BUIC System

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Map Point Legend

2 = BUIC II Sites

3 = BUIC III Sites

BUIC System History

The need for a backup system for the SAGE System Direction Centers became apparent even before SAGE was fully implemented. In June 1961 the Department of Defense issued a directive to establish such a system in two phases. The system came to be known as the BackUp Intercept Control (BUIC) system. The first phase, BUIC I, returned to the pre-SAGE system of decentralized manual intercept control for backup. The second phase, BUIC II, was to be the establishment of automated intercept control facilities that could partially assume the role of a SAGE direction center if it were disabled. Limitations of the second phase led to the establishment of a third phase, BUIC III, that was approved by DoD on 30 Nov 1964.

BUIC I

BUIC I created a system from the existing radar sites that grouped them into NORAD Control Center (NCC) sites, Ground Control Intercept (GCI) sites and surveillance sites. BUIC I was to have 27 manual NCCs that could each take command of the airspace in the event that a SAGE direction center was incapacitated and an adjacent SAGE direction center could not assume control. The GCI stations were equipped to run manual intercepts and the surveillance sites fed track data to the NCCs and to the GCI sites. The BUIC I System was in place by the end of 1962.

BUIC II

--TBF--

BUIC III

--TBF--

Deactivation

--TBF-- Sources:

• Searle, Lloyd V.; Rosove, Perry E.; Sydow, Eugene H. , Systems Management Applied to Large Computer Programs in BUIC III; Review of Experience, USAF Air Force Systems Command, Jun 1969, Prepared under Contract No. F19628-67-C-0026 by System Development Corporation, Pdf

See Also:

SAGE System JSS System

Permanent System Radar Sites US Radar Sets

North Warning System Defense Installations Portal

BUIC II & III Sites (edit list)

Site	Type	State	Unit	ID	BUIC II	BUIC III	Deactive	GPS	Notes
Calumet	AFS	MI	665th AD Gp	Z-016	1965-00-00	1969-10-00	1974-01-01	47.37111, -88.17056
Charleston	AFS	ME	765th AD Gp	Z-065	1966-03-01	1969-12-00	1974-01-01	45.09167, -69.095
Fortuna	AFS	ND	780th AD Gp	Z-027	1966-03-01	1969-00-00	1974-01-01	48.90389, -103.86667
Fallon	AFS	NV	858thAD Gp	Z-156	1966-04-01	196?-00-00	1974-01-01	39.40528, -118.72206
Havre	AFS	MT	778th AD Gp	Z-025	1966-04-01	196?-00-00	1974-01-01	48.88083, -109.945
Keno	AFS	OR	827th AD Gp	Z-180	1966-03-01	196?-00-00	1977-00-00	42.06889, -121.97222
Mount Laguna	AFS	CA	751st AD Gp	Z-076	1966-04-01	196?-00-00	1974-01-01	32.87667, -116.415
North Truro	AFS	MA	762nd AD Gp	Z-010	1965-09-01	1968-00-00	1974-01-01	42.03149, -70.05329
Port Austin	AFS	MI	754th Radar Sqdn	Z-061	1965-00-00	1968-00-00	1970-01-15	44.03028, -83.00167	Lost BUIC III Status 1970
Tyndall	AFS	FL	678th AD Gp	Z-198	1966-04-01	1968-03-07	1983-03-01	30.0760296, -85.61064	BUIC III Tng Site
Keesler	AFB	MS	Tech Training		1965-00-00	1968-00-00		30.401932, -88.923234	Maint Training Bryan Hall
Blaine	AFS	WA	757th Radar Sqdn	Z-046	1966-03-01		1969-00-00	48.91333, -122.73444
Finland	AFS	MN	756th Radar Sqdn	Z-069	1966-04-01		1969-00-00	47.45361, -91.2375
Cape Charles	AFS	VA	771st Radar Sqdn	Z-056	1966-03-01			37.13278, -75.95306
Montauk	AFS	NY	773rd Radar Sqdn	Z-045	1966-04-01			41.0675, -71.90556
Palermo	AFS	NJ	770th Radar Sqdn	Z-054	1965-00-00			39.22194, -74.68722
Fort Fisher	AFS	NC	701st AD Gp	Z-115		1969-00-00	1974-01-01	33.99, -77.91833
Othello	AFS	WA	637th AD Gp	Z-040		196?-00-00	1974-01-01	46.72139, -119.18
Baudette	AFS	MN	692nd AD Gp	Z-132		1968-00-00	1974-01-01	48.66992, -94.62081
Saint Margarets	RCAF	NB	21 Radar Sqdn	C-5		1969-01-01	1983-07-19	46.909167, -65.209167	BUIC II Manual BUIC III
Senneterre	RCAF	QC	34 Radar Sqdn	C-8		1968-12-01	1973-00-00	48.36195, -77.22271	BUIC II Manual BUIC III