Snow Mountain Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-82, NORAD ID: Z-82) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 1.9 miles (3.1 km) west-southwest of Godman Army Airfield, Kentucky. It was closed in 1968.
Snow Mountain AFS was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar network, primarily to provide air defense radar coverage for Fort Knox. 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.
On 16 April 1951 the 784th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was initially activated at Godman Field, KY (LP-82) on Fort Knox[1] where it operated a World War II-era AN/TPS-1C 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. It was moved to the new Snow Mountain site, also on the Fort Knox Reservation on 30 April 1952. This site became a separate Air Force installation, Snow Mountain Air Force Station in the summer of 1956.[2] At Snow Mountain it began operating AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-4 radars at Snow Mountain. In 1958 these radars were replaced by AN/FPS-20 and AN/FPS-6 sets. A second AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar was added in 1961. In 1962 the search radar was upgraded to become an AN/FPS-67.
During 1962 Snow Mountain AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-22 at Truax Field, Wisconsin. After joining, the squadron was redesignated as the 784th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 May 1962. 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. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-82. In 1965 the search radar was again upgraded to become an AN/FPS-67B.
In addition to the main facility, Snow Mountain operated four unmanned AN/FPS-18 Gap Filler sites:
Owingsville AFS (P-82B) was assigned as a Gep Filler site upon its closure in 1957. It is unclear if it ever was equipped or became operational.
The 784th Radar Squadron was inactivated on 18 June 1968 with the closure of Snow Mountain Air Force Station due to the perceived remote threat of an aircraft attack on Fort Knox.
Air Force units and assignmentsedit
Emblem of the 784th Radar Squadron
Unitsedit
Constituted as the 784th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Activated at Godman Field (LP-82), Fort Knox, KY on 16 April 1951
Moved to Snow Mountain, Fort Knox, KY on 30 April 1952
Redesignated as 784th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 May 1962
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 Snow Mountain AFS
December 14, 2023
snow, mountain, force, station, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, js. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Snow Mountain Air Force Station news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Snow Mountain Air Force Station ADC ID P 82 NORAD ID Z 82 is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station It is located 1 9 miles 3 1 km west southwest of Godman Army Airfield Kentucky It was closed in 1968 Snow Mountain Air Force StationPart of Air Defense Command ADC Snow Mountain AFSLocation of Snow Mountain AFS KentuckyCoordinates37 53 50 N 086 00 00 W 37 89722 N 86 00000 W 37 89722 86 00000 Snow Mountain AFS P 82 TypeAir Force StationSite informationControlled by United States Air ForceSite historyBuilt1952In use1952 1968Garrison informationGarrison784th Aircraft Control and Warning later Radar SquadronMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMapDownload coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Contents 1 History 2 Air Force units and assignments 2 1 Units 2 2 Assignments 3 See also 4 ReferencesHistory editSnow Mountain AFS was one of twenty eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar network primarily to provide air defense radar coverage for Fort Knox 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 On 16 April 1951 the 784th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was initially activated at Godman Field KY LP 82 on Fort Knox 1 where it operated a World War II era AN TPS 1C 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 It was moved to the new Snow Mountain site also on the Fort Knox Reservation on 30 April 1952 This site became a separate Air Force installation Snow Mountain Air Force Station in the summer of 1956 2 At Snow Mountain it began operating AN FPS 3 and AN FPS 4 radars at Snow Mountain In 1958 these radars were replaced by AN FPS 20 and AN FPS 6 sets A second AN FPS 6 height finder radar was added in 1961 In 1962 the search radar was upgraded to become an AN FPS 67 During 1962 Snow Mountain AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment SAGE system feeding data to DC 22 at Truax Field Wisconsin After joining the squadron was redesignated as the 784th Radar Squadron SAGE on 1 May 1962 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 On 31 July 1963 the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z 82 In 1965 the search radar was again upgraded to become an AN FPS 67B In addition to the main facility Snow Mountain operated four unmanned AN FPS 18 Gap Filler sites Odon IN P 82A 38 52 19 N 086 59 46 W 38 87194 N 86 99611 W 38 87194 86 99611 P 82A Kingston IN P 82C 39 22 56 N 085 22 33 W 39 38222 N 85 37583 W 39 38222 85 37583 P 82C Madisonville KY P 82D 37 21 49 N 087 29 49 W 37 36361 N 87 49694 W 37 36361 87 49694 P 82D Owingsville AFS P 82B was assigned as a Gep Filler site upon its closure in 1957 It is unclear if it ever was equipped or became operational The 784th Radar Squadron was inactivated on 18 June 1968 with the closure of Snow Mountain Air Force Station due to the perceived remote threat of an aircraft attack on Fort Knox Air Force units and assignments edit nbsp Emblem of the 784th Radar SquadronUnits edit Constituted as the 784th Aircraft Control and Warning SquadronActivated at Godman Field LP 82 Fort Knox KY on 16 April 1951 Moved to Snow Mountain Fort Knox KY on 30 April 1952 Redesignated as 784th Radar Squadron SAGE on 1 May 1962 Discontinued and inactivated on 18 June 1968Assignments edit 541st Aircraft Control and Warning Group 16 April 1951 30th Air Division 6 February 1952 4706th Defense Wing later 4706th Air Defense Wing 16 February 1953 58th Air Division 1 March 1956 35th Air Division 1 September 1958 32d Air Division 15 November 1958 Chicago Air Defense Sector 1 June 1961 Detroit Air Defense Sector 1 August 1961 Chicago Air Defense Sector 25 May 1962 34th Air Division 1 April 1966 18 June 1968See also editList of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadronsReferences edit Cornett and Johnson A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 1980 p 168 Ibid 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 Snow Mountain AFS Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Snow Mountain Air Force Station amp oldid 1144032087, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
