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Joelton Air Force Station | |
|---|---|
| Part ofAir Defense Command (ADC) | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Air Force Station |
| Controlled by |  United States Air Force |
| Location | |
  Joelton AFS Location of Joelton AFS, Tennessee | |
| Coordinates | 36°20′12″N086°51′40″W / 36.33667°N 86.86111°W /36.33667; -86.86111 (Joelton AFS SM-145) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1956 |
| In use | 1956-1960 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 799th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron |
Joelton Air Force Station (ADC ID: SM-145) is a closedUnited States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west ofGoodlettsville, Tennessee. It was closed in 1960.
Joelton Air Force Station (AFS) was initially part of Phase II of theAir Defense Command Mobile Radar program. The Air Force approved this expansion of the Mobile Radar program on 23 October 1952 to provide radar coverage of theNashville, TN area. Radars in this network were designated "SM."
The station became operational on 1 October 1956 when the 799th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron began operating anAN/MPS-11 search radar and anAN/TPS-10D height-finder radar. Eventually these sets were replaced by more-modernAN/FPS-6 height-finder radar andAN/FPS-8 search radar sets. 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.
In addition to the main facility, Guthrie operated an unmannedAN/FPS-18 Gap Filler site:
Joelton AFS was closed on 1 June 1961 due to budgetary constraints. However, theFAA retained the radar, replacing the search radar with anARSR-1E model. The FAA continues to operate the site as part of theJoint Surveillance System (JSS). Most of the Air Force buildings remain and are in use; the housing area is now private residences.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Further Reading
