Radar tower

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Radar tower on the North Sea artificial island of Langlutjen I in Germany (2012 aerial photograph) Langlutjen I (Insel) 2012-05-13-DSCF8511.jpg
Radar tower on the North Sea artificial island of Langlütjen I in Germany (2012 aerial photograph)

A radar tower is a tower whose function is to support a radar facility, usually a local airport surveillance radar, and hence often at or in the vicinity of an airport or a military air base. The antenna is often continually rotating. [1] In addition, radar towers are used for the installation and operation of search and height finder radars at military radar stations, where the mission is to support air defense missions. These missions were characterized as Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W), or Long Range Surveillance in support of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE). [2]

The tower typically has a continuously rotating parabolic antenna. Often, the antenna is protected from the weather by a radome, and is thus not visible from the outside.[ citation needed ]

For regional air traffic control, en route radar installations are used. [1] The data from these radars is fed into the civilian RADNET system and transferred to all civil and military control centres.

Ideally, a radar tower is built on a high spot in the terrain, because this reduces the angle of elevation, and thus increases the range of the radar device.[ citation needed ] In the absence of a suitable high spot, radar towers are used. Radar towers are also need to provide weather protection and services (air conditioning and power) for the radar equipment, communications, operators and maintainers.[ citation needed ]

In Germany, the operational command posts of the German Air Force use the Bundeswehr radar towers for the stationary radar sites of the operational command areas.[ citation needed ] In Britain, radar gave them the edge during the Battle of Britain, allowing Britain to detect incoming air raids before they arrived. [3]

Military radar stations have supported US and allied air defense operations at numerous worldwide locations since World War II. [4] The largest network of military radar stations evolved during the Cold War era to support the air defense of North America as part of the joint US and Canadian command known as the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). This military radar network became automated in 1960 with the operation of SAGE.[ citation needed ] SAGE provided the vital command, control, communications, and computers (C4S).

Long Range Radar (LRR) stations were electronically connected to SAGE Direction Centers (DCs).[ citation needed ] This resulted in an integrated air defense system made up of radar, radio, interceptor aircraft, antiaircraft guns and missiles, and command and control (C2) facilities. Most of the radar and radio facilities were not on a military air base, but smaller Air Force Stations (AFS), are usually located in rural, and sometimes isolated locations that are often miles away from even small towns. They were staffed by up to several hundred Air Force personnel.[ citation needed ]

This includes the AN/FPS-24 search radar tower that sits in a huge 64 foot square, 85 foot tall, six-story building. On top of this radar tower was a radar antenna 50 feet tall, 120 feet wide, weighing 85.5 tons, and rotating at 5 rpm. An available rigid radome 140 feet in diameter and 96 feet high protected this antenna from adverse weather conditions.[ citation needed ]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radome</span> Weatherproof structures enclosing radar antennas

A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material transparent to radio waves. Radomes protect the antenna from weather and conceal antenna electronic equipment from view. They also protect nearby personnel from being accidentally struck by quickly rotating antennas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Fallon</span> Military airbase and training facility near Fallon, Nevada, USA

Naval Air Station Fallon or NAS Fallon is the United States Navy's premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. It is located southeast of the city of Fallon, east of Reno in western Nevada. Since 1996, it has been home to the U.S. Navy-Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) taking over from the former NAS Miramar, California, and the surrounding area contains 240,000 acres (97,000 ha) of bombing and electronic warfare ranges. It is also home to the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC), which includes TOPGUN, the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) and the Navy Rotary Wing Weapons School. Navy SEAL Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) training also takes place there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clear Space Force Station</span> US Space Force station in Alaska

Clear Space Force Station is a United States Space Force radar station for detecting incoming ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles to NORAD's command center and to provide Space Surveillance data to the United States Space Force. Clear's AN/FPS-123 Upgraded Early Warning Radar is part of the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS) which also includes those at Beale AFB, Cape Cod Space Force Station, RAF Fylingdales and Thule Site J. The "historic property" was one of the Alaska World War II Army Airfields and later a Cold War BMEWS site providing NORAD data to Colorado's BMEWS Central Computer and Display Facility (CC&DF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaskan Air Command</span> Inactive United States Air Force unit

The Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct control of all active measures, and coordinate all passive means of air defense. In addition, the command also supported Strategic Air Command elements operating through and around Alaska. It was redesignated Eleventh Air Force on 9 August 1990 and, concurrently, status changed from a major command of the United States Air Force to a subordinate organization of Pacific Air Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerospace Defense Command</span> Former U.S. Air Force major command

Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inactivated in 1950, reactivated in 1951, and then redesignated Aerospace rather than Air in 1968. Its mission was to provide air defense of the Continental United States (CONUS). It directly controlled all active measures, and was tasked to coordinate all passive means of air defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airport surveillance radar</span> Radar system

An airport surveillance radar (ASR) is a radar system used at airports to detect and display the presence and position of aircraft in the terminal area, the airspace around airports. It is the main air traffic control system for the airspace around airports. At large airports it typically controls traffic within a radius of 60 miles (96 km) of the airport below an elevation of 25,000 feet. The sophisticated systems at large airports consist of two different radar systems, the primary and secondary surveillance radar. The primary radar typically consists of a large rotating parabolic antenna dish that sweeps a vertical fan-shaped beam of microwaves around the airspace surrounding the airport. It detects the position and range of aircraft by microwaves reflected back to the antenna from the aircraft's surface. The secondary surveillance radar consists of a second rotating antenna, often mounted on the primary antenna, which interrogates the transponders of aircraft, which transmits a radio signal back containing the aircraft's identification, barometric altitude, and an emergency status code, which is displayed on the radar screen next to the return from the primary radar.

