Rockville Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-53, NORAD ID: Z-63) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) west-northwest of Rockville, Indiana. It was closed in 1966.
Rockville Air Force Station 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 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.
Opened in 1951, the 782d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated on 16 April. It began operating a pair of AN/FPS-10 radars at Rockville in May 1952, 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. In the mid / late 1950s, an AN/CPS-6B search radar was in use, according to one veteran.
During 1959 Rockville AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-07 at Truax Field, Wisconsin. After joining, the squadron was redesignated as the 782d Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 November 1959. 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. By 1960 the original radars had been phased out and replaced by two AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars and an AN/FPS-7B search radar. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-53.
In addition to the main facility, Rockville operated an AN/FPS-18 Gap Filler site:
Rockville AFS was closed on 2 June 1966 due to budget reductions; sold to the state of Indiana and is now the Rockville Correctional Facility. Many former Air Force buildings are still in use.
Air Force units and assignmentsedit
Unitsedit
Constituted as the 782d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Activated on 16 April 1951
Redesignated 782d Radar Squadron=== (SAGE) on 1 November 1959
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 Rockville AFS, IN
April 12, 2024
rockville, force, station, defense, command, station, iceland, rockville, station, iceland, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, . For the Air Defense Command station in Iceland see Rockville Air Station Iceland This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Rockville Air Force Station ADC ID P 53 NORAD ID Z 63 is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station It is located 1 7 miles 2 7 km west northwest of Rockville Indiana It was closed in 1966 Rockville Air Force StationPart of Air Defense Command ADC Rockville AFSLocation of Rockville AFS IndianaCoordinates39 46 31 N 087 15 24 W 39 77528 N 87 25667 W 39 77528 87 25667 Rockville AFS P 53 TypeAir Force StationSite informationControlled by United States Air ForceSite historyBuilt1951In use1951 1966Garrison informationGarrison782d Aircraft Control and Warning later Radar SquadronMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Emblem of the 782d Radar Squadron Contents 1 History 2 Air Force units and assignments 2 1 Units 2 2 Assignments 3 See also 4 ReferencesHistory editRockville Air Force Station 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 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 Opened in 1951 the 782d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated on 16 April It began operating a pair of AN FPS 10 radars at Rockville in May 1952 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 In the mid late 1950s an AN CPS 6B search radar was in use according to one veteran During 1959 Rockville AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment SAGE system feeding data to DC 07 at Truax Field Wisconsin After joining the squadron was redesignated as the 782d Radar Squadron SAGE on 1 November 1959 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 By 1960 the original radars had been phased out and replaced by two AN FPS 6 height finder radars and an AN FPS 7B search radar On 31 July 1963 the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z 53 In addition to the main facility Rockville operated an AN FPS 18 Gap Filler site Neoga IL P 53A 39 20 15 N 088 23 48 W 39 33750 N 88 39667 W 39 33750 88 39667 P 53A Rockville AFS was closed on 2 June 1966 due to budget reductions sold to the state of Indiana and is now the Rockville Correctional Facility Many former Air Force buildings are still in use Air Force units and assignments editUnits edit Constituted as the 782d Aircraft Control and Warning SquadronActivated on 16 April 1951 Redesignated 782d Radar Squadron SAGE on 1 November 1959 Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1966Assignments edit 541st Aircraft Control and Warning Group 16 April 1951 30th Air Division 6 February 1952 4706th Air Defense Wing later 4706th Air Defense Wing 16 February 1953 58th Air Division 1 March 1956 37th Air Division 1 September 1958 30th Air Division 1 April 1959 Chicago Air Defense Sector 1 June 1959 20th Air Division 1 April 25 June 1966See also editList of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadronsReferences 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 Rockville AFS IN Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rockville Air Force Station amp oldid 1192916890, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
