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FPS-27 Long Range Search Radar Set - A Long Range frequency diversity search radar set built by Westinghouse. Designed to replace existing SAGE System radars that were more susceptible to enemy electronic countermeasures. The FPS-27 was designed to operate in the S-band at 2322 to 2670 MHz to detect enemy aircraft at a maximum range of 220 nautical miles and a maximum altitude of 150,000 feet. Thirty-one radar sites received FPS-27s, one prototype site, ten Canadian sites and twenty sites in the U.S.
The prototype site at Crystal Springs Air Force Station identified several problems that were fixed in subsequent installations. The Crystal Springs Air Force Station installation was also the only one on an open frame tower, all the others were housed in a four-story closed tower with a radome. Two additional sites had the towers built but were closed before the equipment was installed.
Installation generally took about six months followed by an eight to ten month training period with a team of Westinghouse engineers. The installed facility cost approximately 5 million dollars.
Of the ten Canadian sites, several remained operational into the 1980s and were modified with solid state components to improve reliability and lower maintenance costs.
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 Baldy Hughes Radar Site, FPS-27 tower on left. |
FPS-27 Search Radar
FPS-27 Search Radar
| Element
|
Value
|
Notes
|
| Nomenclature |
FPS-27 |
|
| Origins |
|
|
| Variants |
FPS-27A/B |
|
| Manufacturer |
Westinghouse |
|
| Type |
Search/height-finder |
|
| Number Made |
20 United States
10 Canada |
|
| IEEE Band |
S |
|
| Frequency |
2322-2670 MHz |
|
| PRF |
226 to 288 |
|
| Pulse Width |
6.5 micro seconds |
|
| Rotation Speed |
5 rpm |
|
| Power |
15,000,000 Watts peak
30,000 Watts average |
|
| Range |
220 nmi |
Long Range
|
| Altitude |
150k |
|
| Introduced |
1963 |
|
|
|
FPS-27 Radar Sites (US/CAN) (edit list)
| Site
|
Type
|
State
|
Unit
|
ADC
|
SAGE
|
Installed
|
Removed
|
GPS
|
Notes
|
| Armstrong
|
AS
|
ON
|
914th
|
C-015
|
C-015
|
1963
|
1974
|
50.30528,
-89.01361
|
|
| Baldy Hughes
|
CFS
|
BC
|
918th
|
C-020
|
C-020
|
1963
|
1988
|
53.61833,
-122.93556
|
|
| Barrington
|
AS
|
NS
|
672nd
|
M-102
|
C-102
|
1961
|
1990
|
43.45167,
-65.47139
|
|
| Bellefontaine
|
AFS
|
OH
|
664th
|
P-073
|
Z-073
|
1964
|
1969
|
40.36984,
-83.72014
|
Last U.S. FPS-27
|
| Calumet
|
AFS
|
MI
|
665th
|
P-016
|
Z-016
|
1963
|
1988
|
47.37111,
-88.17056
|
|
| Chandler
|
AFS
|
MN
|
787th
|
P-018
|
Z-018
|
1964
|
1969
|
43.89778,
-95.94583
|
|
| Charleston
|
AFS
|
ME
|
765th
|
P-065
|
Z-065
|
1963
|
1980
|
45.0896,
-69.09518
|
First U.S. FPS-27
|
| Condon
|
AFS
|
OR
|
636th
|
