CPS-6

CPS-6 - Medium range combination search and height finder Radar Set. Manufactured by General Electric Corporation. Two separate antennas, one for early warning (EW) detection and the other slanted 45 degrees to provide target height (HF). Initially, the radar was designed to detect fighter aircraft at 100 miles and 16,000 feet. The HF radar used five transmitters that operated at S-band frequencies ranging from 2700 to 3019 MHz to detect target altitude. Variants included the CPS-6, CPS-6A, and the CPS-6B. The CPS-6B was the most widely used of the variants. CPS-6B/FPS-10 Combination Search and Height Finder Radar Facility. Adapted From MIL-HDBK-162A: Radar Set CPS-6 is a fixed-station, air transportable, high-power, long-range search and height-finding radar that is used for aircraft early warning and GCI applications. This radar set has a maximum range of 265 naut mi and a height-finding capability of 40,000 ft. Facilities are provided for use of advanced filter techniques that eliminate the time lag inherent in passing plots through a filter room. The CPS-6 has provisions for optional use of video mapping, direction finding, and identification equipment. Terminal facilities are also provided for voice, code or teletype, and radio or wire communications. This radar set is equipped with moving target indication and many remote operating facilities. Radar Set FPS-10 is similar to Radar Set CPS-6B, differing only in the number of indicators used in the absence of B-scan indicators, and in the telephone system. The CPS-6B has more indicators, and its telephone system is supplied as part of the equipment. One CPS-6B radar unit and its ancillary electronic equipment required eighty-five freight cars for transport. The Air Force phased out the 6B model between mid-1957 and mid-1959. CPS-6 Deployments At least 8 of the basic model CPS-6 Radar were deployed in the Lashup System and the early Permanent System. In the Lashup System they were deployed one to each site but in the Permanent System, they were deployed in pairs, two sets to each site. One was identified as the search radar and one as a height-finder. CPS-6 Deployments (edit list) ID Location State Number Unit Operational Replaced Notes P-20 Selfridge AFB MI 2 661st 1951-?? L-17 P-09 Highlands NJ 2 646th 1948-?? L-12 L-11 Santini NY 1 1950-05 L-19 Fort Niagara NY 1 1950-?? L-14 Fort Meade MD 1 1950-09 L-37 Mather AFB CA 1 668th 1950-?? L-38 Half Moon Bay CA 1 1950-?? CPS-6B Deployments At least 18 of the model CPS-6B Radar sets were deployed to Permanent System radar sites and two were used at Keesler Technical Training Center for hands-on training. In the Permanent System, they were deployed in pairs, two sets to each site. One was identified as the search radar and one as a height-finder. CPS-6B Deployments (edit list) ID Location State Number Unit Operational Replaced Notes P-01 McChord AFB WA 2 635th 1951-02 L-32 P-31 Williams Bay WI 2 755th 1951-?? ?? P-14 Saint Albans VT 2 764th 1951-09 L-3 P-34 Empire MI 2 752nd 1951-?? P-21 Lockport NY 2 763rd 1951-09 L-19 P-13 Brunswick ME 2 654th 1951-10 L-4 P-38 Mill Valley CA 2 666th 1951-10 L-38 P-30 Benton PA 2 648th 1951-10 P-58 Mather AFB CA 2 668th 1951-?? L-37 Keesler AFB MS 2 Training Sets CPS-6B Radar Set CPS-6 Combo Radar Element Value Notes Nomenclature CPS-6B Origins Variants CPS-6 CPS-6A Manufacturer General Electric Corporation Type Combo Number Made IEEE Band S Band Frequency 2700-3019 Mc PRF 600 or 300 Pulse Width 1 us at 600 pps 1 or 2 us at 300 pps Rotation Speed 0 to 15 rpm Continuous variable Power 900 kw peak 2 megw, peak EW Type 5586 and 5657 tunable magnetron QK-254 magnetron EW Range HF = 120 mi EW V-Beam = 150 mi EW S-Beam = 240 mi Altitude 40,000 ft Introduced B Model in the early to mid 1950s Stock Number 5840-249-6610 CPS-6B/FPS-10 Radar Set CPS-6B Components (edit list) Component Model Quantity Height Width Deep Weight Notes Antenna Assembly AS-451/CPS-6B 1 684 720 includes Arctic Tower and Bid Radar Set Group OA-345/CPS-6B 1 60 51.5 31 Receiver-Transmitter Group OA-126/CPS-6B 2 59 45 24 Receiver-Transmitter Group OA-127/CPS-6B 2 59 45 24 Receiver Transmitter Group OA-128/CPS-6B 1 59 45 24 Radar Modulator MD-98/CPS-6B 1 43 34 34 824 Radar Modulator MD-99/CPS-6B 1 43 34 34 710 Relay Assembly RE-76/CPS-6B 1 60 36 12 Motor Generator PU-178/CPS-6B 1 19 24 54 Motor Generator PU-179/CPS-6B 1 14.35 13.35 25.35 Control Power Supply Group OA-103/CPS-6B 1 72 24 24 377 Power Supply PP-415/CPS-6B 1 30 29 40 Indicator Group OA-97/CPS-6B 5 42 21 43 394 Indicator Group OA-98/CPS-6B 4 42 21 43 500 Indicator Group OA-99/CPS-6B 10 42 21 43 Indicator Group OA-100/CPS-6B 1 42 21 43 362 Blanker-Indicator Group OA-101/CPS-6B 1 72 24 24 352 Antenna Control Group OA-110/CPS-6B 1 42 40 30 Calibrator Generator Group OA-96/CPS- 6B 1 72 24 24 219 Mixer-Blanker MX-918/CPS-6B 1 72 24 24 259 Moving Target Indicator Group OA-121/CPS-6B 1 72 24 24 Control Monitor Group OA-331/CPS-6B 1 72 24 24 Power Supply PP-415/CPS-6B 1 27 24 24 Power Control Group OA-122/CPS-6B 1 72 24 24 Plotting Board PT-105/CPS-6B 2 114 46 108 Plotting Table PT-104/CPS-6B 2 38 36.5 34 Radome Pressure Control Unit 1 Telephone System 1 Diesel Power Unit (GFE) 3 See Also: FPS-10 US Radar Sets 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 75-76 MIL-HDBK-162A, 15 Dec 1965. Links: Radomes - Radar Equipment