Permanent System Radar Sites: Difference between revisions

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<googlemap version="0.9" lat="43.261206" lon="-87.011719" zoom="4" type="map" width="1000" height="600" scale="yes" overview="no" controls="large" icons="http://www.fortwiki.com/mapicons/icon{label}.png">
<!-- Radar Site -->
(R) 33.64611, -81.67667, Aiken Air Force Station
(1955-1975)
(R) 32.43111, -112.945, Ajo Air Force Station
(1959-1969)
(R) 37.15944, -121.90028, Almaden Air Force Station
(1958-1980)
(R) 35.24611, -101.65694, Amarillo Air Force Base
(1954-1968)
(R) 45.04833, -89.23389, Antigo Air Force Station
(1952-1977)
(R) 42.06431, -87.99556, Arlington Heights Air Force Station
(1960-1969)
(R) 50.30528, -89.01361, Armstrong CFS
(1954-1974)
(R) 44.58639, -117.78722, Baker Air Force Station
(1959-1968)
(R) 53.61833, -122.93556, Baldy Hughes CFS
(1955-1988)
(R) 43.45167, -65.47139, Barrington AS
(1958-1990)
(R) 36.76222, -96.03833, Bartlesville Air Force Station
(1952-1961)
(R) 48.66992, -94.62081, Baudette Air Force Station
(1958-1979)
(R) 50.14806, -96.22333, Beausejour CFS
(1953-1988)
(R) 55.23083, -119.30528, Beaverlodge CFS
(1953-1988)
(R) 37.51722, -79.51028, Bedford Air Force Station
(1956-1975)
(R) 40.36984, -83.72014, Bellefontaine Air Force Station
(1952-1969)
(R) 38.47556, -89.90583, Belleville Air Force Station
(1951-1968)
(R) 41.35694, -76.29028, Benton Air Force Station
(1951-1975)
(R) 48.91333, -122.73444, Blaine Air Force Station
(1951-1979)
(R) 35.07889, -117.57917, Boron Air Force Station
(1952-1975)
(R) 41.21917, -80.56194, Brookfield Air Force Station
(1952-1959)
(R) 43.89556, -69.92333, Brunswick Air Force Station
(1951-1965)
(R) 44.62944, -67.39528, Bucks Harbor Air Force Station
(1953-1979)
(R) 43.5625, -119.15139, Burns Air Force Station
(1955-1974)
(R) 47.37111, -88.17056, Calumet Air Force Station
(1951-1988)
(R) 35.52222, -121.06361, Cambria Air Force Station
(1951-1980)
(R) 37.13278, -75.95306, Cape Charles Air Force Station
(1950-1981)
(R) 53.72444, -56.96417, Cartwright AS
(1953-1968)
(R) 46.97083, -67.83444, Caswell Air Force Station
(1952-1980)
(R) 43.89778, -95.94583, Chandler Air Force Station
(1951-1969)
(R) 45.09167, -69.095, Charleston Air Force Station
(1952-1980)
(R) 34.902778, -76.886111, Cherry Point MCAS
(1958-1963)
(R) 40.2875, -78.56389, Claysburg Air Force Station
(1952-1961)
(R) 48.59083, -117.58861, Colville Air Force Station
(1950-1961)
(R) 45.23667, -120.30167, Condon Air Force Station
(1951-1970)
(R) 35.389167, -108.353333, Continental Divide Air Force Station
(1952-1961)
(R) 46.06694, -116.46417, Cottonwood Air Force Station
(1958-1965)
(R) 29.63461, -83.09886, Cross City Air Force Station
(1958-1969)
(R) 31.97917, -90.34444, Crystal Springs Air Force Station
(1958-1968)
(R) 48.877222, -118.785556, Curlew Air Force Station
(1950-1959)
(R) 42.34222, -85.28028, Custer Air Force Station
(1952-1965)
(R) 48.94222, -112.80583, Cut Bank Air Force Station
(1952-1965)
(R) 30.25028, -88.07833, Dauphin Island Air Force Station
(1958-1974)
(R) 46.92056, -102.73222, Dickinson Air Force Station
(1959-1965)
(R) 32.64861, -96.90694, Duncanville Air Force Station
(1952-1964)
(R) 28.86, -100.52694, Eagle Pass Air Force Station
(1957-1963)
(R) 29.61556, -95.17306, Ellington Air Force Base
(1952-1979)
(R) 44.15542, -103.08489, Ellsworth Air Force Station
(1954-1962)
(R) 44.8025, -86.05306, Empire Air Force Station
(1951-1978)
(R) 31.88139, -85.25361, Eufaula Air Force Station
(1958-1968)
(R) 39.40528, -118.72206, Fallon Air Force Station
(1956-1975)
(R) 47.45361, -91.2375, Finland Air Force Station
(1950-1989)
(R) 47.51583, -97.86861, Finley Air Force Station
(1952-1979)
(R) 34.956944, -85.381944, Flintstone Air Force Station
(1956-1961)
(R) 37.15417, -92.87583, Fordland Air Force Station
