Klamath Air Force Station

Klamath Air Force Station (1950-1981) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1950 near Klamath, Del Norte County, California. Named Klamath Air Force Station after the location. Initially assigned a Lash-Up ID of LP-33 and then later a Permanent ID of P-33, a Sage ID of Z-33 and a JSS ID of J-83. Manned by the 777th AC&W Squadron that later became the 777th Radar Squadron (SAGE). Abandoned by USAF in 1979 and turned over to the FAA. Also known as Requa Air Force Station. History Established in 1950 and became operational in April 1952 as Klamath Air Force Station manned by the 777th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and 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. The Lash-up site operated the TPS-1B combination search and height-finder radar as early as April 1951. The permanent site initial equipment included the FPS-3 search radar and FPS-4 height-finder radar became operational in April 1952. In 1956 a GPS-3 was added to the facility. By 1958 the configuration included an FPS-20A search radar and an FPS-6 height-finder. In 1959 an FPS-6A height-finder radar was added and that established the initial configuration for SAGE operation, one long-range search radar, and two height-finders. SAGE 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 Adair AFS SAGE Direction Center DC-13 The site began operation as a SAGE System radar site in 1960 initially feeding the Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13. Klamath AFS Direction Centers & Sectors Assigned Direction Center Sector 6 Feb 1952 - 1 Mar-1959 Hamilton Manual Direction Center P-48 28th AD 1 Mar 1959 - 1 Mar 1960 McChord Manual Direction Center P-4 25th AD 1 Mar 1960 - 1 Apr 1966 Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 Portland ADS 1 Apr 1966 - 15 Sep 1969 Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 26th AD 15 Sep 1969 - 1 Oct 1979 McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12 25th AD By the end of 1961, the FPS-20A had been upgraded and redesignated as an FPS-66. By 1966 there was an FPS-27 long-range search radar in place, and a FPS-26A height-finder radar in operation there. A FYQ-47 Common Digitizer was probably placed in service by February 1973 when the USAF/FAA FST-2 to FYQ-47 replacement program was completed. The site came under TAC jurisdiction beginning in 1979. In the 1980s much property was turned over to the National Park Service. The operations area became an FAA/USAF joint-use facility. In 1995, the FAA-operated a FPS-66A search set from the former FPS-27 tower. Closure Klamath AFS and the 777th were deactivated in 1981 but some specific functions were maintained by Air Force personnel operating as an Operating Location (OL). Gap Fillers Klamath AFS was responsible for the maintenance of one 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 Klamath AFS gap-filler radar was located at Capetown, California. Klamath AFS Gap Filler Radar Sites (edit list) ADC NORAD Location State Type From To GPS Notes P-33A Z-33A Capetown CA FPS-14, FST-1 1958-01 1967-12 40.44455, -124.39099 Building exists but damaged Physical Plant File:Klamath AFS Composite Plan.png Klamath AFS Composite Plan. The physical plant of the site was divided into the main site, a cantonment area, a housing area, and a radio site. The main site housed the operations buildings, the radar towers, and the backup generators. The cantonment area housed the enlisted barracks, the bachelor officer's quarters, the orderly room, the dining hall, the motor pool, and other support buildings. Apart from the main site was a small 27 unit housing area for critical married personnel. The housing area had five, fourplex buildings for enlisted family quarters, three duplex officer's quarters and the commanding officer's quarters for a total of 27 housing units. A separate radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts. Like most early radar stations, Klamath originally had a radio transmitter site and a separate radio receiver site used by local controllers for voice direction of fighter interceptors to their targets. With the SAGE System, the SAGE Direction centers had the primary task of directing intercepts and the local radio sites were reconfigured, usually into a single site that was known as the Ground to Air Transmitter Receiver (GATR) site. The GATR site communicated with the interceptors from either the local site or the SAGE direction center via voice commands and/or a digital data link. The Klamath GATR site was consolidated into the former receiver site at the northeast end of the site. The vacant transmitter building became the commissary building after modifications and additions. Klamath AFS Major Equipment List Search Radar HF Radar Data Systems FPS-3 GPS-3 FPS-20 FPS-27 FPS-64A FPS-66A FPS-14 GF FPS-4 FPS-6 FPS-6A FPS-9 FPS-26A FPS-116 FST-2/A/B FYQ-47 FST-1 GF Unit Designations 777th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron (1951-1960) 777th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (1960-1981) 777th Assignments 1 Jan 1951 - Assigned at Klamath AFS, CA, assigned to 542nd AC&W Gp. 6 Feb 1952 - Transferred to 28th AD. (Hamilton Manual Direction Center P-48) 1 Mar 1959 - Transferred to 25th AD. (McChord Manual Direction Center P-4) 1 Mar 1960 - Transferred to Portland ADS. (Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13) 15 Jul 1960 - Redesignated from AC&W Sq to 777th Radar Sq (SAGE). 