Curlew Air Force Station (ADC ID: LP-6, P-6) is a closed
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located north of
Republic, Washington
Republic is a city in Ferry County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,073 at the 2010 census, a 12.5% increase over the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ferry County. It was the largest mining camp in the Republic Mining Distr ...
. It was closed in 1959.
History
Curlew Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of the
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
permanent radar network. Prompted by the start of the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, on July 11, 1950, the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the permanent network. Receiving the Defense Secretary's approval on July 21, the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction.
The 638th Tactical Control Squadron was redesignated as the
638th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron and activated at Mount Bonaparte AFS (LP-6), Washington on 5 May 1950.
[Cornett & Johnson, p. 95] By March 1951 the squadron was operating an
AN/TPS-1
The AN/TPS-1 Radar was an early warning and tactical control radar developed by Bell Labs and the MIT Radiation Laboratory during World War II. Initially used by the US Army, it was later used by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command, an ...
B medium-range search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes.
The permanent site (P-6) was moved to Bodie Mountain (Curlew AFS) on 1 December 1953, and the 638th AC&W Squadron began operating an
AN/FPS-3
The AN/FPS-20 was a widely used L band early warning and ground-controlled interception radar system employed by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command, the NORAD Pinetree Line in Canada, the USAF CONAD in the continental United States, a ...
long-range search radar and an
AN/FPS-5
The AN/FPS-5 was a nodding height-finding radar used by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command. It was unique in that it used a fixed reflector and a moving feed in order to steer the beam. It was produced in the early 1950s by Hazeltine, ...
height-finder radar beginning in January 1952. An
AN/FPS-6
The AN/FPS-6 Radar was a long-range height finding radar used by the United States Air Force's Air Defense Command. The AN/FPS-6 radar was introduced into service in the late 1950s and served as the principal height-finder radar for the United Sta ...
height-finder radar was installed in 1957. In 1959 the 638th AC&W Squadron was inactivated,
[ and the station was converted to an unmanned gap-filler radar site (P-60C) to support ]Colville AFS
Colville Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east-northeast of Colville, Washington. It was closed in 1961.
History
Colville Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight station ...
(P-60) until the site was finally closed in December 1960.
Today, the radar site itself is obliterated, a few foundations and some crumbling concrete is all that remains. The cantonment area is used as a Job Corps center, known as the Curlew Civilian Conservation Center.
Air Force units and assignments
Units:[
* Former 638th Tactical Control Squadron redesignated 638th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
* Activated at Mount Bonaparte, WA 15 May 1950
: Site renamed Curlew Air Force Station, 1 December 1953
: Inactivated on 1 December 1959
Assignments:][
* ]505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group
5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...
, 15 May 1950
* 162d Aircraft Control and Warning Group (Federalized AZ ANG), 25 May 1951
* 25th Air Division
The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord Air ...
, 6 February 1952
* 4702d Defense Wing
The 4702nd Defense Wing (Def Wg) is a discontinued wing of the United States Air Force, last assigned to the 25th Air Division at Geiger Field, Washington. It was established in 1952 at Hamilton AFB, California in a general reorganization of Air De ...
, 1 January 1953
* 9th Air Division, 8 October 1954
* 25th Air Division, 15 August 1958
* 4700th Air Defense Wing
The Spokane Air Defense Sector (SPADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 25th Air Division (25th AD) at Larson Air Force Base in Grant County, Washington
History
SAGE Air D ...
, 1 September 1958 – 1 December 1959
See also
*
*
References
*
*
Information for Curlew AFS, WA
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=autocollapse
Installations of the United States Air Force in Washington (state)
Radar stations of the United States Air Force
Aerospace Defense Command military installations
1951 establishments in Washington (state)
1959 disestablishments in Washington (state)
Military installations established in 1951
Military installations closed in 1959