(1951-1961)
(R) 33.99, -77.91833, Fort Fisher Air Force Station
(1955-1988)
(R) 42.38889, -70.96944, Fort Heath RS
(1961-1962)
(R) 47.6575, -122.41306, Fort Lawton Air Force Station
(1961-1963)
(R) 39.116343, -76.727277, Fort Meade Radar Site
(1961-1979)
(R) 48.90389, -103.86667, Fortuna Air Force Station
(1952-1979)
(R) 63.78056, -68.54389, Frobisher Bay AB
(1953-1961)
(R) 45.04972, -99.95611, Gettysburg Air Force Station
(1956-1965)
(R) 39.82417, -74.95444, Gibbsboro Air Force Station
(1961-1984)
(R) 47.24028, -93.515, Grand Rapids Air Force Station
(1957-1963)
(R) 38.44306, -81.68056, Guthrie Air Force Station
(1951-1968)
(R) 38.05444, -122.51556, Hamilton Air Force Base
(1955-1966)
(R) 40.69889, -89.82583, Hanna City Air Force Station
(1952-1968)
(R) 40.58, -98.29, Hastings Air Force Station
(1962-1968)
(R) 48.88083, -109.945, Havre Air Force Station
(1951-1979)
(R) 40.39139, -73.99389, Highlands Air Force Station
(1948-1966)
(R) 55.46639, -60.22972, Hopedale AS
(1953-1968)
(R) 29.5625, -90.675, Houma Air Force Station
(1955-1970)
(R) 37.92611, -97.88694, Hutchinson Air Force Station
(1952-1968)
(R) 30.22138, -81.68266, Jacksonville NAS
(1962-1981)
(R) 48.01139, -114.36472, Kalispell Air Force Station
(1959-1978)
(R) 50.80222, -120.12667, Kamloops CFS
(1958-1988)
(R) 42.06889, -121.97222, Keno Air Force Station
(1957-1979)
(R) 24.584444, -81.688472, Key West NAS
(1962-1988)
(R) 31.05111, -97.8625, Killeen Air Force Station
(1958-1961)
(R) 35.197222, -114.041111, Kingman Air Force Station
(1955-1958)
(R) 40.29778, -92.57556, Kirksville Air Force Station
(1952-1968)
(R) 41.55917, -124.08611, Klamath Air Force Station
(1950-1981)
(R) 29.38806, -98.63306, Lackland Air Force Base
(1953-1969)
(R) 27.61889, ,-99.38667, Laredo Air Force Station
(1956-1974)
(R) 32.259444, -106.976667, Las Cruces Air Force Station
(1955-1963)
(R) 36.31861, -115.57528, Las Vegas Air Force Station
(1956-1970)
(R) 47.21754, -109.22194, Lewistown Air Force Station
(1958-1971)
(R) 43.14028, -78.83472, Lockport Air Force Station
(1951-1979)
(R) 34.56583, -120.50028, Lompoc Air Force Station
(1963-1968)
(R) 49.55583, -82.99194, Lowther CFS
(1958-1987)
(R) 31.42139, -94.80278, Lufkin Air Force Station
(1957-1961)
(R) 44.66528, -71.77111, Lyndonville Air Force Station
(1956-1963)
(R) 27.83439, -82.47184, MacDill Air Force Base
(1954-1980)
(R) 37.03528, -120.03306, Madera Air Force Station
(1950-1966)
(R) 48.37167, -124.675, Makah Air Force Station
(1951-1988)
(R) 47.50193, -111.20283, Malmstrom Air Force Base
(1957-1969)
(R) 38.62778, -77.43833, Manassas Air Force Station
(1952-1965)
(R) 33.89411, -84.49876, Marietta Air Force Station
(1959-1968)
(R) 38.553889, -121.269167, Mather Air Force Base
(1950-1966)
(R) 47.124167, -122.492222, McChord Air Force Base
(1951-1969)
(R) 53.29581, -60.53961, Melville AS
(1957-1988)
(R) 47.57389, -117.08111, Mica Peak Air Force Station
(1956-1979)
(R) 46.29694, -105.97833, Miles City Air Force Station
(1954-1968)
(R) 37.92389, -122.59694, Mill Valley Air Force Station
(1951-1980)
(R) 48.00361, -101.29444, Minot Air Force Base
(1951-1979)
(R) 41.0675, -71.90556, Montauk Air Force Station
(1948-1981)
(R) 45.21583, -123.75778, Mount Hebo Air Force Station
(1957-1979)
(R) 32.87667, -116.415, Mount Laguna Air Force Station
(1952-1981)
(R) 32.44167, -110.78944, Mount Lemmon Air Force Station
(1956-1969)
(R) 46.42194, -123.79806, Naselle Air Force Station
(1950-1966)
(R) 35.030556, -105.816667, Moriarty Air Force Station
(1952-1961)
(R) 43.53333, -124.17639, North Bend Air Force Station
(1952-1980)
(R) 32.89556, -80.02222, North Charleston Air Force Station
(1955-1980)
(R) 42.03149, -70.05329, North Truro Air Force Station
(1951-1994)
(R) 40.39722, -80.16111, Oakdale Air Force Station
(1959-1969)
(R) 38.835, -94.90444, Olathe Air Force Station
