Fort Heath Radar Site

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Fort Heath Radar Site (1959-1962) - A Cold War U.S. Air Force Radar Site established in conjunction with the Nike System's Boston Air Defense Area. Located on Fort Heath, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Initially assigned a Permanent ID of MM-1 and a Sage ID of MM-1. Closed in 1962.

History

Established in 1959 and became operational in 1959 as Fort Heath radar site manned by the 820th Radar Squadron.

Initial equipment included two USAF FPS-6B height-finder radars and two US Army FPS-6A height-finder radars. Search radar video was provided by a joint use FAA maintained ARSR-1 search radar.

The Army continued to use the radar facility until the end of 1964 when the Nike control center there was deactivated. The FAA continued operating the ARSR-1 radar of the former Fort Heath -- renamed Winthrop, MA -- until the mid to late 1990s.

The ARSR-1 was deactivated when the FAA began operating a new ARSR-4 JSS radar at the former North Truro Air Force Station on Cape Cod.

SAGE System Operation

Abandoned Stewart SAGE Direction Center DC-02.
Fort Heath SAGE Direction Centers & Sectors
Assigned Direction Center Sector
18 Oct 1959 - 1 Dec 1962 Stewart SAGE Direction Center DC-02 Boston Air Defense Sector

The site began operation as a SAGE site in 1959 initially connected to the Stewart SAGE Direction Center DC-02. On 1 Dec 1961, the squadron designation was changed from 820th Radar Squadron to the 820th AC&W Squadron

Closure

The Fort Heath radar site and the 820th were deactivated on 1962.

Fort Heath FAA Radar Site



Fort Heath Radar Site Major Equipment List
Search Radar HF Radar Data Systems Comm
Unit Designations
  • 820th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron (1959-1960)
  • 820th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (1960-1962)
820th Assignments
  • 18 Oct 1959 - Activated at Ft. Heath, MA, as the Boston ADS.
  • 1 Dec 1961 - Redesignated from 820th Radar Squadron (SAGE) to 820th AC&W Squadron.
  • 1 Dec 1962 - Discontinued.


Current Status


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Location: Fort Heath in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Maps & Images

Lat: 42.38955 Long: -70.96944

  • Multi Maps from ACME
  • Maps from Bing
  • Maps from Google
  • Elevation: ......'

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 102.
  • 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 122.

Links:

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