Madera Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-74, NORAD ID: Z-74) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 5.2 miles (8.4 km) north-northeast of Madera, California. It was closed in 1966.
Madera AFS was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar network. Prompted by the start of the Korean War, on July 11, 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 July 21, the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction.
The 774th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at the new station on 27 November 1950, and assumed the coverage of a temporary "Lashup" site at Fort MacArthur (L-43) operating an AN/TPS-1B 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 squadron began operating AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-4 radars from Madera AFS in January 1952. In 1958 the height-finder radar was replaced by AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-6A radars. In 1959 an AN/FPS-20 search radar superseded the AN/FPS-3. In 1960 the Air Force upgraded an AN/FPS-6A to become a -6B.
During 1961 Madera AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-18 at Beale AFB, California. After joining, the squadron was redesignated as the 774th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 15 January 1961. 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 August 1963, the SAGE data feed was reassigned to DC-17 at Norton AFB.
The Air Force upgraded the search radar, first to an AN/FPS-20A, and then to an AN/FPS-66. By 1963 this AN/FPS-66 search radar operated in conjunction with AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-90 height-finder radars, and on 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-74.
Reductions in ADC funding led to Madera Air Force Station being inactivated on June 25, 1966. Today, the site remains largely intact, although at some point, the radar towers had been removed. When the station was shut down, it was handed over to a Native American group which operated the property as a vocational technology center. The site was sold off to someone else & used for unknown purposes, and then the current owner bought it in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
Air Force units and assignmentsedit
Unitsedit
Constituted as the 774th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron on 14 November 1950
Activated at Madera AFS on 27 November 1950
Redesignated 774th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 15 January 1961
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946–1980, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980).
Winkler, David F. & Webster, Julie L., Searching the Skies[dead link], The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, Champaign, IL (1997).
Information for Madera AFS, CA
External linksedit
October 27, 2023
madera, force, station, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, december, 2012, lear. This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Madera Air Force Station ADC ID P 74 NORAD ID Z 74 is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station It is located 5 2 miles 8 4 km north northeast of Madera California It was closed in 1966 Madera Air Force StationPart of Air Defense Command ADC Madera AFSLocation of Madera AFS CaliforniaCoordinates37 02 07 N 120 01 59 W 37 03528 N 120 03306 W 37 03528 120 03306 Madera AFS P 74 TypeAir Force StationSite informationControlled by United States Air ForceSite historyBuilt1950In use1950 1966Garrison informationGarrison774th Aircraft Control and Warning SquadronEmblem of the 774th Radar Squadron Contents 1 History 2 Air Force units and assignments 2 1 Units 2 2 Assignments 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editMadera AFS was one of twenty eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar network Prompted by the start of the Korean War on July 11 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 July 21 the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction The 774th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at the new station on 27 November 1950 and assumed the coverage of a temporary Lashup site at Fort MacArthur L 43 operating an AN TPS 1B 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 squadron began operating AN FPS 3 and AN FPS 4 radars from Madera AFS in January 1952 In 1958 the height finder radar was replaced by AN FPS 6 and AN FPS 6A radars In 1959 an AN FPS 20 search radar superseded the AN FPS 3 In 1960 the Air Force upgraded an AN FPS 6A to become a 6B During 1961 Madera AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment SAGE system feeding data to DC 18 at Beale AFB California After joining the squadron was redesignated as the 774th Radar Squadron SAGE on 15 January 1961 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 August 1963 the SAGE data feed was reassigned to DC 17 at Norton AFB The Air Force upgraded the search radar first to an AN FPS 20A and then to an AN FPS 66 By 1963 this AN FPS 66 search radar operated in conjunction with AN FPS 6 and AN FPS 90 height finder radars and on 31 July 1963 the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z 74 Reductions in ADC funding led to Madera Air Force Station being inactivated on June 25 1966 Today the site remains largely intact although at some point the radar towers had been removed When the station was shut down it was handed over to a Native American group which operated the property as a vocational technology center The site was sold off to someone else amp used for unknown purposes and then the current owner bought it in the late 1980s or early 1990s Air Force units and assignments editUnits edit Constituted as the 774th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron on 14 November 1950Activated at Madera AFS on 27 November 1950 Redesignated 774th Radar Squadron SAGE on 15 January 1961 Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1966Assignments edit 542d Aircraft Control and Warning Group 27 November 1950 28th Air Division 6 February 1952 San Francisco Air Defense Sector 1 July 1960 Los Angeles Air Defense Sector 1 August 1963 26th Air Division 1 April 1966 25 June 1966See also editList of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons United States general surveillance radar stationsReferences edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Cornett Lloyd H and Johnson Mildred W A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 1980 Office of History Aerospace Defense Center Peterson AFB CO 1980 Winkler David F amp Webster Julie L Searching the Skies dead link The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories Champaign IL 1997 Information for Madera AFS CAExternal links edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Madera Air Force Station amp oldid 1127610929, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