(1951-1968)
(R) 41.36083, -96.02444, Omaha Air Force Station
(1951-1968)
(R) 48.86111, -106.47778, Opheim Air Force Station
(1951-1979)
(R) 45.25139, -92.64278, Osceola Air Force Station
(1951-1975)
(R) 46.72139, -119.18, Othello Air Force Station
(1951-1975)
(R) 30.70417, -101.11667, Ozona Air Force Station
(1951-1963)
(R) 50.01778, -85.25167, Pagwa CFS
(1953-1966)
(R) 39.22194, -74.68722, Palermo Air Force Station
(1962-1970)
(R) 35.394814, -120.354195, Paso Robles Air Force Station
(1960-Present)
(R) 28.21424, -80.59894, Patrick Air Force Base
(1961-1996)
(R) 33.70472, -96.64833, Perrin Air Force Station
(1964-1969)
(R) 43.08306, -98.47528, Pickstown Air Force Station
(1961-1968)
(R) 38.88972, -123.55028, Point Arena Air Force Station
(1951-1998)
(R) 44.03028, -83.00167, Port Austin Air Force Station
(1952-1988)
(R) 26.15556, -97.33778, Port Isabel Air Force Station
(1958-1961)
(R) 52.16139, -124.20611, Puntzi Mountain CFS
(1953-1966)
(R) 31.47778, -103.16833, Pyote Air Force Station
(1958-1963)
(R) 48.42694, -80.241667, Ramore CFS
(1953-1974)
(R) 40.14611, -122.30444, Red Bluff Air Force Station
(1956-1970)
(R) 47.63889, -52.66723, Red Cliff AS
(1954-1961)
(R) 61.59639, -64.63833, Resolution Island AS
(1953-1961)
(R) 25.62333, -80.40444, Richmond Air Force Station
(1960-1988)
(R) 36.43972, -77.72528, Roanoke Rapids Air Force Station
(1956-1978)
(R) 28.09167, -97.04583, Rockport Air Force Station
(1958-1963)
(R) 39.77528, -87.25667, Rockville Air Force Station
(1951-1966)
(R) 55.46639, -60.22972, Saglek AS
(1953-1970)
(R) 44.78167, -73.06556, Saint Albans Air Force Station
(1951-1979)
(R) 51.34917, -55.61083, Saint Anthony AS
(1953-1968)
(R) 32.976944, -118.552778, San Clemente Air Force Station
(1951-1960)
(R) 33.746111, -118.336111, San Pedro Hill Air Force Station
(1961-1976)
(R) 34.00722, -120.05028, Santa Rosa Island Air Force Station
(1951-1963)
(R) 43.01139, -73.6825, Saratoga Springs Air Force Station
(1952-1977)
(R) 46.45722, -84.38722, Sault Sainte Marie Air Force Station
(1951-1979)
(R) 32.01704, -81.16626, Savannah Air Force Station
(1955-1979)
(R) 42.62694, -82.82972, Selfridge Air Force Base
(1952-1974)
(R) 50.08306, -92.00222, Sioux Lookout CFS
(1953-1987)
(R) 48.58917, -58.66417, Stephenville AS
(1953-1971)
(R) 37.89741, -86.00240, Snow Mountain Air Force Station
(1952-1968)
(R) 44.47861, -104.45167, Sundance Air Force Station
(1960-1968)
(R) 32.46333, -100.47333, Sweetwater Air Force Station
(1956-1969)
(R) 41.75, -67.76666, Texas Tower 2
(1958-1963)
(R) 40.75, -69.31667, Texas Tower 3
(1958-1963)
(R) 39.8, -72.66667, Texas Tower 4
(1959-1961)
(R) 31.93722, -87.75083, Thomasville Air Force Station
(1959-1969)
(R) 36.623611, -106.663889, Tierra Amarilla Air Force Station
(1950-1958)
(R) 38.05167, -117.22556, Tonopah Air Force Station
(1957-1970)
(R) 30.0760296, -85.61064, Tyndall Air Force Base
(1957-Present)
(R) 32.65381, -114.59090, Vincent Air Force Base
(1956-1963)
(R) 46.51528, -95.11278, Wadena Air Force Station
(1952-1970)
(R) 33.309221, -104.547709, Walker Air Force Base
(1950-1963)
(R) 36.13, -90.91917, Walnut Ridge Air Force Station
(1956-1963)
(R) 43.92528, -75.90917, Watertown Air Force Station
(1952-1979)
(R) 42.69, -92.48444, Waverly Air Force Station
(1952-1969)
(R) 35.071695, -106.869716, West Mesa Air Force Station
(1956-1968)
(R) 42.617083, -88.54, Williams Bay Air Force Station
(1951-1960)
(R) 45.138903, -95.06893, Willmar Air Force Station
(1957-1961)
(R) 41.01111, -117.7675, Winnemucca Air Force Station
(1956-1968)
(R) 35.08028, -110.83361, Winslow Air Force Station
(1955-1963)
(R) 36.04361, -80.13621, Winston-Salem Air Force Station
(1956-1970)
(R) 48.86222, -115.72167, Yaak Air Force Station
(1952-1960)
(R) 26.95222, -99.27528, Zapata Air Force Station
(1957-1961)


