|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{SocialNetworks}}
| | #REDIRECT[[RCAF Station Falconbridge]] |
| {{PageHeader}}
| |
| '''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1952-1993) - A [[Cold War]] [[Pinetree Line]] Canadian Forces Radar Station first established in 1952 near Falconbridge, Ontario as [[RCAF Station Falconbridge]]. Initially manned by the 33 AC&W Squadron and assigned a site ID of C-9. On 10 Aug 1967 the base was renamed [[CFS Falconbridge]]. Closed in 1985.
| |
| | |
| {|{{FWpicframe}}
| |
| |- valign="top"
| |
| |width="50%"|[[File:Falconbridge CFS Gate Shack.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Former Falconbridge CFS Gate Shacks.]]
| |
| |width="50%"|[[File:Falconbridge CFS Officers' - Transient barracks.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Former Falconbridge Officers' and Transient Quarters.]]
| |
| |-
| |
| |colspan="2"|[[File:Falconbridge CFS Consolidated Mess.jpg|795px|thumb|center|Former Falconbridge CFS Consolidated Mess Building.]]
| |
| |}
| |
| <!--{{NEAC}}-->
| |
| == Canadian Forces Station Falconbridge ==
| |
| Falconbridge was established in 1952 as a [[Pinetree Line]] radar site and became operational on 15 Aug 1952 manned by the 33 AC&W Squadron reporting to the No. 3 Air Defence Control Centre (ADCC), located at [[RCAF Station Edgar]]. No. 3 ADCC also coordinated the operations of:
| |
| * 32 AC&W Squadron at [[RCAF Station Foymount]]
| |
| * 33 AC&W Squadron at [[RCAF Station Falconbridge]]
| |
| * 34 AC&W Squadron at [[RCAF Station Senneterre]]
| |
| * 912 AC&W Squadron at USAF [[Ramore Air Station]]
| |
| | |
| {{AC&WMission}}
| |
| | |
| The original configuration of radar equipment included one [[FPS-3]] search radar and two [[ISG-98]] height-finders. The FPS-3 was mounted atop the four-story main operations building and the two ISG-98 height-finders were mounted on two separate towers flanking the main building. The ISF-98 height-finder antennas were designed to rotate synchronously with the [[FPS-3]] antenna providing two slant beams for height detection (they did not nod). Difficulties with the ISG-98 led to the installation of two [[TPS-501]] height-finders on the sides of the main building.
| |
| | |
| On 19 Jan 1956, the two ISG-98s were dismantled and one stored in each of the separate towers. The two TPS-501s were then moved from the main building onto the separate towers. The ISG-98s were shipped back to the depot on 4 Apr 1956.
| |
| | |
| The height-finder saga continued with the installation of a separate FPS-6 height-finder tower and the acceptance of an FPS-6 height-finder radar on 5 Oct 1956. Blanking issues initially led to some problems but they were resolved. A second FPS-6 tower and radar set were installed and the TPS-501s were removed. This second tower was completed with a radome on 8 Oct 1960 and the [[FPS-507]] (Canadian version of [[FPS-6]]) was accepted on 2 Nov 1960.
| |
| | |
| The FPS-3 search radar was modified, became an [[FPS-508]] (Canadian version of [[FPS-20]]), and was accepted for service on 3 May 1960. On 6 Sep 1960 the Mark X IFF equipment was changed out for new the GPA-501 (SIF) equipment.
| |
| | |
| With the changes implemented in 1960, the site radar equipment was prepared and configured for the coming [[SAGE System]] operation.
| |
| == [[SAGE System]] ==
| |
| In 1962 a SAGE Annex building was constructed at the rear of the main operations building and the [[FST-2|FST-2B]] was installed in preparation for SAGE operation. In 1963 Falconbridge was declared [[SAGE System]] ready and the unit designation was changed to 33 Radar Squadron in 1964. As a SAGE radar site, the unit reported to the 23 NORAD Region in Duluth, Minnesota, [[Duluth SAGE Direction Center DC-10]], but their data was also fed to the [[North Bay SAGE Direction Center DC-31]].