P-032
|
Z-032
|
1964
|
1970
|
45.23667,
-120.30167
|
|
| Crystal Springs
|
AFS
|
MS
|
627th
|
TM-195
|
Z-195
|
1959
|
1968
|
31.97917,
-90.34444
|
Prototype
|
| Dana
|
CFS
|
SK
|
45 AC&W
|
C-052
|
C-052
|
1964
|
1987
|
52.27833,
-105.76917
|
|
| Finland
|
AFS
|
MN
|
756th
|
P-069
|
Z-069
|
1963
|
1989
|
47.45361,
-91.2375
|
|
| Gettysburg
|
AFS
|
SD
|
903rd
|
M-099
|
Z-099
|
1963
|
1968
|
45.04972,
-99.95611
|
|
| Gibbsboro
|
AFS
|
NJ
|
772nd
|
RP-063
|
Z-063
|
1963-05
|
1984
|
39.82417,
-74.95444
|
|
| Gypsumville
|
CFS
|
MB
|
47 AC&W
|
C-049
|
C-049
|
1962
|
1987
|
51.66417,
-98.74194
|
|
| Havre
|
AFS
|
MT
|
778th
|
P-025
|
Z-025
|
1965
|
1979
|
48.88083,
-109.945
|
|
| Klamath
|
AFS
|
CA
|
777th
|
P-033
|
Z-033
|
1963
|
1981
|
41.55917,
-124.08611
|
|
| Las Vegas
|
AFS
|
NV
|
865th
|
SM-163
|
Z-163
|
1964
|
1970
|
36.31861,
-115.57528
|
|
| Lowther
|
CFS
|
ON
|
639th
|
M-119
|
C-119
|
1963
|
1987
|
49.55583,
-82.99194
|
|
| Lyndonville
|
AFS
|
VT
|
911th
|
M-103
|
Z-103
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
44.66528,
-71.77111
|
Tower only, no equipment
|
| Miles City
|
AFS
|
MT
|
902nd
|
M-098
|
Z-098
|
1964
|
1968
|
46.29694,
-105.97833
|
FPS-27 sent to Mount Hebo AFS on closure
|
| Minot
|
AFB
|
ND
|
786th
|
P-028
|
Z-028
|
1964
|
1979
|
48.00361,
-101.29444
|
|
| Moisie
|
CFS
|
QC
|
211 AC&W
|
C-033
|
C-033
|
1963
|
1988
|
50.19417,
-66.08778
|
|
| Mount Hebo
|
AFS
|
OR
|
689th
|
M-100
|
Z-100
|
1969-09-30
|
1979
|
45.21583,
-123.75778
|
Replacement for damaged FPS-24 from Miles City AFS
|
| North Charleston
|
AFS
|
SC
|
792nd
|
M-113
|
Z-113
|
1964
|
1980
|
32.89556,
-80.02222
|
|
| Penhold
|
CFS
|
AB
|
43 AC&W
|
C-054
|
C-054
|
1964
|
1986
|
52.18778,
-113.57806
|
|
| Ramore
|
CFS
|
ON
|
912th
|
C-010
|
C-010
|
|
1974
|
48.42694,
-80.241667
|
|
| Roanoke Rapids
|
AFS
|
NC
|
632nd
|
M-117
|
Z-117
|
1964
|
1978
|
36.43972,
-77.72528
|
|
| San Pedro Hill
|
AFS
|
CA
|
670th
|
RP-039
|
Z-039
|
1961
|
1976
|
33.746111,
-118.336111
|
|
| Saratoga Springs
|
AFS
|
NY
|
656th
|
P-050
|
Z-050
|
1963
|
1977
|
43.01139,
-73.6825
|
|
| Sydney
|
CFS
|
NS
|
221 AC&W
|
C-034
|
C-034
|
1966
|
1991
|
46.1675,
-60.16444
|
|
| Watertown
|
AFS
|
NY
|
655th
|
P-049
|
Z-049
|
1964
|
1979
|
43.92528,
-75.90917
|
|
| Waverly
|
AFS
|
IA
|
788th
|
P-083
|
Z-083
|
1964
|
1969
|
42.69,
-92.48444
|
|
| Yuma
|
AFB
|
AZ
|
864th
|
SM-162
|
Z-162
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
32.65381,
-114.59090
|
Tower only, no equipment
|
See Also:
Sources:
- Winkler, David F., Searching the Skies: the Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, USAF Hq Air Combat Command, 1997, 192 pages, Pdf, page 79.
- MIL-HDBK-162A, 15 Dec 1965.
Links:
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