Klamath Air Force Station
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Klamath Air Force Station (1950-1981) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1950 near Klamath, Del Norte County, California. Named Klamath Air Force Station after the location. Initially assigned a Lash-Up ID of LP-33 and then later a Permanent ID of P-33, a Sage ID of Z-33 and a JSS ID of J-83. Manned by the 777th AC&W Squadron that later became the 777th Radar Squadron (SAGE). Abandoned by USAF in 1979 and turned over to the FAA. Also known as Requa Air Force Station. History of Klamath Air Force StationEstablished in 1950 and became operational in April 1952 as Klamath Air Force Station manned by the 777th AC&W Squadron. 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. The Lash-up site operated the TPS-1B combination search and height finder radar as early as April 1951. The permanent site initial equipment included the FPS-3 search radar and FPS-4 height finder radar became operational in April 1952. In 1956 a GPS-3 was added to the facility. By 1958 the configuration included a FPS-20A search radar and a FPS-6 height finder. In 1959 a FPS-6A height finder radar was added and that established the initial configuration for SAGE operation, one long range search radar and two height finders. 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. SAGE System OperationThe site began operation as a SAGE System radar site in 1960 initially feeding the [[Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13]]. |
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| Assigned | Direction Center | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 1960 - 1 Apr 1966 | Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 | Portland ADS |
| 1 Apr 1966 - 15 Sep 1969 | Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13 | 26th AD |
| 15 Sep 1969 - 1 Oct 1979 | McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12 | 25th AD |
By the end of 1961, the FPS-20A had been upgraded and redesignated as an FPS-66. By 1966 there was an AN/FPS-27 long range search radar in place, and a FPS-26A height finder radar in operation there. The site came under TAC jurisdiction beginning in 1979. In the 1980s much property was turned over to the National Park Service. The operations area became a FAA/USAF joint-use facility. In 1995, the FAA operated an AN/FPS-66A search set.
Gap Fillers
Klamath AFS was responsible for the maintenance of one remote unattended gap filler radar site. The unattended gap filler sites were placed in locations where the main search radar lacked coverage. These sites were equipped with short range FPS-14 or FPS-18 search radars and FST-1 Coordinate Data transmitters that sent digitized radar target data to a SAGE direction center and to the main radar site. Both the radar set and the FST-1 were dual channel to increase site up time. Maintenance teams were dispatched for regularly scheduled maintenance or when fault indicators on the FSW-1 remote monitoring equipment suggested the site had problems. The FSW-1 also allowed remote operation of specific functions such as channel changes for the radar and for the FST-1, it also allowed remote operation of the diesel generators at the gap filler site. The Klamath AFS gap filler radar was located at Capetown, California.
| ADC | NORAD | Location | State | Type | From | To | GPS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-33A | Z-33A | Capetown | CA | FPS-14, FST-1 | 1958-01 | 1967-12 | 40.44455, -124.39099 |
Building exists but damaged |
Closure
Klamath AFS and the 777th were deactivated in 1981.
Physical Plant
The 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 a small housing area for critical married personnel.
A separate radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts. Like most early radar stations, Klamath originally had a radio transmitter site and a separate radio receiver site used by local controllers for voice direction of fighter interceptors to their targets. With the SAGE System, the SAGE Direction centers had the primary task of directing intercepts and the local radio sites were reconfigured, usually into a single site that was known as the Ground to Air Transmitter Receiver (GATR) site. The GATR site communicated with the interceptors from either the local site or the SAGE direction center via voice commands and/or a digital data link.
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Current Status
Abandoned in Klamath, Del Norte County, California.
