Cold Bay Air Force Station Detachments

Nikolski Air Force Station
Also known as COB-1 DEW Line Radar Site.

Nikolski AFS is west of Fort Glenn on Umnak Island in the Aleutian Island chain. It was manned by Detachment 1, 714th AC&W Squadron headquartered at Cold Bay Air Force Station. The detachment normally numbered some 25 men, 1 officer and 24 enlisted men, all on 1-year unaccompanied remote tours.

This was a DEW Line radar site and radio relay. The radar site was operational with an FPS-19 search radar from April 1959 until inactivated on 1 Jun 1969.

The White Alice radio relay included six billboard tropo antennas, two 30' antennas that provided a link to Driftwood Bay AFS (106 Miles), two 60' antennas that linked to Atka (233 miles) and two 120' antennas that linked to Adak (341 Miles). Note: The Atka link may not have existed sources differ. The radio relay went into service in April 1959 and remained in service until November 1978.

The facility was identical to the others in the Aleutian extension program. There was a concrete cast-in-place 28,000 square-foot composite building with a central 5 story radar tower, a concrete storage bunker, water pump house, fuel system, and two 350-KW generators.

Current Status: The Air Force demolished the Nikolski station in 1988. (a/o 1994 document)

Sources:
 * , page 188, 211, 248.
 * , page 16
 * Radomes - Nikolski AFS

Driftwood Bay Air Force Station
Also known as COB-2 DEW Line Radar Site.

Driftwood Bay AFS is located on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Island chain, 13 miles west of the Dutch Harbor airport. It was manned by Detachment 2, 714th AC&W Squadron headquartered at Cold Bay Air Force Station. The detachment normally numbered some 25 men, 1 officer and 24 enlisted men all on 1-year unaccompanied remote tours.

This was a DEW Line radar and radio relay site built on a leveled off cinder dome at about 1,350 feet above sea level. The radar site was operational with an FPS-19 search radar from April 1959 until inactivated on 1 Jun 1969. The White Alice radio relay included four 60' billboard tropo antennas that provided a link between Nikolski AFS (106 Miles) and Cape Sarichef AFS (93 Miles). The radio relay went into service in April 1959 and remained in service until November 1978.

The facility was identical to the others in the Aleutian extension program. There was a concrete cast-in-place 28,000 square-foot composite building with a central 5 story radar tower, a concrete storage bunker, water pump house, fuel system, and two 350-KW generators. A gravel airstrip was located about three miles from the station in Driftwood Bay valley.

Current Status: Driftwood Bay AFS was demolished in place under an Army Corps of Engineers contract in 1991. (a/o 1994 document)

Sources:
 * , page 188, 210-211.
 * , page 16
 * Radomes - Driftwood Bay AFS

Cape Sarichef Air Force Station
Also known as COB-3 DEW Line Radar Site.

Cape Sarichef Air Force Station is located on the southwest tip of Unimak Island in the eastern Aleutian Island chain. It was manned by Detachment 3, 714th AC&W Squadron headquartered at Cold Bay Air Force Station. The detachment normally numbered some 25 men, 1 officer and 24 enlisted men all on 1-year unaccompanied remote tours.

This was a DEW Line radar and radio relay site. The radar site was operational with an FPS-19 search radar from April 1959 until inactivated on 1 Jun 1969. The White Alice radio relay included four 60' billboard tropo antennas that provided a link between Driftwood Bay AFS (93 Miles) and Cold Bay AFS (92 Miles. The radio relay went into service in April 1959 and remained in service until November 1978.

The facility was identical to the others in the Aleutian extension program. There was a concrete cast-in-place 28,000 square-foot composite building with a central 5 story radar tower, a concrete storage bunker, water pump house, fuel system, and two 350-KW generators. A 3,500-foot gravel airstrip was located about three miles from the station. The reported combined cost to build Cape Sarichef AFS and Cold Bay AFS was some 8 million dollars.

Current Status: Cape Sarichef AFS is remote and difficult to reach. As of 1994 it was abandoned but well preserved and most of its features are intact. (a/o 1994 document)

Sources:
 * , page 188, 208-209.
 * , page 16
 * Radomes - Cape Sarichef AFS

Port Moller Air Force Station
Also known as COB-4 DEW Line Radar Site.

Port Moller AFS was located on the Bristol Bay coastal plain at Port Moller Bay, 100 miles west of Port Heiden. The station was constructed in 1957-1959 as part of Project Stretchout, the DEW Line Aleutian extension program. It was manned by Detachment 4, 714th AC&W Squadron headquartered at Cold Bay Air Force Station. The detachment normally numbered some 25 men, 1 officer and 24 enlisted men, all on 1-year unaccompanied remote tours.

This was a DEW Line radar and radio relay site. The radar site was operational with an FPS-19 search radar from April 1959 until inactivated on 1 Jun 1969. The White Alice radio relay included four 60' billboard tropo antennas that provided a link between Port Heiden AFS (100 Miles) and Cold Bay AFS (105 Miles. The radio relay went into service in April 1959 and remained in service until November 1978.

The facility was identical to the others in the Aleutian extension program. There was a concrete cast-in-place 28,000 square-foot composite building with a central 5 story radar tower, a concrete storage bunker, water pump house, fuel system, and two 350-KW generators. A gravel airstrip was located about four miles northwest of the station. The site reportedly cost $4.4 million to build.

Current Status: Port Moller AFS is abandoned and was scheduled for demolition. (a/o 1994 document)

Sources:
 * , page 26, 188, 212, 248.
 * , page 16
 * Radomes - Port Moller AFS

Port Heiden Air Force Station
Also known as COB-5 DEW Line Radar Site.

Port Heiden AFS was located on a flat coastal plain of Bristol Bay, about halfway along the northern side of the Alaska Peninsula, near the small village of Meshik. The station was constructed in 1957-1959 as part of Project Stretchout, the DEW Line Aleutian extension program. It was manned by Detachment 5, 714th AC&W Squadron headquartered at Cold Bay Air Force Station. The detachment normally numbered some 25 men, 1 officer and 24 enlisted men, all on 1-year unaccompanied remote tours.

This was a DEW Line radar and radio relay site. The radar site was operational with an FPS-19 search radar from April 1959 until inactivated on 1 Jun 1969. The White Alice radio relay included four 60' billboard tropo antennas that provided a link between King Salmon AFS (141 miles) and Port Moller AFS (100 miles). The radio relay went into service in April 1959 and remained in service until November 1978.

The facility was identical to the others in the Aleutian extension program. There was a concrete cast-in-place 28,000 square-foot composite building with a central 5 story radar tower, a concrete storage bunker, water pump house, fuel system, and two 350-KW generators. The site reportedly cost $3.5 million to build.

Current Status: Port Heiden AFS including the White Alice radio relay station was demolished in place in 1990.

Sources:
 * , page 26, 188, 211-212, 248.
 * , page 16
 * Radomes - Port Heiden AFS