</googlemap>
{| class="wikitable" width="800"
|-
| align="Center" | [[Radar Site List]]
|}


'''See Also:'''
With the outbreak of the [[Korean War]] on 25 Jun 1950, a new emphasis on air defense made the Permanent System radar network a high priority and the network rapidly took shape, underwent several expansions, and by the end of 1958 it was essentially complete. The operational areas of the permanent system Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) radar sites typically contained a single long-range search radar and two height-finder radars feeding into a standardized operations building. Radarscope operators passed aircraft positions to personnel who plotted the path of aircraft on a plexiglass plotting board with grease pencils. For "unknown" aircraft, weapons controllers could scramble and direct fighter aircraft to identify unknown aircraft and shoot them down if necessary.
* [[SAGE System Direction Centers]]


{{MajorUSAFRadarSites}}
[[File: Site 637th.jpg|795px|thumb|center|Typical Permanent System Radar Site at Othello AFS, two FPS 6s on the left, FPS 3 in the bubble, and standard Operations building on the right, Type 2 Design. Note the overhead steam pipe heating system characteristic of most radar sites.]]
In October 1949 the Air Force commissioned the Chicago firm of Holabird Root & Burgee to design the entire command & control infrastructure system including the radar sites and command centers. Holabird Root & Burgee designed the Type 2 operations complex to be built at each of the AC&W radar sites. The Type 3 and 4 designs were the Manual Direction Center Operations buildings with the Type 4 being the most common. By August 1951, ADC had emplaced only one AC&W radar squadron with modern, permanent equipment along with the first Type 4 command and control Direction Center at McChord Air Force Base (P-4).
[[File:Minot AFS Ops-3.jpg|795px|thumb|center|Former Minot Air Force Station Type 2 Operations Building. A small part of the SAGE Annex can be seen on the right.]]
[[File:Norton Manual CP.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Norton Manual Air-Defense Control Center (ADCC) Type 4 Design.]]
At the beginning of 1952, 14 more AC&W squadrons were operational, with the remaining AC&W squadrons and 10 of the 11 command and control Direction Centers nearly complete by the end of 1952. These centers were each assigned to an Air Defense Division. An ADC combat operations center at [[Ent Air Force Base]] in Colorado, built in 1954, coordinated the network.
 
