Red Bluff Air Force Station: Difference between revisions
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== History == | == History == | ||
Established in 1956 and became operational in 1956 as Red Bluff Air Force Station manned by the 859th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning | Established in 1956 and became operational in 1956 as Red Bluff Air Force Station manned by the 859th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning mission. The early warning mission involved tracking and identifying all aircraft entering their airspace while the GCI mission involved guiding Air Force interceptors to any identified enemy aircraft. Controllers at the station vectored fighter aircraft at the correct course and speed to intercept enemy aircraft using voice commands via ground-to-air radio. | ||
Initial equipment included one [[MPS-8]] height finder radar and one [[MPS-11]] search radar. | Initial equipment included one [[MPS-8]] height-finder radar and one [[MPS-11]] search radar. | ||
== [[SAGE System]] Transition == | == [[SAGE System]] Transition == | ||
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== Gap Fillers == | == Gap Fillers == | ||
Red Bluff AFS was responsible for the maintenance of three remote unattended gap filler radar sites. {{GapFillerCommon}} The Red Bluff AFS gap filler radars were located at Janesville, Whitmore and Hayfork, all in California | Red Bluff AFS was responsible for the maintenance of three remote unattended gap filler radar sites. {{GapFillerCommon}} The Red Bluff AFS gap filler radars were located at Janesville, Whitmore, and Hayfork, all in California | ||
{{RedBluffAFSGFS}} | {{RedBluffAFSGFS}} | ||
== Physical Plant == | == Physical Plant == | ||
[[File:Red Bluff AFS Housing Area.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Former Red Bluff AFS Housing Area.]] | [[File:Red Bluff AFS Housing Area.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Former Red Bluff AFS Housing Area.]] | ||
The physical plant of the site was divided into | 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 16 unit housing area for married personnel and the Air Force leased an additional 20 homes in Red Bluff. | ||
Recreational facilities included a small swimming pool, a baseball diamond, | Recreational facilities included a small swimming pool, a baseball diamond, an NCO club and a recreation hall/gym. | ||
{{Clr}} | {{Clr}} | ||
[[File:Red Bluff AFS GATR Site.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Former Red Bluff AFS GATR Site.]] | [[File:Red Bluff AFS GATR Site.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Former Red Bluff AFS GATR Site.]] | ||
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* 8 Sep 1955 - Activated at Hamilton AFB, CA, assigned to 28th AD. | * 8 Sep 1955 - Activated at Hamilton AFB, CA, assigned to 28th AD. ([[Hamilton Manual Direction Center P-48]]) | ||
* Spring 1956 - Moved to Red Bluff AFS, CA. | * Spring 1956 - Moved to Red Bluff AFS, CA. | ||
* 1 Mar 1959 - Transferred to 25th AD. | * 1 Mar 1959 - Transferred to 25th AD. ([[McChord Manual Direction Center P-4]]) | ||
* 1 Mar 1960 - Transferred to Portland ADS. (Adair) | * 1 Mar 1960 - Transferred to Portland ADS. ([[Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13]]) | ||
* 15 Jul 1960 - Redesignated from AC&W Sq to 859th Radar Sq (SAGE). | * 15 Jul 1960 - Redesignated from AC&W Sq to 859th Radar Sq (SAGE). | ||
* 1 Apr 1966 - Transferred to 26th AD. (Adair) | * 1 Apr 1966 - Transferred to 26th AD. ([[Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13]]) | ||
* 15 Sep 1969 - Reassigned to 27th AD. (Luke) | * 15 Sep 1969 - Reassigned to 27th AD. ([[Luke SAGE Direction Center DC-21]]) | ||
* 19 Nov 1969 - Reassigned to 26th AD. (Luke) | * 19 Nov 1969 - Reassigned to 26th AD. ([[Luke SAGE Direction Center DC-21]]) | ||
* 30 Sep 1970 - Inactivated. | * 30 Sep 1970 - Inactivated. | ||
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File:Red Bluff AFS Auto Shop.jpg|Auto Shop Foundation. | File:Red Bluff AFS Auto Shop.jpg|Auto Shop Foundation. | ||
File:Red Bluff AFS Pwr Bldg.jpg|Power Building Foundation. | File:Red Bluff AFS Pwr Bldg.jpg|Power Building Foundation. | ||
File:Red Bluff AFS Dining Hall Fnd.jpg| | File:Red Bluff AFS Dining Hall Fnd.jpg|Dining Hall Foundation. | ||
File:Red Bluff AFS Radio Site.jpg|Radio Site/Commissary. | File:Red Bluff AFS Radio Site.jpg|Radio Site/Commissary. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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* [[Permanent System Radar Sites]] | * [[Permanent System Radar Sites]] | ||
* [[US Radar Sets]] | * [[US Radar Sets]] | ||
* [[Hamilton Manual Direction Center P-48]] | |||
* [[McChord Manual Direction Center P-4]] | |||
* [[Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13]] | * [[Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13]] | ||
* [[Luke SAGE Direction Center DC-21]] | * [[Luke SAGE Direction Center DC-21]] | ||
Revision as of 07:45, 18 January 2018
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Red Bluff Air Force Station (1956-1970) - A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established in 1956 near Red Bluff, Tehama County, California. Named Red Bluff Air Force Station after the location. Initially assigned a Permanent ID of SM-157 and later a Sage ID of Z-157. Abandoned by the Air Force in 1970. A portion continues today as Red Bluff FAA Radar Site, FAA ID of RBL.
