View source for Jacksonville NAS Radar Site

{{PageHeader|Jacksonville NAS Radar Site}}
'''Jacksonville NAS Radar Site''' (1957-1981) - A [[Cold War]] U.S. Air Force Radar Site established in 1957. Located on Jacksonville Naval Air Station near the city of Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida. Initially assigned a Permanent ID of M-114 and later a Sage ID of Z-114. Located at two different locations on Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Radar Squadron deactivated and site closed in 1981.
== History ==
Established in the summer of 1957 and became operational in 1959 as Jacksonville NAS Radar Site manned by the 679th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron. This site was located near the base operations building on the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

Initial equipment included the [[FPS-3]] and [[FPS-8]] search radar sets along with a [[MPS-14]] height-finder radar. Follow on equipment included a GPA-37 course directing analog computer system which partially automated the interception of unidentified aircraft.  F-102A and F-106 interceptor aircraft could be guided to their targets from the [[GPA-37]] by digital time-division data link or voice commands. The [[GPA-37]] consoles (GPA-23s) could each handle up to six intercepts at a time.

Detachment 1 of the 769th AC&W Squadron was established in November 1958 at the [[Patrick Air Force Base Radar Site]] and remained there until it was replaced by the 645th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 28 Jun 1962. 

The original site was relocated on the Naval Air Station in 1962, presumably to facilitate the construction of a SAGE annex. Equipment at the new location included the [[FST-2]] Coordinate Data Transmitter, one [[FPS-66]] search radar and a pair of [[FPS-6]] height-finder radars. This configuration (a SAGE qualified long-range search radar and two SAGE qualified height-finders) met the requirements for transition to [[SAGE System]] operation.

== [[SAGE System]] Transition ==
{{SageTransition}}

== [[SAGE System]] Operation ==
[[File:Gunter Sage Direction Center DC-09.jpg|795px|thumb|center|Former Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]]
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" align="center"
|+ Jacksonville NAS Radar Site SAGE Direction Centers & Sectors
|-
! Assigned
! Direction Center
! Sector
|-
| 1 Jul 1961 - 1 Apr 1966 || [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]] || Montgomery Air Defense Sector
|-
| 1 Apr 1966 - 14 Nov 1969|| [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]] || 32rd Air Division
|-
| 14 Nov 1969 - 19 Nov 1969 || [[Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04]] || 33rd Air Division
|-
| 19 Nov 1969 - 1 Jul 1981 || [[Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04]] || 20th Air Division

The site began operation as a SAGE site in 1961 initially feeding the [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]]. On 1 Oct 1962, the squadron designation was changed from the 679th AC&W Squadron to 679th Radar Squadron (SAGE) indicating the new [[SAGE System]] role.

In 1963 the radar site became a joint-use USAF/FAA facility.

With the closure of the [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]] in 1969, control of the site was switched to the [[Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04]] on 14 Nov 1969.

By February 1973 the vacuum tube [[FST-2]] Coordinate Data Processor had been replaced by the much smaller solid-state [[FYQ-47]] Common Digitizer as a part of a USAF/FAA wide replacement program.

On 1 Feb 1974, the squadron was redesignated the 679th Radar Squadron, dropping the (SAGE) descriptor.

== Closure ==
Jacksonville NAS Radar Site and the 679th Radar Squadron were deactivated on 1 Jul 1981. Radar coverage of the area was assumed by the new (1980) [[Whitehouse FAA Radar Site]].

== Gap Fillers ==
Jacksonville NAS Radar Site AFS was responsible for the maintenance of two remote unattended gap-filler radar sites. {{GapFillerCommon}} The Jacksonville NAS Radar Site AFS gap-filler radars were located at Bunnell FL and Blythe Island GA.
{{JacksonvilleNASRadarSiteAFSGFS}}

<!--
== Physical Plant ==
The physical plant of the site was divided into the main site, a cantonment area, a housing area, and a radio site. The main site housed the operations buildings, the radar towers, and the backup generators. The cantonment area housed the enlisted barracks, the bachelor officer's quarters, the orderly room, the dining hall, the motor pool, and other support buildings. Apart from the main site was a small 9/27 unit housing area for married personnel. 