Follow-on programs expanded the original 85 site program. It should be noted that some sources refer to the 75 original "P" designated sites and others indicate that there were 85 original "P" designated radar sites. The "P" designation numbers did go to 85 but only 75 of those applied to radar sites, the other 10 were applied to [[Permanent Radar System Direction Centers]].
 
By the end of 1957, just before the [[SAGE System]] implementation, there were 182 operational AC&W radar sites with 17 operational manual Direction centers. The breakdown included 17 Direction centers, 75 permanent system sites, 47 gap filler sites, 39 semi-mobile sites, 19 [[Pinetree Line]] sites, and one lone Lashup site.
 
Each of the AC&W radar sites was connected to a [[Permanent Radar System Direction Centers|Manual Direction Center]] by voice and teletype lines. Each direction center coordinated the activities of a larger geographic area and could manage a battle situation. The direction centers connected to one of three (East, Central, West) command centers, and the three command centers were connected to the Headquarters command center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This system was a manual system dependent on human interactions at every level from detection to intercept.
{{Clr}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|+ Manual Radar System Implementation
|-
!Radar System
!Phase
!Sites
!Sequence
!Approval
!Notes
|-
| Permanent || align="center" | I || align="center" | 24 || align="center" | P 1-35 || align="center" | 2 Dec 1948 ||
|-
| Permanent || align="center" | II || align="center" | 28 || align="center" | P 36-60 || align="center" | 21 Jul 1950 ||
|-
| Permanent || align="center" | III || align="center" | 23 || align="center" | P 61-85 || align="center" |  ||
|-
| Mobile Radar<br>Augmentation || align="center" | I || align="center" | 29 || align="center" | M 87-131 || align="center" |  ||
|-
| Mobile Radar<br>Augmentation || align="center" | II || align="center" | 20 || align="center" | SM 132-165 || align="center" | 18 Oct 1952. ||
|-
| Mobile Radar<br>Augmentation || align="center" | III || align="center" | 21 || align="center" | TM 177-201 || align="center" | January 1954 ||
|-
| Texas Towers || align="center" | || align="center" | 3  || align="center" | TT 2-4 || align="center" |  ||
|-
| Missile Master || align="center" | || align="center" | 1 || align="center" | MM 1 || align="center" |  ||
|-
| National Guard || align="center" | || align="center" | 1 || align="center" | CW 59 || align="center" |  ||
<!--| Mobile Radar<br>Augmentation || align="center" | I || align="center" | 24 || align="center" | P 1-35 || align="center" | 2 Dec 1948 || -->
|}
 
== [[SAGE System]] and the Permanent Radar System ==
As the Permanent System came to maturity between 1958 and 1960, it was converted to the SAGE System site by site. This was done by adding a large SAGE Annex to the existing operations buildings and as a follow-on, converting one of the existing radio buildings (usually the transmitter building) into a new Ground-Air Transmit-Receive (GATR) radio building. Within the SAGE Annex, an [[FST-2]] was installed to process and send radar data to the [[FSQ-7]] direction center computer over communication circuits. Most permanent System radar sites converted to SAGE operation were designated with a "Z" number like Z-100 for the prime site and Z-100A for an associated gap-filler.
 
The expectation in 1960 was that there would be 194 prime radar sites, 207 gap-filler sites and that 99 of the prime sites would have Frequency Diversity (FD) radar sets. Both the gap-filler program and the FD radar programs were problematic. Virtually all of the gap-fillers were closed by the mid-1960s and the very expensive FD radars hung on until the antenna problems became so costly that they were shut down and replaced with smaller sets or the sites were simply closed. One example of the FD radar troubles was the [[Mount Hebo Air Force Station]] [[FPS-24]] that had to be replaced with a smaller [[FPS-27]].
----
'''Sources:'''
* {{Cornett}}.  <!--ADC Organization-->
* {{Winkler}}.  <!--Searching the skies-->
* '''''Cold War Infrastructure For Air Defense: The Fighter And Command Missions''''', Headquarters, Air Combat Command Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 1999, [http://www.mobileradar.org/Documents/1999-11-02132.pdf Pdf].
 
