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Oklahoma City Air Force Station (1951-1983) - A Cold War Air Force Station first established in 1951 near Tinker AFB, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Named Oklahoma City Air Force Station after the location. Several air defense facilites were built at the Air Force Station including radar site P-52 and a Manual Air-Defense Control Center P-86. The radar site was initially assigned a Permanent ID of P-52 and later a Sage ID of Z-52. The Manual Air-Defense Control Center was initially assigned a Permanent ID of P-86 and later MCC-11.
The Air Force Station was merged into nearby Tinker Air Force Base in 1983.
History of Oklahoma City Air Force Station
Established on 1 May 1951 as Oklahoma City Air Force Station manned by the 746th 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 two FPS-10 search radars and added an FPS-6 height finder radar in 1958.
The 33rd Air Division Headquarters moved to Oklahoma City AFS on 8 May 1956 and activated a Manual Air-Defense Control Center (ADCC), P-86. The ADCC controlled Air Defense Command (ADC) interceptor aircraft in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. The Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector (OCADS) was established on 1 Jan 1960 as a manual ADS, without a SAGE blockhouse. OCADS continued the Manual Air-Defense Control Center role and added additional AC&W radar sites as did the successor headquarters, all at Oklahoma City AFS. This operation of the P-52 radar site and the manual control center (P-86 and MCC-11) continued until discontinued in 1968.
Headquarters at Oklahoma City Air Force Station
- 1 Feb 1953 33rd Air Division.
- 1 Jan 1960 Oklahoma City ADS.
- 1 Sep 1961 4752nd Air Defense Wing.
- 25 Jun 1963 Oklahoma City ADS.
- 1 Apr 1966 31st Air Division.
- 8 Sep 1968 discontinued.
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The physical plant of the site was divided into a main site and a cantonment area. 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.
Oklahoma City AFS Major Equipment List
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HF Radar
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Data Systems
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- FPS-10 (2)
- FPS-67
- FPS-67B
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Unit Designations
- 746th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron (1951-1968)
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746th Assignments
- 1 Feb 1953 activated at Tinker AFB, OK, as the 33rd Air Division.
- Summer 1956 moved to Oklahoma City AFS, OK.
- 1 Jan 1960 transferred to Oklahoma City ADS.
- 1 Sep 1961 transferred to 4752nd Air Defense Wing.
- 25 Jun 1963 transferred to Oklahoma City ADS.
- 1 Apr 1966 reassigned to 31st Air Division.
- 8 Sep 1968 discontinued.
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Current Status
Active military installation now part of Tinker AFB, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. The FAA still operates a data tied JSS radar site at this location. Other tenant organizations occupy parts of the site.
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Location: Tinker AFB in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.
Maps & Images
Lat: 35.40333 Long: -97.35778
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- Elevation: .....'
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See Also:
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 98.
- 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 148.
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