| Number | Building | Exists | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base Flagpole | 1951 Cost $500 | |
| 3 | Radar Tower | No | 1951 |
| 10 | Civil Engineer Covered Storage | No | |
| 98 | Radar Tower FPS-27 | No | 1963-2003 Cost $387,079 4 Story Bldg |
| 99 | Radar Tower FPS-26A | No | 1962-? Cost $248,638 |
| 100 | Operations | No | 1950-? Cost ? |
| 101 | Water Pump House & Treatment Bldg | 1951 Cost $44,061 | |
| 102 | 1951 - Power house 1960 - Squadron HQ 1964 - Classroom 1967 - Unit Supply |
No | 1951-2003 |
| 103 1025 |
Water Tank | No | 1951 Cost $10,000 |
| 104 | Radar Tower FPS-3 (AB199A) | No | 1952-???? Vacated 1964 Base Supply 1964 FPS-27A Radar Tower 1977 FPS-64A RadarTower 1979 Radar Tower FPS-116 |
| 105 | TELCO/Storage | Yes | 1955 |
| 106 | Supply/Admin | No | 1951-2003 |
| 107 | Transmitter Building | No | 1951-? Cost $29,475.31 |
| 108 | Bachelor Officer's Quarters (BOQ) | No | Cost $30,833.94 |
| 109 | Auto Maint Admin | No | 1960 |
| 110 | Air Police | No | |
| 110 | Auto Hobby Shop | 1971 Cost $20,843.50 | |
| 112 | Base HQ 1951 BOQ 1953 BAQ 1962 |
No | 1951 Cost $42,354.56 |
| 113 | Gate Shack | No | 1951 |
| 114 | Receiver Bldg 1951 GATR Bldg 1960 |
No | Cost $23, 430.34 |
| 116 | Chapel | No | |
| 118 | Guard House - Secure Area | No | 1958 Cost $1,197.81 |
| 116 | MARS Radio Bldg | No | 1952 Cost $2,114.86 |
| 117 | Ammo Storage 1953 Base Oil and Grease Storage 1960 |
No | 1953-1960~ |
| 118 | Tech Training 1955 Squadron HQ 1961 Base Exchange 1965 |
No | Cost $15,799.20 |
| 120 | Power Plant (2 Story) | No | 1960 |
| 121 | Fuel Pump Station (Power Station) | No | 1960 Cost $12,041 |
| 150 | Receiver Bldg GATR Bldg |
No | 1960 Rx moved to 114 in 1975 |
| 198 | PX/Gym/NCO Club | No | 1956 |
| 199 | Bowling Alley 1962 Tennis Court 1954 |
No | |
| 200 | NCO Bachelor Qtrs 1951 C Barracks Multi-purpos |
No | 1951 |
| 201 | Hobby Shop 1953 NCO Club 1964 Multi-purpose Rec 1965 |
No | Cost $12,262.76 |
| 202 | NCO Bachelor Quarters 1951 B Barracks |
No | |
| 208 | NCO Bachelor Quarters 1951 A Barracks |
No | Cost $44,965.39 |
| 210 | Airmen’s Dining Hall | No | 1957 Cost $71,352.81 |
| 212 | Administration and Recreation Supply 1952 Squadron HQ 1960 Multi-Purpose Rec Bldg |
No | 1952 |
| 213 | Base Supply and Equipment Warehouse Recr Workshop |
No | 1953 Cost $8,725.23 |
| 214 | Central Heating Plant | No | 1951 Cost $40,593.00 |
| 215 | Above Ground Pool & Bath House | No | 1974 Cost $30,942 (pool); $12,052.60 (bath house |
| 217 | Base Engineer Maintenance Shop | No | 1955 Cost $19,349.96 |
| 218 | Motor Pool | No | 1960 Cost $22,275 |
| 301 | Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex | No | 1961 Cost $58,731.75 |
| 302 | Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex | No | 1961 Cost $58,731.75 |
| 303 | Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex | No | 1961 Cost $58,731.75 |
| 304 | Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex | No | 1961 Cost $58,731.75 |
| 305 | Airmen’s Family Housing, Fourplex | No | ? |
| 310 | Officer’s Family Housing, Duplex | No | 1961 Cost $38,955 |
| 311 | Officer’s Family Housing, Duplex | No | 1961 Cost $38,955 |
| 312 | Officer’s Family Housing, Duplex | No | 1961 Cost $38,955 |
| 313 | Commanding Officer’s Quarters | No | 1961 Cost $31,915.35 |
| 1000 | Base Diesel Fuel Storage 43,000 gallons | No | 1962 Cost $7.000 |
| 1024 | Water Tank 75,000 gallons | No | 1959 Cost $17.988.59 |
| 1025 | Water Tank 75,000 gallons | No | 1951 Cost $10,000 |
| 1030 | Navaid Tower | No | 1950 or 1951 |
| 1031 | Radar Tower FPS-90 | No | Cost $40,000 |
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Location: Klamath in Del Norte County, California. Maps & Images Lat: 41.55917 Long: -124.08611 |
See Also:
- SAGE System
- JSS System
- Permanent System Radar Sites
- US Radar Sets
- Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13
- McChord SAGE Direction Center DC-12
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 167.
- 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 102.
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 2086561
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