{{PageFooter}}


[[Category:All]]
[[Category:All]]
[[Category:Lists]]
[[Category:Radar Sites]]

Latest revision as of 09:41, 6 January 2022


Radar Site List

With the outbreak of the Korean War on 25 Jun 1950, a new emphasis on air defense made the Permanent System radar network a high priority and the network rapidly took shape, underwent several expansions, and by the end of 1958 it was essentially complete. The operational areas of the permanent system Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) radar sites typically contained a single long-range search radar and two height-finder radars feeding into a standardized operations building. Radarscope operators passed aircraft positions to personnel who plotted the path of aircraft on a plexiglass plotting board with grease pencils. For "unknown" aircraft, weapons controllers could scramble and direct fighter aircraft to identify unknown aircraft and shoot them down if necessary.

Typical Permanent System Radar Site at Othello AFS, two FPS 6s on the left, FPS 3 in the bubble, and standard Operations building on the right, Type 2 Design. Note the overhead steam pipe heating system characteristic of most radar sites.

In October 1949 the Air Force commissioned the Chicago firm of Holabird Root & Burgee to design the entire command & control infrastructure system including the radar sites and command centers. Holabird Root & Burgee designed the Type 2 operations complex to be built at each of the AC&W radar sites. The Type 3 and 4 designs were the Manual Direction Center Operations buildings with the Type 4 being the most common. By August 1951, ADC had emplaced only one AC&W radar squadron with modern, permanent equipment along with the first Type 4 command and control Direction Center at McChord Air Force Base (P-4).

Former Minot Air Force Station Type 2 Operations Building. A small part of the SAGE Annex can be seen on the right.
Norton Manual Air-Defense Control Center (ADCC) Type 4 Design.

At the beginning of 1952, 14 more AC&W squadrons were operational, with the remaining AC&W squadrons and 10 of the 11 command and control Direction Centers nearly complete by the end of 1952. These centers were each assigned to an Air Defense Division. An ADC combat operations center at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado, built in 1954, coordinated the network.

Follow-on programs expanded the original 85 site program. It should be noted that some sources refer to the 75 original "P" designated sites and others indicate that there were 85 original "P" designated radar sites. The "P" designation numbers did go to 85 but only 75 of those applied to radar sites, the other 10 were applied to Permanent Radar System Direction Centers.

By the end of 1957, just before the SAGE System implementation, there were 182 operational AC&W radar sites with 17 operational manual Direction centers. The breakdown included 17 Direction centers, 75 permanent system sites, 47 gap filler sites, 39 semi-mobile sites, 19 Pinetree Line sites, and one lone Lashup site.

Each of the AC&W radar sites was connected to a Manual Direction Center by voice and teletype lines. Each direction center coordinated the activities of a larger geographic area and could manage a battle situation. The direction centers connected to one of three (East, Central, West) command centers, and the three command centers were connected to the Headquarters command center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This system was a manual system dependent on human interactions at every level from detection to intercept.

Manual Radar System Implementation
Radar System Phase Sites Sequence Approval Notes
Permanent I 24 P 1-35 2 Dec 1948
Permanent II 28 P 36-60 21 Jul 1950
Permanent III 23 P 61-85
Mobile Radar
Augmentation
I 29 M 87-131
Mobile Radar
Augmentation
II 20 SM 132-165 18 Oct 1952.
Mobile Radar
Augmentation
III 21 TM 177-201 January 1954
Texas Towers 3 TT 2-4
Missile Master 1 MM 1
National Guard 1 CW 59

SAGE System and the Permanent Radar System

As the Permanent System came to maturity between 1958 and 1960, it was converted to the SAGE System site by site. This was done by adding a large SAGE Annex to the existing operations buildings and as a follow-on, converting one of the existing radio buildings (usually the transmitter building) into a new Ground-Air Transmit-Receive (GATR) radio building. Within the SAGE Annex, an FST-2 was installed to process and send radar data to the FSQ-7 direction center computer over communication circuits. Most permanent System radar sites converted to SAGE operation were designated with a "Z" number like Z-100 for the prime site and Z-100A for an associated gap-filler.

The expectation in 1960 was that there would be 194 prime radar sites, 207 gap-filler sites and that 99 of the prime sites would have Frequency Diversity (FD) radar sets. Both the gap-filler program and the FD radar programs were problematic. Virtually all of the gap-fillers were closed by the mid-1960s and the very expensive FD radars hung on until the antenna problems became so costly that they were shut down and replaced with smaller sets or the sites were simply closed. One example of the FD radar troubles was the Mount Hebo Air Force Station FPS-24 that had to be replaced with a smaller FPS-27.


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.
  • 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.
  • Cold War Infrastructure For Air Defense: The Fighter And Command Missions, Headquarters, Air Combat Command Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 1999, Pdf.