1966 - 15 Sep 1969 Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 26th AD 15 Sep 1969 - 30 Sep 1970 McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12 25th AD Closure Burns AFS and the 634th Radar Squadron were deactivated on 30 Sep 1970. Gap Filler Radar Burns AFS was responsible for the maintenance of a single remote unattended gap-filler radar site. 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 Burns AFS gap-filler site was located at Burns Junction and operated with an FPS-18 and FST-1 between 1958 and 1960. Burns AFS Gap Filler Radar Sites (edit list) ADC NORAD Location State Type From To GPS Notes M-118A Z-118A Burns Junction Oregon FPS-18, FST-1 1958 1960 42.71667, -117.87056 Physical Plant The physical plant of the site was divided into an upper main site, a lower housing area, and a radio site. The upper main site housed the operations building, the radar towers, the enlisted barracks, the bachelor officer's quarters, the orderly room, the chow hall, the motor pool, and the backup generators. Apart from the main site just outside the town of Burns was a small housing area for critical married personnel. A separate radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts. Burns AFS Major Equipment List Search Radar HF Radar Data Systems Radio Systems MPS-7 FPS-7B FPS-66A FPS-18 (GF) FPS-6 FPS-6A FPS-90 FST-2/A/B FST-1 (GF) GRT-3 (22) GRR-7 (22) GRC-27 (2) GKA-5 (1) Unit Designations 634th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron (1955-1961) 634th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (1961-1970) 634th Assignments 1 Jan 1951 - Assigned at Silver Lake, WA, assigned to 505th AC&W Gp. 6 Feb 1952 - Inactivated. 20 Jun 1955 - Reactivated at McChord AFB, WA, assigned to the 25th AD. Moved to Geiger Field, WA. Oct 1954 - Transferred to the 9th AD. 8 Jun 1955 - Moved to the site at Burns, OR. 15 Aug 1958 - Transferred to the 25th AD. 1 Sep 1958 - Transferred to the 4700th AD Wg. 15 May 1960 - Transferred to the 25th AD. 1 Jul 1960 - Transferred to San Francisco ADS. 15 Sep 1960 - Transferred to Reno ADS. 1 Mar 1961 - Redesignated from AC&W Sq to 634th Radar Sq (SAGE). 1 Apr 1966 - Transferred to the 26th AD. 15 Sep 1969 - Reassigned to the 25th AD. 30 Sep 1970 - Inactivated. 1 Jan 1973 - Reactivated at Lake Charles AFS, LA, assigned to the 20th AD 1 Jul 1974 - Inactivated. Burns Air Force Station Partial Commanders List (edit list) Assumed Relieved Rank Name Cullum Notes 1958~ 1959~ Major Michaud, Leonard P. N/A Burns Air Force Station Composite Plan. Burns AFS Structures (edit list) Number Building Exists Notes ??? Telco Yes Concrete Block 100 Gate Shack Foundation Wood Frame 105 CE Maintenance Shop Foundation Wood Frame 107 CE Storage Foundation 109 Paint & Dope Storage Foundation Metal 111 Rec Hall Foundation Wood Frame 128 Motor Pool Garage Foundation ? 130 Motor Pool Maintenance Foundation Metal 133 Radio Site Partial 1/2 Quonset Hut 1/2 Concrete Block 143 Airman's Dorm Foundation Quonset Hut 146 Squadron Headquarters Foundation Quonset Hut 147 Airman's Dorm Foundation Quonset Hut 148 Supply Foundation Quonset Hut 149 Dayroom Lounge Foundation Metal 151 Airman's Dorm Foundation Quonset Hut 152 Officer's Quarters Foundation Quonset Hut 155 Dining Hall Foundation Metal 158 PX & Commissary Foundation Quonset Hut 159 NCO Club Foundation Quonset Hut 160 MARS Radio Foundation Wood Frame 164 Hobby Shop Foundation Quonset Hut 165 Water Supply Bldg Foundation Quonset Hut 166 Special Services Foundation Wood Frame 167 Switching Bldg No 181 Waste Treatment Plant Foundation Metal 200 Radar Tower FPS-90 Foundation Metal 204 Radar Operations/FST-2 Foundation Concrete Block 206 Power Production Foundation Concrete Block 207 Power Production Foundation Quonset Hut 208 Paint & Dope Storage Foundation Metal 210 Covered Walkway Foundation 211 Radar Tower FPS-90 Foundation Metal 220 Radar Tower FPS-7 Foundation Metal 230 Radio Site Yes Concrete Block 800 Tank Foundation Steel 804 Tank Foundation Steel 830 Water Well Foundation Current Status Abandoned in Burns, Harney County, Oregon. The main site buildings were abandoned in place by the Air Force when the site closed and was left to deteriorate. By 2004 the remaining 25 buildings on the site had been severely vandalized to the point where they were physical hazards. The EPA directed a removal action and between 10 Jun 2004 and 15 Oct 2004 the remaining buildings and radar towers were removed down to the foundations and the sites were remediated. Only three of the original buildings remain the two radio buildings and the Telco building. The housing area homes are in private hands and are well kept. Most have been upgraded with metal roofs and new siding and it would be hard to know that it was a military housing area. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: On Burns Butte about 5 miles south of Burns, Harney County, Oregon. Maps & Images Lat: 43.5625 Long: -119.15139 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 5,291' GPS Locations: 43.561334, -119.151755 Burns AFS Ops Area 43.562933, -119.151363 Burns AFS Cantonment Area 43.580800, -119.074100 Burns AFS Housing Area See Also: SAGE System Permanent System Radar Sites US Radar Sets Stead SAGE Direction Center DC-16. McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12 Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 Sources: 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 150. 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 154-155 Links: North American Forts - Burns Air Force Station Wikipedia - Burns Air Force Station Health Consultation Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) - Burns Air Force Range (a/k/a Burns Air Force Radar Station) Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) - Asbestos Abatement Report Former Burns Air Force Site Harney County, Oregon, Task Order 58-08-48, File No. 2787-044-01, November 8, 2011 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) - Burns Asbestos Removal Action Removal Action Report Former Burns Air Force Radar Range, Harney County, Oregon TDD: 04-06-0001 Fortification ID: OR0028 - Burns Air Force Station Visited: 8 Oct 2016