The AN/FPS-35 frequency diversity radar was a long range search radar used in the early 1960s. It was one of the largest air defense radars ever produced, with its antenna and supporting structure mounted on one of the largest rolling-element bearings in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Fisher Air Force Station</span> Radar station in North Carolina, US 1955–1988

Fort Fisher Air Force Station was a United States Air Force installation located on the Atlantic coast 0.8 miles (1.3 km) southwest of Kure Beach, North Carolina. Its primary mission was as a radar complex. It was closed on 30 June 1988 by the Air Force, and turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Montauk Air Force Station was a US military base at Montauk Point on the eastern tip of Long Island, New York. It was decommissioned in 1981 and is now owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as Camp Hero State Park.

Mount Hebo Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 5.2 miles (8.4 km) east-southeast of Hebo, Oregon, located at the top of 3,154-foot (961 m) Mount Hebo. It was closed in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">689th Radar Squadron</span> Military unit

The 689th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 25th Air Division, stationed at Mount Hebo Air Force Station, Oregon. It was inactivated on 30 June 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortuna Air Force Station</span> North Dakota, an abandoned Air Force Long Range radar site

Fortuna Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 4.2 miles (6.8 km) west of Fortuna, North Dakota. It was closed in 1979 as a radar station, remaining as a Long-Range Radar (LRR) facility until 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Truro Air Force Station</span> Radar station in Massachusetts, US 1951–1994

North Truro Air Force Station (AFS) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 2.2 mi (3.5 km) east of North Truro, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Tower 2</span> Former US Air Force radar station

Texas Tower 2 was a former United States Air Force Texas Tower General Surveillance Radar station, first operational in 1955. It was located 110 miles (180 km) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 56 feet (17 m). The tower was closed in 1963 and dismantled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground Equipment Facility QRC</span> FAA radar station

Ground Equipment Facility QRC is an FAA radar station that was part of a Cold War SAGE radar station for aircraft control and warning "from Massachusetts to southern Virginia, and as far out to sea as possible." Benton AFS was also the first operational "regional data processing center" for the GE 477L Nuclear Detection and Reporting System.

The SAGE radar stations of Air Defense Command were the military installations operated by USAF squadrons using the first automated air defense environment and networked by the SAGE System, a computer network. Most of the radar stations used the Burroughs AN/FST-2 Coordinate Data Transmitting Set (CDTS) to automate the operator environment and provide radar tracks to sector command posts at SAGE Direction Centers (DCs), e.g., the Malmstrom Z-124 radar station was co-located with DC-20. The sector/division radar stations were networked by DCs and Manual Control Centers to provide command, control, and coordination for ground-controlled interception of enemy aircraft by interceptors such as the F-106 developed to work with the SAGE System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/FPS-24 radar</span>

The AN/FPS-24 Radar was a long range early warning radar used by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command. It used a two-frequency signal in order to avoid fluctuation loss, which causes signals on single-frequency radars to fade in and out as the target moves. Reducing this effect results in a much steadier signal.

Cambria Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) south-southeast of Cambria, California. It was closed in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottonwood Air Force Station</span> Former US Air Force radar station in Idaho

Cottonwood Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. The radar site was located at the summit of Cottonwood Butte, 5.7 miles (9.2 km) west-northwest of Cottonwood in Idaho County, Idaho. It was closed in 1965 and transferred to the state of Idaho in 1974, when it was converted to its present use as a minimum-security correctional facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Heath radar station</span> Radar station

The Fort Heath radar station was a USAF radar site and US Army Missile Master installation of the joint-use site system (JUSS) for North American Air Defense at a former coastal defense site. The Cold War radar station had 2 USAF AN/FPS-6B height finding radars, 2 Army AN/FPS-6A height finders, an FAA ARSR-1 radar emplaced 1958-9, and an Army nuclear bunker. Arctic Towers were the pedestals for the FPS antennas and radomes, while the Air Route Surveillance Radar was on a 50-foot extension temperate tower adjacent to the Federal Aviation Administration building.

References

  1. 1 2 "Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR-11)".
  2. ↑ "SAGE: Semi-Automatic Ground Environment Air Defense System | MIT Lincoln Laboratory". www.ll.mit.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  3. ↑ "How Radar Gave Britain The Edge In The Battle Of Britain". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  4. ↑ "Western Air Defense Sector | Washington State Military Department, Citizens Serving Citizens with Pride & Tradition". mil.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
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