Bedford Air Force Station
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Bedford Air Force Station (1956-1975) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1956 near Bedford, Bedford County, Virginia. Named Bedford Air Force Station after the location. Initially assigned a Permanent ID of M-121, later a Sage ID of Z-121. Abandoned by the Air Force in 1975 and part assumed by the FFA. History of Bedford Air Force StationEstablished late in 1954 and became operational in 1956 as Bedford Air Force Station manned by the 649th AC&W Squadron. The Air Force Station straddled the line between Bedford County and Botetourt County near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning misssion. The early warning 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 the MPS-11 search radar and an MPS-8 height finder radar. SAGE TransitionThe 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. The site began operation as a SAGE site in 1959 initially feeding the Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04. By 1958 the search radar was upgraded to an FPS-20A and two FPS-6 height finder radars had been added in preparation for SAGE System operation. In 1960 the site also began performing air traffic control duties for the FAA. The FPS-20A was later upgraded to an FPS-67 in 1963. One FPS-6 height finder was removed in 1968. ClosureBedford AFS and the 649th were deactivated on 30 June 1975 and parts of the site were transferred to the FAA. Physical PlantThe physical plant of the site was divided into a 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 Falcon Terrace, a small 27 unit housing area for married personnel. A separate Ground to Air Transmitter/Receiver (GATR) radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts.
Current StatusAbandoned in Bedford, Bedford County, Virginia.
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