Zapata Air Force Station (ADC ID: TM-189) 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

Zapata, Texas Zapata is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Zapata County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,018 at the 2010 census. As an unincorporated community, Zapata has no municipal government but like all 254 Texas count ...

. It was closed in 1961.

History

Zapata Air Force Station came into existence as part of Phase III 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 ...

Mobile Radar program. On October 20, 1953 ADC requested a third phase of twenty-five radar sites be constructed. The

742d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron 74 may refer to: * 74 (number) * one of the years 74 BC, AD 74, 1974, 2074 * The 74 The 74 is a nonprofit news website that focuses on and supports school-choice issues in the United States. Co-founded by former CNN host and education refor ...

was assigned to the station by the

33d Air Division The 33rd Air Division (33d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at Fort Lee Air Force Station, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 ...

on 1 July 1957. It initially operated 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 ...

A search radar and 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, 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. In addition to the main facility, Zapata operated an

AN/FPS-14 The AN/FPS-14 was a medium-range search Radar used by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command. This medium-range search radar was designed and built by Bendix as a SAGE system gap-filler radar to provide low-altitude coverage. Operating i ...

Gap Filler site: * Delmita, TX (TM-189A): The site was deactivated on 1 June 1961 due to budgetary constraints. Today what was Zapata Air Force Station was sold to private ownership and the County of Zapata. It is now known as the Laspalmas RV Park. After being sold, part of the base was divided into small lots and sold individually to private owners, who drive mobile trailers or campers to the lots and remain there through the winter months. The remainder of the site is vacant. It has reverted to, and is owned by, the county of Zapata. Most of the buildings remain in use and the site is well-maintained.

Air Force units and assignments

Units: * 742d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Assigned 1 July 1957 to Zapata Air Force Station :: Activated by 33d AD at

Oklahoma City AFS Oklahoma City Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-52, NORAD-ID: Z-52) is a closed Cold War United States Air Force air defense and communications-electronics headquarters and radar station. It was located east-southeast of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, ju ...

on 8 September 1956 : Discontinued on 1 June 1961 Assignments: *

, 1 July 1957 *

Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector The Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector (OCADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command's 29th Air Division at Oklahoma City Air Force Station, Oklahoma. History Oklahoma City A ...

, 1 January 1960 – 1 June 1961 What was Zapata Air Force Station was sold to private ownership and the County of Zapata. Today it is known as the "HAWK BASE". After being bought by Mr.Roberto Lopez, Sr Founder, Owner and President of Hawk Oilfield Service, Inc. Hawk Base serves as a central station to all Hawk satellite locations throughout south Texas.

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.
Information for Zapata AFS, TX
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed Permanent System radar stations Semi-Automatic Ground Environment sites Installations of the United States Air Force in Texas Military installations closed in 1961 1957 establishments in Texas 1961 disestablishments in Texas

History

Air Force units and assignments

See also

References