Melville Air Station (ADC ID: N-24) was a General Surveillance Radar station. It was located on the summit of Dome Mountain, west of

CFB Goose Bay Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , commonly referred to as CFB Goose Bay, is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is operated as an air force base by ...

, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was closed in 1988.

History

The site was established in 1953 as a General Surveillance Radar station, funded by the

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 ...

. It was used initially by the

Northeast Air Command The Northeast Air Command (NEAC) was a short-lived organization in the United States Air Force tasked with the operation and defense of air bases in Greenland, Labrador and Newfoundland. It was formed in 1950 from the facilities of the United St ...

, which stationed the

641st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron The 641st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 21st Air Division (ADTAC), Tactical Air Command, stationed at Melville Air Station, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (site ...

on the station on 1 November 1957. 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. It was equipped with the following radars: * Search Radar:

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 ...

C, AN/FPS-502,

AN/FPS-20 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 ...

A, AN/FPS-87A,

AN/FPS-93 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, AN/CPS-6B * Height Radar: AN/TPS-502,

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 Stat ...

AN/FPS-90 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 Stat ...

The station was reassigned to the USAF

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 ...

on 1 April 1957, and was given designation "N-24".Information for Melville AS, NL
/ref> In 1971, the USAF transferred control of the site to the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

. It was closed in 1988.

USAF units and assignments

Units: * 641st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Activated at

Grenier Air Force Base Grenier is a surname. It is a French word for ''attic, loft,'' or ''granary''. Notable people with the surname include: * Adrian Grenier * Angèle Grenier, Canadian maple syrup producer * Auguste Jean François Grenier (1814–1890), French doctor ...

, New Hampshire 26 May 1953 : Moved to Melville Air Station, 1 November 1957 : Discontinued 30 June 1971 Assignments *

64th Air Division The 64th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 1 July 1963. History World War II The organiz ...

, 1 August 1953 * 4732d Air Defense Group, 1 April 1957 *

Goose Air Defense Sector The Goose Air Defense Sector (GADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division, being stationed at Goose Air Force Base, Labrador, Canada. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966 and repla ...

, 1 April 1960 * 37th Air Division, 1 April 1966 * 21st Air Division, 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971

References

* A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado * Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command. {{NLMilitary, state=collapsed Radar stations of the United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command military installations Military installations in Newfoundland and Labrador Installations of the United States Air Force in Canada 1953 establishments in Newfoundland and Labrador Military installations established in 1953 Military installations closed in 1988 1988 disestablishments in Newfoundland and Labrador