A separate radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts. {{GATRSite|AFS=Jacksonville NAS Radar Site}}
-->

{{Clr}}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|+ Jacksonville NAS Radar Site Major Equipment List
|-
!Search Radar
!HF Radar
!Data Systems
!Comm
|-
* [[FPS-3]]
* [[FPS-8]]
* [[FPS-18]] GF
* [[FPS-66|FPS-67]]
* [[MPS-14]]
* [[FPS-6]]
* [[FPS-90]]
* [[GPA-37]]
* [[FST-2|FST-2/A/B]]
* [[FST-1]] GF
* [[FYQ-47]]
* [[GKA-1]]
* [[GKA-5]]
* [[FRT-49]]

{| class="wikitable" width="75%"
|+ Unit Designations
|-
* 679th Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron (1957-1960)
* 679th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (1960-1981)

{| class="wikitable" width="75%"
|+ 679th Assignments
|-
* 1 Mar 1951 - Activated at Great Falls AFB, MT, assigned to 545th AC&W Gp
* 6 Feb 1952 - Inactivated.
* 1 Sep 1953 - Reactivated at Dow AFB, ME, assigned to 32nd AD.
* 24 Dec 1953 - Transferred to 35th AD (CADF) and moved to Dobbins AFB, GA.
* Summer 1957 - Moved to Jacksonville NAS, FL.
* 15 Nov 1958 - Transferred to 32nd AD.
* 1 Jul 1961 -  Transferred to Montgomery ADS. [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]]
* 1 Oct 1962 - Redesignated from AC&W Sq to 679th Radar Sq (SAGE).
* 1 Apr 1966 - Reassigned to 32nd AD. [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]]
* 14 Nov 1969 - Reassigned to 33rd AD. [[Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04]]
* 19 Nov 1969 - Reassigned to 20th AD. [[Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04]]
* 1 Feb 1974 - Redesignated 679 Radar Sq.
* 1 Nov 1979 - Reorganized into TAC (ADTAC)
* 1 Jul 1981 - Inactivated

<!--{{JacksonvilleNASRadarSiteAFSCmdrs}}-->

== Current Status ==
SAGE operations building repurposed. Manual operations building repurposed. MPS-14 tower still in place, repurposed.
<!--{{JacksonvilleNASRadarSiteAFSStructures}}-->

==Context==

{{Location|Jacksonville NAS Radar Site in Duval County, Florida.|30.22138|-81.68266|22}}
<!-- {{#display_map:
30.22801,-81.66771~ MPS-14 Radar Tower;
30.09139,-81.71028~ GATR Radio Site;
30.22861,-81.66778~ Site 1 Operations Bldg;
30.22138,-81.68266~ Site 2 Operations Area }} -->
<br>
<!-- '''GPS Locations:'''
{{GPSLocation|MPS-14 Radar Tower|30.22801|-81.66771}}
{{GPSLocation|GATR Radio Site|30.09139|-81.71028}}
{{GPSLocation|Site 1 Operations Bldg|30.22861|-81.66778}}
{{GPSLocation|Site 2 Operations Area|30.22138|-81.68266}} -->

'''See Also:'''
* [[Whitehouse FAA Radar Site]]
* [[SAGE System]]
* [[Permanent System Radar Sites]]
* [[US Radar Sets]]
* [[Gunter SAGE Direction Center DC-09]]
* [[Fort Lee SAGE Direction Center DC-04]]
'''Sources:''' 
* {{Cornett}}, page 160.  <!--ADC Organization-->
* {{Winkler}}, page 107.  <!--Searching the skies-->

'''Links:''' 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Jacksonville Wikipedia - Jacksonville NAS Radar Site]

[[Category:Florida Radar Sites]]
[[Category:USAF Radar Sites]]
[[Category:SAGE Sites]]
[[Category:FPS-3]]
[[Category:FPS-8]]
[[Category:FPS-66]]
[[Category:FPS-6]]
[[Category:FPS-90]]
[[Category:FPS-18]]
[[Category:FST-1]]
[[Category:GPA-37]]
[[Category:FST-2]]
[[Category:FYQ-47]]
[[Category:GKA-1]]
[[Category:GKA-5]]
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