Las Cruces Air Force Station: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Las Cruces AFS - Ops Bldg Entrance.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Las Cruces AFS Former Operations Building Entrance.]] | [[File:Las Cruces AFS - Ops Bldg Entrance.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Las Cruces AFS Former Operations Building Entrance.]] | ||
[[File:Las Cruces AFS - 06.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Las Cruces AFS Cantonment Street, Barracks at Far End.]] | [[File:Las Cruces AFS - 06.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Las Cruces AFS Cantonment Street, Barracks at Far End.]] | ||
Established 1 Dec 1954 and operational in 1955 as Las Cruces Air Force Station manned by the 685th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning misssion. The early warnng mission involved tracking and identifing 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 search radar. In the next two years equipment additions and deletions included MPS-8 height finder, TPS- 1D, and a MPS-14 height finder but by 1958 the site was operating an FPS-20 search radar and a MPS-14 height finder. | Established 1 Dec 1954 and operational in 1955 as Las Cruces Air Force Station manned by the 685th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning misssion. The early warnng mission involved tracking and identifing 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]] search radar. In the next two years equipment additions and deletions included [[MPS-8]] height finder, [[TPS- 1D]], and a [[MPS-14]] height finder but by 1958 the site was operating an [[FPS-20]] search radar and a [[MPS-14]] height finder. | ||
Las Cruces AFS was responsible for the maintenance of four remote unattended gap filler radar sites. The gap filler sites were placed in locations where the main search radar lacked coverage. These sites sent digitized radar target data directly to a direction center. Maintenance teams were dispatched from Las Cruces AFS for regularly scheduled maintenance or when fault indicators suggested the site had problems. The Las Cruces AFS gap filler radars were located at El Paso, Texas; Columbus, New Mexico; Sierra Blanca, Texas and Gage, New Mexico. Two additional sites were planned but not built. | Las Cruces AFS was responsible for the maintenance of four remote unattended gap filler radar sites. The gap filler sites were placed in locations where the main search radar lacked coverage. These sites sent digitized radar target data directly to a direction center. Maintenance teams were dispatched from Las Cruces AFS for regularly scheduled maintenance or when fault indicators suggested the site had problems. The Las Cruces AFS gap filler radars were located at El Paso, Texas; Columbus, New Mexico; Sierra Blanca, Texas and Gage, New Mexico. Two additional sites were planned but not built. | ||
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|+ Las Cruces AFS Major Equipment List | |+ Las Cruces AFS Major Equipment List | ||
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* MPS-7 | * [[MPS-7]] | ||
* FPS-20 | * [[FPS-20]] | ||
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* MPS-14 | * [[MPS-14]] | ||
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* GPA-37 ? <!--Pre-SAGE Sites--> | * [[GPA-37]] ? <!--Pre-SAGE Sites--> | ||
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== Current Status == | == Current Status == | ||
Part of Dona Ana County Fairgrounds on I-10 west of Las Cruces in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. The MPS-14 height finder radar tower remains as does the operations building both repurposed. The FPS-20 tower is gone. Many of the cantonment buildings (and Quonset huts) remain and are repurposed as fairgrounds buildings. All of the 27 unit family housing area is gone, reportedly moved by the Air Force before the site closed. The MPS-14 tower is still recognizable from nearby I-10. | Part of Dona Ana County Fairgrounds on I-10 west of Las Cruces in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. The [[MPS-14]] height finder radar tower remains as does the operations building both repurposed. The [[FPS-20]] tower is gone. Many of the cantonment buildings (and Quonset huts) remain and are repurposed as fairgrounds buildings. All of the 27 unit family housing area is gone, reportedly moved by the Air Force before the site closed. The [[MPS-14]] tower is still recognizable from nearby I-10. | ||
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[[Category:USAF Radar Sites]] | [[Category:USAF Radar Sites]] | ||
[[Category:2015 Research Trip]] | [[Category:2015 Research Trip]] | ||
[[Category:MPS-7]] | |||
[[Category:FPS-20]] | |||
[[Category:MPS-14]] | |||
[[Category:GPA-37]] | |||
Revision as of 18:18, 18 February 2016
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Las Cruces Air Force Station (1954-1963) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1954 near Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Named Las Cruces Air Force Station after the location. Initially part of a mobile deployment but assigned a Permanent ID of M-95. Abandoned in 1963.
History of Las Cruces Air Force Station   Established 1 Dec 1954 and operational in 1955 as Las Cruces Air Force Station manned by the 685th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning misssion. The early warnng mission involved tracking and identifing 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 search radar. In the next two years equipment additions and deletions included MPS-8 height finder, TPS- 1D, and a MPS-14 height finder but by 1958 the site was operating an FPS-20 search radar and a MPS-14 height finder. Las Cruces AFS was responsible for the maintenance of four remote unattended gap filler radar sites. The gap filler sites were placed in locations where the main search radar lacked coverage. These sites sent digitized radar target data directly to a direction center. Maintenance teams were dispatched from Las Cruces AFS for regularly scheduled maintenance or when fault indicators suggested the site had problems. The Las Cruces AFS gap filler radars were located at El Paso, Texas; Columbus, New Mexico; Sierra Blanca, Texas and Gage, New Mexico. Two additional sites were planned but not built. The Air Force ordered the site shut down in March 1963 and operations ceased in April 1963. Las Cruces AFS and the 685th were deactivated 1 Aug 1963. The physical plant of the site was divided into a main site, a cantonment area, a housing area and a radio site. The main site housed the operations buildings, the two radar towers, and the backup generators. The nearby cantonment area housed the enlisted barracks, the bachelor officer's quarters, the orderly room, the dining hall, the motor pool and other support buildings. Most of the buildings in the cantonment area were postwar Quonset hut type buildings. Apart from the main site was a small 27 unit family housing area for critical married personnel. A separate Ground to Air Transmitter/Receiver (GATR) radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts.
Current StatusPart of Dona Ana County Fairgrounds on I-10 west of Las Cruces in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. The MPS-14 height finder radar tower remains as does the operations building both repurposed. The FPS-20 tower is gone. Many of the cantonment buildings (and Quonset huts) remain and are repurposed as fairgrounds buildings. All of the 27 unit family housing area is gone, reportedly moved by the Air Force before the site closed. The MPS-14 tower is still recognizable from nearby I-10.
See Also: Sources:
Visited: 2 Apr 2015
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