GPA-37

GPA-37 Course Directing Group - A Weapons Directing Analog Computer system built by General Electric Corporation, Heavy Military Electronic Equipment Department at Syracuse in conjunction with Air Research and Development Command Rome Air Development Center and the Electronics Research Laboratories of Columbia University. Established at ten Air Force long-range radar sites in the late 1950s to automate the manual Ground Control Intercept (GCI) mission against Soviet Manned Bomber attacks with the U.S. Army NIKE Missile Master System. An additional system was established at Keesler, Air Force Base for training. An additional sixteen sites were identified to provide a backup to SAGE direction centers. The GPA-37 had three major component groups: GPA-37 Major Component Groups Nomenclature Name Function GPA-23 Computing-Tracking Group The main component of this group is the GPA-23 Weapons Control Console which allows a single controller to manage six intercepts on a single console. GPA-34 Converter Group Controls the interface between the GPA-23 and the GKA-1. GKA-1 Flight Control Group Provides automatic data and voice communications between the site and F-102A and F-106 supersonic interceptors. With all three major groups the weapons controller could direct the interceptor aircraft directly to the target with computer commands (Automatic Intercept) or voice commands (Manual Intercept). Post SAGE Implementation The implementation of the SAGE system brought fears that the loss of one or two Direction Centers could open up wide expanses of the country to attack and a number of Radar stations were selected to receive the GPA-37s as a backup system. From the Jan-Jun 1961 NORAD/CONAD History: "When work on a plan for emergency backup to SAGE was begun in mid-1960, NORAD asked USAF ADC to put a freeze order on the scheduled release of GPA-37's to the ground stations. This manual control equipment would be needed in the expanded Mode III operation: Following the November 1960 meeting of NORAD region and headquarters officers on the backup plan, NORAD trimmed its requirement to 16 stations, thus enabling GEEIA to begin removal of GPA-37's where they were not needed. At the same time, NORAD asked that GPA-37's be re-installed in two stations. Additional guidance was provided the regions in early 1961 on the retaining of plotting boards, air ground transceivers, and other manual equipment. In May 1961, USAF ADC recommended that the GPA-37 program be reduced to GPA-23's. NORAD's initial reaction was to disagree, and to insist that the original program now incorporated in the 10 April Manual Backup Plan be adhered to. However, subsequent strong assurance by ADC that the GPA-23 proposal would afford equal operational capability at considerably less expense, changed HORAD's point of view. On 29 June, NORAD concurred in the substitution of the GPA- 23's for the GPA-37's." GPA-37 Partial Site List (edit list) No Site State Unit ID Function From To GPS Notes 1 Fort Lawton AFS WA 635th RP-01 NCC-MM 1960 1960 47.6575, -122.41306 2 Gibbsboro AFS NJ 772nd RP-63 NCC-MM 39.82417, -74.95444 3 Fort Heath RS MA 820th MM-1 NCC-MM 42.38889, -70.96944 MM-1 4 Arlington Heights AFS IL 755th RP-31 NCC-MM 42.06431, -87.99556 MM-4 Originally at Williams Bay 5 San Pedro Hill AFS CA 670th RP-39 NCC-MM 33.74611, -118.33611 6 Oakdale AFS PA 662nd RP-62 NCC-MM 40.39722, -80.16111 7 Fort Meade RS MD 770th RP-54 NCC-MM 39.11634, -76.72728 8 Highlands AFS NJ 646th P-09 NCC-MM 40.39139, -73.99389 Installed before 1 Jul 1958 9 Lockport AFS NY 763st P-21 NCC-MM 43.14028, -78.83472 Installed before 1 Jul 1958 10 Selfridge AFB MI 661st P-20 NCC-MM 42.62694, -82.82972 Installed before 1 Jul 1958 11 Othello AFS WA 637th P-40 1959 1960 46.72139, -119.18 John Stanton 1959-1960 12 Tyndall AFB FL 678th TM-189 Training 30.07603, -85.61064 Weapons Director Training Set Wayne Setzer 1958-1959 13 Thule AFB GL 931st G-32 76.40296, -68.72689 14 Saratoga Springs NY 656th P-50 43.01139, -73.6825 Richard Ryan 1958-1959 Arthur D Sampson 1958 Jim Mackin 1958-1961 James A. Engelmann 1958-1961 15 Fortuna AFS ND 780th P-27 48.90389, -103.86667 Russell 16 Lac St. Denis QC 11 AC&W C-2 1957-11 45.9375, -74.31139 GPA-23s Site History 17 Dauphin Island AL 693rd TM-196 30.25028, -88.07833 Pete J. O'Brien Sep 1958-Jun 1960 18 Texas Tower 2 MA 762nd 4604th TT-2 41.75, -67.76666 19 Murphy Dome AFS AK 744th F-02 NCC-MM (FSQ-34) 1960 1961 64.95194, -148.35681 Levi B. Norman Jr GPA-23 Console at Murphy Dome 20 Keesler AFB MS Training 30.40574, -88.9185 Maintenance Training Set John Stanton 1959 Course ATS 30372-10 AN/GPA-37 14 weeks 21 Jacksonville NAS RS FL 679th M-114 30.22861, -81.66778 Gary Heath 22 North Charleston SC 962nd M-113 1961 1964? 32.89556, -80.02222 Charles Jones 23 Lake Charles LA 812th TM-194 1960 30.18417, -93.17583 AIC Robert J.W. Powles 24 Rockport TX 813th TN-191 1959 1963 28.09167, -97.04583 A2C Leslie Nicholson 1-7/1963 AIC Harold G Seaman 12/1959-9/1961 Picture in paper May 1959 25 Naselle WA 759th P-57 1958 1959 46.42194, -123.79806 Note: * NCC-MM Indicates a GPA-37 within a NORAD Control Center co-located with U.S. Army Missile Master Center (NIKE). * Name in notes indicates person who worked on GPA-37 on this site. GPA-37 Course Directing Weapons Directing Element Value Notes Nomenclature GPA-37 Manufacturer General Electric Corporation, Heavy Military Electronic Equipment Department Type Course Directing Number Made Introduced GPA-23 Console, Capable of Controlling Six Intercepts. GPA-37 Components (edit list) Component Model Quantity Height Width Deep Weight Notes Computing Tracking Group GPA-23 Converter Group GPA-34 Flight Control Group GKA-1 See Also: SAGE System 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 MIL-HDBK-162A, 15 Dec 1965. Jan-Jun 1961 NORAD/CONAD History Pdf Links: Radomes - Radar Equipment Wikipedia - GPA-37