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Opheim Air Force Station | |
|---|---|
| Part ofAir Defense Command (ADC) | |
 Main Gate | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Air Force Station |
| Controlled by |  United States Air Force |
| Location | |
  Opheim AFS Location of Opheim AFS, Montana | |
| Coordinates | 48°51′40″N106°28′40″W / 48.86111°N 106.47778°W /48.86111; -106.47778 (Opheim AFS P-26) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1951 |
| In use | 1951–1979 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 779th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron |
Opheim Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-26, NORAD ID: Z-26) is a closedUnited States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 3.3 miles (5.3 km) west ofOpheim, Montana. It was closed in 1979.
In late 1951Air Defense Command selected Opheim, Montana as one of twenty-eight radar stations built as part of the second segment of the permanent radar surveillance 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 second segment 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.
On 1 March 1951 the 779th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at Opheim AFS withAN/FPS-3 andAN/FPS-4 radars, 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. AnAN/GPS-3 radar operated between 1957 and 1961. In 1958 and 1959AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-6A radars replaced the AN/FPS-4 height-finder radar. The AN/FPS-3, operational until late 1961, was replaced by anAN/FPS-7C search radar. The FPS-3 along an FPS-8 were the primary search radars. The FPS-8 was used as a backup for the FPS-7C until mid to late 1962. The spare IFF unit from the FPS-8 was salvaged and used in the FPS-7C. Also, the MIT unit from the FPS-3 was salvaged and used in the FPS-7C since its MIT was not operational until after the spring of 1964 due to design problems. SAGE utilization required both the IFF and MIT to be operational.
During 1961 Opheim AFS joined theSemi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, initially feeding data to DC-20 atMalmstrom AFB, Montana. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 779th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 15 July 1961. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 to the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction, altitude, speed, and whether aircraft were friendly or hostile.
In 1963 the squadron operated the AN/FPS-7C search radar along withAN/FPS-26A andAN/FPS-90 height-finder radars.The FPS-26A heightfinder was not operational until after the spring of 1964. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-26. The AN/FPS-90 was damaged by a fire in 1966, but was repaired; it was removed sometime in the early 1970s.
In addition to the main facility, Opheim operated twoAN/FPS-14 Gap Filler sites:
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. Opheim AFS ceased operations on 1 June 1979 as part of the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command. The 779th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was inactivated on 29 September 1979.
Today, the former Opheim Air Force Station is abandoned and largely obliterated. Most of the Air Force buildings have been razed, their foundations remain. A few buildings still stand derelict.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