1 Apr 1966 - Transferred to 26th AD. (Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13) 15 Sep 1969 - Reassigned to 25th AD. (McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12) 1 Oct 1979 - Transferred to FAA. Klamath Air Force Station Partial Commanders List (edit list) Assumed Relieved Rank Name Cullum Notes 1954~ 1956~ Major Cassidy, Edward G. N/A 1959-08~ 1961-01-03 Major Cahill, Robert J. N/A 1961-01-03 Major Easley, Frank N/A 1962~ 1964-04~ Major/Lt Colonel Lawrence, Keith L. N/A 1964-04~ 1967-06-12~ Lt Colonel Cavalli, Ralph L. N/A 1967-06-12~ 1969-05~ Major King, Robert E. N/A 1969-04~ 1970-11 Major Mays, Glenn E. N/A 1970-11~ Captain Kelly, Wilfred L. N/A 1975~ Major Zsedeny, Garnett J. N/A Source is Newspaper Accounts Note: Reported dates overlap and may be incorrect or reflect periods of intermittent temporary command. Current Status Abandoned in Klamath, Del Norte County, California. Klamath AFS Structures (edit list) Number Building Exists Notes 1 Base Flagpole 1951 Cost $500 3 Radar Tower No 1951 10 Civil Engineer Covered Storage No 98 Radar Tower FPS-27 No 1963-2003 Cost $387,079 4 Story Bldg 99 Radar Tower FPS-26A No 1962-? Cost $248,638 100 Operations No 1950-? Cost ? 101 Water Pump House & Treatment Bldg 1951 Cost $44,061 102 1951 - Power house 1960 - Squadron HQ 1964 - Classroom 1967 - Unit Supply No 1951-2003 103 1025 Water Tank No 1951 Cost $10,000 104 Radar Tower FPS-3 (AB199A) No 1952-???? Vacated 1964 Base Supply 1964 FPS-27A Radar Tower 1977 FPS-64A RadarTower 1979 Radar Tower FPS-116 105 TELCO/Storage Yes 1955 106 Supply/Admin No 1951-2003 107 Transmitter Building No 1951-? Cost $29,475.31 108 Bachelor Officer's Quarters (BOQ) No Cost $30,833.94 109 Auto Maint Admin No 1960 110 Air Police No 110 Auto Hobby Shop 1971 Cost $20,843.50 112 Base HQ 1951 BOQ 1953 BAQ 1962 No 1951 Cost $42,354.56 113 Gate Shack No 1951 114 Receiver Bldg 1951 GATR Bldg 1960 No Cost $23, 430.34 116 Chapel No 118 Guard House - Secure Area No 1958 Cost $1,197.81 116 MARS Radio Bldg No 1952 Cost $2,114.86 117 Ammo Storage 1953 Base Oil and Grease Storage 1960 No 1953-1960~ 118 Tech Training 1955 Squadron HQ 1961 Base Exchange 1965 No Cost $15,799.20 120 Power Plant (2 Story) No 1960 121 Fuel Pump Station (Power Station) No 1960 Cost $12,041 150 Receiver Bldg GATR Bldg No 1960 Rx moved to 114 in 1975 198 PX/Gym/NCO Club No 1956 199 Bowling Alley 1962 Tennis Court 1954 No 200 NCO Bachelor Qtrs 1951 C Barracks Multi-purpos No 1951 201 Hobby Shop 1953 NCO Club 1964 Multi-purpose Rec 1965 No Cost $12,262.76 202 NCO Bachelor Quarters 1951 B Barracks No 208 NCO Bachelor Quarters 1951 A Barracks No Cost $44,965.39 210 Airmen’s Dining Hall No 1957 Cost $71,352.81 212 Administration and Recreation Supply 1952 Squadron HQ 1960 Multi-Purpose Rec Bldg No 1952 213 Base Supply and Equipment Warehouse Recr Workshop No 1953 Cost $8,725.23 214 Central Heating Plant No 1951 Cost $40,593.00 215 Above Ground Pool & Bath House No 1974 Cost $30,942 (pool); $12,052.60 (bath house 217 Base Engineer Maintenance Shop No 1955 Cost $19,349.96 218 Motor Pool No 1960 Cost $22,275 301 Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex No 1961 Cost $58,731.75 302 Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex No 1961 Cost $58,731.75 303 Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex No 1961 Cost $58,731.75 304 Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex No 1961 Cost $58,731.75 305 Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex No ? 310 Officer’s Family Housing, Duplex No 1961 Cost $38,955 311 Officer’s Family Housing, Duplex No 1961 Cost $38,955 312 Officer’s Family Housing, Duplex No 1961 Cost $38,955 313 Commanding Officer’s Quarters No 1961 Cost $31,915.35 1000 Base Diesel Fuel Storage 43,000 gallons No 1962 Cost $7.000 1024 Water Tank 75,000 gallons No 1959 Cost $17.988.59 1025 Water Tank 75,000 gallons No 1951 Cost $10,000 1030 Navaid Tower No 1950 or 1951 1031 Radar Tower FPS-90 No Cost $40,000 {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Near Klamath in Del Norte County, California. Maps & Images Lat: 41.55917 Long: -124.08611 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 784' GPS Locations: 41.55917, -124.08611 Operations Area 41.56061, -124.08388 GATR Site 41.55910, -124.08760 Cantonment 41.55916, -124.08961 Enlisted Housing 41.55984, -124.09080 Officer Housing 41.55718, -124.08687 Main Gate 41.55892, -124.08814 Remaining Structure TELCO See Also: SAGE System JSS System Permanent System Radar Sites US Radar Sets Hamilton Manual Direction Center P-48 McChord Manual Direction Center P-4 Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12 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 167. 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 102. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 2086561 Links: Radomes - Klamath Air Force Station Wikipedia - Klamath Air Force Station Visited: 9 May 2018