Phoenix FAA Radar Site

 (1959-Active) - A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Long Range Radar (LRR) site established in 1959 near Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. The site is used to identify and track military and civilian aircraft movements within a 200-mile radius and to provide air-ground radio communication with those aircraft. Assigned a SAGE System ID of Z-247, an FAA ID of PHX and a JSS System ID of J-29. Now an active FAA Radar Site. Also Known as Humboldt Mountain FAA Radar Site.

History
This FAA radar site was commissioned in 1959 to furnish radar track data to the FAA ARTCC's and to USAF Direction Centers. The initial FAA ARSR-1 search radar remained in operation until it was modified to an ARSR-1E configuration. Later modified to become a Common Air Route Surveillance Radar (CARSR) with a 7172 antenna.

In 1972 a USAF FPS-90 Height-Finder radar was installed at this site to provide target height information to the newly formed Southern Air Defense Sector (SADS). SADS operated from the Houston Manual NORAD Control Center co-located with the Houston ARTCC. The FPS-90 height-finder was maintained and operated by elements of the 4629th Air Defense Squadron (ADS) from Luke AFB and in 1975 by OL-AF of the 26th ADS. The FPS-90 later became an FPS-116 before being removed circa 1988.

In 1982 an ADTAC listing of sites to be brought into the JSS System included Phoenix FAA Radar Site with an ARSR-1E search radar, an FYQ-47 Common Digitizer, and an ATCBI-5 SIF/IFF (Beacon) set.

In 1983 the SAGE System deactivated and the Phoenix FAA Radar Site joined the JSS System with a JSS ID of J-29 as one of the original members.

This site was to have been replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site at Ajo, AZ (J-29A), on the site of former Ajo Air Force Station (Z-181). This site continued to operate even after the Ajo site became operational in the late 1990s. Ajo was designated as JSS Site J-29A and the Phoenix site was to lose the J-29 designation but it was restored with an expansion of the JSS System.

CARSR Radar
On 6 Dec 2011 the upgrade of the ARSR-1E radar to the new Common Air Surveillance Radar (CARSR) was reportedly complete.

Current Status
Active FAA facility near Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona.

{| See Also:
 * Houston ARTCC
 * Albuquerque ARTCC
 * JSS System
 * FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers
 * US Radar Sets

Sources:
 * Gianelli, Frank, Arizona Airscoops, Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona), 28 Jun 1959, Page 40.
 * , page 100.
 * , page 100.

Links:
 * Radomes - Phoenix FAA Radar Site
 * Wikipedia - Joint Surveillance System