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Makah Air Force Station | |
|---|---|
| Part ofAir Defense Command (ADC) | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Air Force Station |
| Controlled by |  United States Air Force |
| Location | |
  Makah AFS Location of Makah AFS, Washington | |
| Coordinates | 48°22′18″N124°40′30″W / 48.37167°N 124.67500°W /48.37167; -124.67500 (Makah AFS P-44) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1951 |
| In use | 1951–1988 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 758th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron |
Makah Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-44, NORAD ID: Z-44) is a closedUnited States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south ofNeah Bay, Washington. It was closed in 1988 by the Air Force, and turned over to theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Today the site is part of theJoint Surveillance System (JSS), designated byNORAD asWestern Air Defense Sector (WADS) Ground Equipment Facility J-80.
Makah Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of theAir Defense Command permanent radar network. Prompted by the start of theKorean War, on 11 July 1950, the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the permanent network. Receiving the Defense Secretary's approval on 21 July, the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction. The land for this site was leased from theMakah Indian tribe.
The 758th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (AC&W Sq) was activated at Bahokus Peak on 27 November 1950, which assumed coverage from the temporary "lashup" site L-34 at Neah Bay. The 758 AC&W Sq started operating anAN/FPS-3 long-range search radar and anAN/CPS-4 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. The station was renamed Makah AFS on 1 December 1953.
During 1960, Makah AFS joined theSemi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-12 atMcChord AFB, Washington. After joining, the squadron was redesignated as the 758th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 April 1960. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile. During the 1960s, this site saw a variety of radars. By 1963, the squadron operated anAN/FPS-7A search radar andAN/FPS-90 andAN/FPS-26A height-finder radars.
Over the years, the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars. In the 1970s, the AN/FPS-7A was modified to anAN/FPS-107V1. Circa 1977 the AN/FPS-90 height-finder radar was modified to anAN/FPS-116. In October 1979, Makah came underTactical Air Command (TAC) jurisdiction with the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and the creation ofADTAC. Circa 1980 the AN/FPS-107V1 was replaced with anAN/FPS-91A search set, with anAN/TPS-43E search radar temporarily operating atop the old AN/FPS-26A tower during the radar change-over.
On 15 June 1988, the 758th Radar Squadron was inactivated and the Air Force reduced its presence at Makah Air Force Station, closing most facilities. The radar site was turned over to the FAA, however a small detachment fromMcChord AFB was assigned to maintain the radars. The AN/FPS-116 was retired c. 1988. In the latter 1990s, the AN/FPS-91A was replaced by an FAA-operatedARSR-4 radar. The FAA now the radar at the site as part of theJoint Surveillance System (JSS).
The station and housing were turned over to the Makah people, and the former Air Force station now is theMakah Tribal Council Center. It is well maintained and in use by the tribe.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
