Watertown Air Force Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Watertown Air Force Station |
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| Part of 1951-1968:  Air Defense Command1968-1979:  Aerospace Defense Command1979-1984:  Air Defense, Tactical Air Command |
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| Watertown, New York | |
2 radomes and the main gate with guard shack (1975)
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| Coordinates | 43°55′31″N 075°54′33″W / 43.92528°N 75.90917°W |
| Type | Long Range Radar Site |
| Code | RP-49: 1950 ADC permanent network Z-49: 1963 July 31 NORAD network |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  United States Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1952 |
| Built by | U.S. Air Force |
| In use | 1952-1979 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Watertown, New York |
| Occupants | 655th Radar Squadron |
Watertown Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force ADCOM General Surveillance Radar station 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Watertown, New York. Prior to the Air Defense squadron inactivating on 1 November 1979, the station was reassigned to Tactical Air Command which maintained the Ground Air Transmitter Receiver until early 1984 (now a firefighter training site). A New York State jail opened at the site c. 1983.
It was a part of the 21st RCC (NORAD Regional Control Center) a SAGE network, located at Stewart AFB.
History
Lashup Radar Network site L-6 was established in June 1950 at the Pine Camp military installation (renamed Fort Drum in 1951) and operated by the 655th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron using an RCA AN/TPS-10A Radar. After construction adjacent to Fort Drum in June 1952, the operation moved to the Air Force Station, one of the first twenty-four Air Defense Command radar stations of the permanent network established 1950-1951 after the USAF directed construction of the sites on December 2, 1948. Watertown AFS used AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-5 radars for warning and ground-controlled interception. In 1958 this site was operating with AN/FPS-20 search radar and General Electric AN/FPS-6 Radar for height-finding.
During 1959 Watertown AFS began providing Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) data to DC-03 at Syracuse AFS, New York, and the squadron was re-designated as the 655th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 February 1959. In 1959 a 2nd AN/FPS-6 was added and in 1961, the FPS-20 was upgraded to an AN/FPS-66. One height-finder radar was replaced by an Avco AN/FPS-26 Radar in 1963. In 1964 the AN/FPS-66 was replaced by a Westinghouse AN/FPS-27 Radar. The other AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar was retired in 1964.
In addition to the main facility, the Watertown squadron operated two unmanned AN/FPS-14 (P-49A) and AN/FPS-18 (P-49B) Gap Filler sites:
- Suttons Corner, NY (P-49A) 43°21′17″N 076°17′09″W / 43.35472°N 76.28583°W
- Oswegatchie, NY (P-49B) 44°10′01″N 075°07′08″W / 44.16694°N 75.11889°W
Air Force units and assignments
Units:
- 655th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, activated 8 December 1949 at Pine Camp, NY (L-6)
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- Moved to Watertown AFS, NY, 1 February 1951
- Redesignated 655th Radar Squadron (SAGE), 1 February 1959
- Redesignated 655th Radar Squadron, 1 February 1974
- Inactivated 1 November 1979
Assignments:
- 540th Aircraft Control and Warning Group (32d Air Division), 18 Dec 1949
- 32d Air Division, 6 February 1952
- 4711th Air Defense Wing, 16 February 1953
- 32d Air Division, 1 March 1956
- Syracuse Air Defense Sector, 1 September 1958
- Boston Air Defense Sector, 4 September 1963
- 35th Air Division, 1 April 1966
- 21st Air Division, 19 November 1969 - 31 December 1979