| |
| | |
| In March 1972, a detachment of the Air Weapons Control and Countermeasures School (AWC&CS) located in North Bay was established at Falconbridge CFS. The school taught the TQ-3 level Air Defence Technicians Course.
| |
| | |
| With the SAGE System deactivation in 1983, the Falconbridge radar site became part of the Canada East ROCC, which was declared fully operational in August 1984.
| |
| | |
| The Squadron was deactivated in December 1985 and the site closed on 1 Nov 1986.
| |
| | |
| {| class="wikitable" width="100%"
| |
| |+ Falconbridge Major Equipment List
| |
| |-
| |
| !Search Radar
| |
| !HF Radar
| |
| !Data Systems
| |
| !Comm
| |
| !Scopes
| |
| !IFF/SIF
| |
| | |
| |-
| |
| | valign="top" |
| |
| * [[FPS-3]] 1952
| |
| * [[FPS-508]] 1960
| |
| | valign="top" |
| |
| * [[ISG-98]] 1952
| |
| * [[TPS-501]] 1955
| |
| * [[FPS-6]] 1956
| |
| * [[FPS-507]] 1960
| |
| | valign="top" |
| |
| * [[FST-2|FST-2/A/B]] 1963
| |
| * [[FYQ-47]] 1970s
| |
| | valign="top" |
| |
| | valign="top" |
| |
| | valign="top" |
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| {| class="wikitable" width="75%"
| |
| |+ Unit Designations
| |
| |-
| |
| |
| |
| * 1 Oct 1952 - 33 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron
| |
| * 1964 - 33 Radar Squadron
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| {| class="wikitable" width="75%"
| |
| |+ 33 AC&W Squadron Assignments
| |
| |-
| |
| |
| |
| * 15 Aug 1952 - Assigned No. 209 RCAF Radio Station Falconbridge.
| |
| * 1 Oct 1952 - Designated as 33 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron, RCAF Station Falconbridge.
| |
| * 1964 - Designated 33 Radar Squadron assigned to 23 NORAD Region, Duluth, Minnesota.
| |
| * Aug 1984 - Assigned to Canada East ROCC.
| |
| * Dec 1985 - Ceased operations.
| |
| * 1 Nov 1986 - Falconbridge closed.
| |
| |}
| |
| {{CFSFalconbridgeCmdrs}}
| |
| == Physical Plant ==
| |
| [[File:Falconbridge CFS Female Bks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Former Falconbridge Female Quarters.]]
| |
| [[File:Falconbridge CFS Fire Hall.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Former Falconbridge Fire Hall.]]
| |
| [[File:Falconbridge CFS Motor Pool.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Former Falconbridge Motor Pool.]]
| |
| The physical plant of the site was divided into the main site, a cantonment area, a housing area, and radio sites. The main site was located on a hill and housed a large four story operations buildings, two flanking radar towers and later two separate radar towers, and a SAGE building. The cantonment area below housed the enlisted barracks, the bachelor officer's quarters, the orderly room, a combined mess, the motor pool, and other support buildings. Apart from the main site but adjacent to the cantonment area was a 101 unit housing area for married personnel and a small trailer park. Initially, a radio transmitter site and a separate radio receiver site were located on/near the main site. The [[SAGE System]] required a separate Ground to Air Transmitter/Receiver (GATR) radio site and that was located near the airport. It housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts from the [[SAGE System]].
| |
| [[File:Falconbridge CFS Main Plan.png|thumb|center|796px|CFS Falconbridge Main Site Composite Plan]]
| |
| {{Clr}}
| |
| == Current Status ==
| |
| [[File:Falconbridge CFS Housing-1.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Former Falconbridge CFS Housing Units.]]
