Fort Meade radar station

Last updated
Army Air Defense Command Post (AADCP)
Baltimore, Maryland, Fort George G. Meade, Anne Arundel, Maryland
Coordinates 39°45′12″N75°27′00″W / 39.753393°N 75.450068°W / 39.753393; -75.450068
TypeFort
Site history
Built1959-60*
September 1966

The Fort Meade radar station was an air defence radar installation used by the Army and USAF. The site operated c. 1950 until 1979 and had a Project Nike command post and radar network.

Contents

Lashup site L-14

Site L-14 of the temporary Lashup Radar Network was the ground-controlled interception radar station established at Fort George G. Meade until the radar's surveillance area was covered by a Quantico AFS radar in 1955. The Fort Meade radar station also had the first experimental AN/GSG-2 Antiaircraft Defense System in 1955. [1]

ARAACOM site W-13DC

In 1957 the Fort Meade station was designated an Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) for the Washington-Baltimore Defense Area. [2] The site had the first operational Martin AN/FSG-I Antiaircraft Defense System, a fire distribution center for Nike Missiles and which was operated by the 35th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade. [3] Designated W-13DC, the site had an AN/FPS-67 search radar and later a solid-state Hughes AN/TSQ-51 Air Defense Command and Coordination System. [4] After 1957, Fort Meade became the Headquarters, 2nd Region, Army Air Defense Command.

ADC site RP-54

On October 1, 1961, W-13DC was integrated[ clarification needed ] with the Aerospace Defense Command network as replacement site RP-54 operated by the USAF's 770th Airborne Control and Warning Squadron that transferred from former site P-54 at Palermo Air Force Station, New Jersey. Site RP-54 became part of the 1957Washington Air Defense Sector) with an interface with the DC-04 SAGE system direction center at Fort Lee Air Force Station (inactivated March 1, 1983).

NORAD site Z-227

On July 1, 1963, the station was redesignated as site Z-227 (Palermo AFS re-opened as site Z-54), and the USAF unit was renamed the 770th Radar Squadron assuming control of the AN/FPS-67 and installing one each AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-6B height-finder radars by 1962. In 1964 an AN/FPS-90 replaced Meade's AN/FPS-6B, and the AN/FPS-6 was shut down; while in 1966 the AN/FPS-67 was upgraded to an AN/FPS-67B. [5] [ verification needed ]

In addition to an annex at the former Manassas Air Force Station, [6] the Fort Meade radar station had unmanned AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler annexes at Hermanville, Maryland (RP-54A/Z-227A, 38°13′40″N076°24′33″W / 38.22778°N 76.40917°W / 38.22778; -76.40917 (RP-54A) ) and Hanover, Pennsylvania (RP-54B/Z-227B, 39°51′28″N076°56′52″W / 39.85778°N 76.94778°W / 39.85778; -76.94778 (RP-54B) ).[ citation needed ] The Washington AADCPs at Suitland & Ft Meade were deactivated on September 1, 1974; and USAF air defense operations at Ft Meade ended October 1, 1979 (a plan to use the site in the 1983 Joint Surveillance System was not implemented).[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. ↑ Bender, Donald E (December 1999). "The Pedricktown Missile Master Site, 1960-1966". Quarterly Newsletter. Salem County Historical Society. Archived from the original (FDU.edu website) on 2011-08-06. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ "Missile Master News Release-1". United States Army. December 5, 1957. Archived from the original (transcript) on March 23, 2012. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  4. ↑ Cole, Merle T. "Army Air Defense Installations in Anne Arundel County: 1950-1975". Nike Missiles. FTMeade.Army.mil. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  5. ↑ Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980. Peterson Air Force Base: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center.
  6. ↑ "Information for Fort Meade, MD". Radomes.org. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
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