HistoryEstablished in 1956 and became operational in 1956 as Red Bluff Air Force Station manned by the 859th AC&W Squadron. The station initially had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning mission. The early warning mission involved tracking and identifying all aircraft entering their airspace while the GCI mission involved guiding Air Force interceptors to any identified enemy aircraft. Controllers at the station vectored fighter aircraft at the correct course and speed to intercept enemy aircraft using voice commands via ground-to-air radio. Initial equipment included one MPS-8 height-finder radar and one MPS-11 search radar. SAGE System TransitionThe transition of the manual GCI system to the automated SAGE system began with the installation of the FST-2 coordinate data transmitter and search radar upgrades. The FST-2 equipment digitized the radar returns and transmitted the digital returns to the SAGE direction center. Under the SAGE System, interceptor aircraft were directed to their targets by the direction center computers and controllers, greatly reducing the need for local controllers and equipment at every radar station. The FST-2 was a very large digital system using vacuum tube technology. Over 6900 vacuum tubes were used in each FST-2 requiring 21 air-conditioned cabinets, 40 tons of air conditioning, 43.5 kva of prime power, and usually a large new addition to the operations building. The FST-2B modification added two more cabinets but with newer solid-state (transistor) technology to process coded responses from aircraft transponders. SAGE System Operation
The site began operation as a SAGE site in 1960 initially feeding the Adair SAGE Direction Center DC-13. The search radar was upgraded to one FPS-67, one FPS-6 height finder and one FPS-90 height finder radar. In 1964 Red Bluff became a Joint Use FAA/ADC facility. ClosureThe Pentagon announced the closure of Red Bluff AFS and the deactivation of the 859th Radar Squadron on 5 March 1970. The official deactivation date was 30 Sep 1970. A small portion of the site was transferred to the FAA (see below). By the end of 1972, the remainder of the station was transferred to Tehama County, who developed it into Ridgeway County Park. The station's family housing annex was auctioned off to private parties. Red Bluff FAA Radar Site (RBL)In 1971, the GATR site and the operations portion of the main station, including the search radar tower and the operations building, were transferred to the FAA who continued to operate the FPS-67B search radar as part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS) into the 1990s. It is assumed that a FYQ-47 was installed to replace the Air Force FST-2 Coordinate Data Transmitter. The FAA 2013 Radar site list shows the site operating ARSR radar equipment without specifying the exact type. The FAA has recently upgraded the facility to the CARSR minimally attended Common Air Route Surveillance Radar (CARSR) equipment. Gap FillersRed Bluff AFS was responsible for the maintenance of three remote unattended gap filler radar sites. The unattended gap filler sites were placed in locations where the main search radar lacked coverage. These sites were equipped with short range FPS-14 or FPS-18 search radars and FST-1 Coordinate Data transmitters that sent digitized radar target data to a SAGE direction center and to the main radar site. Both the radar set and the FST-1 were dual channel to increase site up time. Maintenance teams were dispatched for regularly scheduled maintenance or when fault indicators on the FSW-1 remote monitoring equipment suggested the site had problems. The FSW-1 also allowed remote operation of specific functions such as channel changes for the radar and for the FST-1, it also allowed remote operation of the diesel generators at the gap filler site. The Red Bluff AFS gap filler radars were located at Janesville, Whitmore, and Hayfork, all in California
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 16 unit housing area for married personnel and the Air Force leased an additional 20 homes in Red Bluff. Recreational facilities included a small swimming pool, a baseball diamond, an NCO club and a recreation hall/gym.
 A separate radio site housed the radio equipment for directing aircraft intercepts. Like most early radar stations, Red Bluff originally had a radio transmitter site and a separate radio receiver site used by local controllers for voice direction of fighter interceptors to their targets. With the SAGE System, the SAGE Direction centers had the primary task of directing intercepts and the local radio sites were reconfigured, usually into a single site that was known as the Ground to Air Transmitter Receiver (GATR) site. The GATR site communicated with the interceptors from either the local site or the SAGE direction center via voice commands and/or a digital data link.
Current Status Abandoned as an Air Force Station. The old cantonment area is now Ridgeway park and the operations area is a FAA Radar Site. The housing area is in private hands and is a part of a larger housing complex. The GATR radio site is intact but repurposed. The metal cantonment area buildings (Butler type buildings) were largely sold off and removed when the site transitioned to the FAA. The foundations remain for the most part. The old style barracks buildings were totally removed with no remains. The fire house and the recreation building remain in use.
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Visited: 26 Aug 2017
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