| |
| [[File:Falconbridge CFS Main Site Gate (1).jpg|thumb|left|300px|Locked Gate on the Road to the Former Falconbridge CFS Main Site (now leveled).]]
| |
| Private property. The main site demolished and leveled. The cantonment site has some buildings in use by a development company but the remainder is boarded up. The housing area is in use with some units upgraded. The road to the main site is chained and locked.
| |
| {{Clr}}
| |
| ----
| |
| {|
| |
| |
| |
| <googlemap version="0.9" lat="46.62611" lon="-80.84333" zoom="14" width="-500" height="-500" scale="yes" overview="yes" controls="large" icons="http://www.fortwiki.com/mapicons/icon{label}.png">
| |
| (G) 46.62524, -80.76968, GATR Site
| |
| (O) 46.62627, -80.8439, Operations
| |
| (C) 46.63188, -80.84978, Cantonment Area
| |
| (H) 46.63111, -80.84488, Housing Area
| |
| (R) 46.62611, -80.84333, Falconbridge
| |
| (1952-1985)
| |
| </googlemap>
| |
| |valign="top"|
| |
| '''Location:''' Falconbridge, Ontario, Canada.
| |
| | |
| {{Mapit-US-cityscale|46.62611|-80.84333}}
| |
| * Elevation: ...'
| |
| |valign="top"|
| |
| <br>
| |
| '''GPS Locations:'''
| |
| * {{GPSLinkLong|Lat=46.62524|Lon=-80.76968}} GATR Site
| |
| * {{GPSLinkLong|Lat=46.62627|Lon=-80.8439}} Operations
| |
| * {{GPSLinkLong|Lat=46.63188|Lon=-80.84978}} Cantonment Area
| |
| * {{GPSLinkLong|Lat=46.63111|Lon=-80.84488}} Housing Area
| |
| * {{GPSLinkLong|Lat=46.62611|Lon=-80.84333}} Falconbridge
| |
| | |
| |}
| |
| | |
| '''See Also:'''
| |
| * [[Permanent System Radar Sites]]
| |
| * [[US Radar Sets]]
| |
| * [[Pinetree Line]]
| |
| * [[SAGE System]]
| |
| | |
| '''Sources:'''
| |
| * {{BussLydus}}.
| |
| | |
| '''Links:'''
| |
| * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFS_Falconbridge Wikipedia - CFS Falconbridge]
| |
| * [http://militarybruce.com/edgar-a-cold-war-relic/ Military Bruce - RCAF Station Edgar]]
| |
| * [http://www.c-and-e-museum.org/Pinetreeline/photos/photo15.html C & E Museum - CFS Falconbridge Photos]
| |
| * [http://www.c-and-e-museum.org/Pinetreeline/other/other15.html C & E Museum - CFS Falconbridge History]
| |
| {{Visited|29 Jun 2016}}
| |
| | |
| __NOTOC__
| |
| {{PageFooter}}
| |
| [[Category:All]] | | [[Category:All]] |
| [[Category:Ontario All]] | | [[Category:Ontario All]] |
| [[Category:Ontario Radar Sites]] | | [[Category:Ontario Radar Sites]] |
| [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
| |
| [[Category:2016 Research Trip]]
| |
| [[Category:Canadian Radar Sites]] | | [[Category:Canadian Radar Sites]] |
| [[Category:Pinetree Line Radar Sites]] | | [[Category:Pinetree Line Radar Sites]] |
| [[Category:SAGE Sites]]
| |
| [[Category:Starter Page]] | | [[Category:Starter Page]] |
| [[Category:FPS-3]]
| |
| [[Category:FPS-6]]
| |
| [[Category:TPS-501]]
| |
| [[Category:FPS-507]]
| |
| [[Category:FPS-508]]
| |
| [[Category:ISG-98]]
| |
| [[Category:FST-2]]
| |
| [[Category:FYQ-47]]
| |