Fort Lawton Air Force Station
Encyclopedia
Fort Lawton Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located on Fort Lawton
in the Magnolia
neighborhood of northwest Seattle, Washington
. The Air Force inactivated its unit in 1963; while the site remained under Army control until 1974. Today the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) operates the site as part of the Joint Surveillance System
(JSS).
(FAA).
The Army established Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) S-90DC at the station for Nike missile command-and-control functions. The station was initially an AN/FSG-l Missile-Master Nike Radar Direction Center. It was later equipped with the AN/GSG-5(V) BIRDIE solid-state computer system.
The Air Force 635th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron worked jointly with Army radar controllers at the station. The site used an FAA ARSR-1C search radar and two Air Force AN/FPS-6A height-finder radars. (The Army also had 2 AN/FPS-6 variant height-finder radars of their own.) On 11 June, Fort Lawton AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
(SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-12 at McChord AFB. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 635th Radar Squadron
(SAGE). 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.
In addition to the main facility, Fort Lawton operated an AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler site:
Circa late 1962 an AN/FPS-26 height-finder radar was installed. On 31 December 1962 Air Force moved the 635th RADS to Dauphin Island AFS, Alabama, however a detachment operated at Fort Lawton until March 1963. The Army continued operations at the site until the AADCP was inactivated 1 September 1974.
The Fort Lawton radar site remains in use by the FAA today, still operating the ARSR-1E search radar.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located on Fort Lawton
Fort Lawton
Fort Lawton is a United States Army fort located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The fort was included in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list.-History:...
in the Magnolia
Magnolia, Seattle, Washington
Magnolia is the second largest neighborhood of Seattle, Washington by area. It occupies a hilly peninsula northwest of downtown. Magnolia is isolated from the rest of Seattle, connected by road to the rest of the city by only three bridges over the tracks of the BNSF Railway: W. Emerson Place in...
neighborhood of northwest Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The Air Force inactivated its unit in 1963; while the site remained under Army control until 1974. Today the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) operates the site as part of the Joint Surveillance System
Joint Surveillance System
The Joint Surveillance System is a joint United States Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration system for the atmospheric air defense of North America...
(JSS).
History
The station was established at Fort Lawton, Washington on 1 April 1960 by Air Defense Command. The station was established as a consolidation of Army and Air Force radar units in the Seattle area due to funding reductions. Fort Lawton AFS was given the ADC designation "RP-1", as it replaced the radars at McChord AFB which were relocated as part of the consolidation. In addition, the station was a joint-use facility with the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA).
The Army established Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) S-90DC at the station for Nike missile command-and-control functions. The station was initially an AN/FSG-l Missile-Master Nike Radar Direction Center. It was later equipped with the AN/GSG-5(V) BIRDIE solid-state computer system.
The Air Force 635th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron worked jointly with Army radar controllers at the station. The site used an FAA ARSR-1C search radar and two Air Force AN/FPS-6A height-finder radars. (The Army also had 2 AN/FPS-6 variant height-finder radars of their own.) On 11 June, Fort Lawton AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-12 at McChord AFB. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 635th Radar Squadron
635th Radar Squadron
The 635th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Dauphin Island Air Force Station, Alabama. It was inactivated on 1 July 1974...
(SAGE). 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.
In addition to the main facility, Fort Lawton operated an AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler site:
- Chehalis, WA (RP-1C/P-1C) 46°33′17"N 123°03′31"W
Circa late 1962 an AN/FPS-26 height-finder radar was installed. On 31 December 1962 Air Force moved the 635th RADS to Dauphin Island AFS, Alabama, however a detachment operated at Fort Lawton until March 1963. The Army continued operations at the site until the AADCP was inactivated 1 September 1974.
The Fort Lawton radar site remains in use by the FAA today, still operating the ARSR-1E search radar.
See also
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
- List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons