Havre Air Force Station
Havre Air Force Station Air Defense Command | |
---|---|
Site history | |
Built | 1951 |
In use | 1951–1979 |
Garrison information | |
Garrison | 778th Air Defense Group, 778th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (later 778th Radar Squadron) |
Havre Air Force Station (site designator P-25, Z-25 after 31 July 1963) is a
History
In late 1951
On 1 March 1951 the 778th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at Simpson
Havre Air Force Station
The site was renamed Havre Air Force Station on 1 December 1953.
During 1961 Havre AFS joined the
In the early 1960s
In addition to the main facility, Havre operated two
- Galata, Montana (P-25A) 48°46′15″N 111°19′44″W / 48.77083°N 111.32889°W
- Hogeland, Montana (P-25B) 48°51′29″N 108°34′12″W / 48.85806°N 108.57000°W
Backup Interceptor Control
Over the years, the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars. The 778th Radar Sq was inactivated and replaced by the 778th Air Defense Group in March 1970.
Prior to the December 1979 breakup of Aerospace Defense Command, during the Department of Defense announced the proposed closure of "40 obsolete air defense radar stations", 95 military and 25 civilian positions were lost[6] and Havre AFS closed on 1 July 1979. The 778th Radar Squadron did not inactivate until September.[4]
Anchor Academy
The Anchor Academy, a school for troubled teenage boys, operated at the station in 2001,[7] and a few homes in the former military housing area are private residences.
Air Force units and assignments
Units
Squadron
- Constituted as the 778th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
- Activated 1 March 1951 at Simpson, Montana
- Redesignated 778th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 March 1961
- Inactivated on 1 March 1970
- Redesignated 778th Radar Squadron on 1 January 1974
- Activated on 17 January 1974
- Inactivated on 29 September 1979[4]
Group
- Constituted as the 778th Air Defense Group on 13 February 1970
Assignments
- 545th Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 1 March 1951
- 29th Air Division, 6 February 1952
- Great Falls Air Defense Sector, 1 July 1960
- 28th Air Division, 1 April 1966
- 24th Air Division, 19 November 1969 – 29 September 1979[4][5]
Commanders
- 778th Radar Squadron
- Maj. Lowell D. Covington, unknown – 1 Mar 1970[9]
- 778th Air Defense Group
- Maj. Lowell D. Covington, 1 Mar 1970 – unknown[9]
See also
- List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons
- United States general surveillance radar stations
References
Notes
- ^ a b Mueller, p. 356
- ^ "Information for Havre AFS, MT". Radomes.org. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ Winkler & Webster[full citation needed]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cornett & Johnson, p. 167
- ^ a b c d Cornett & Johnson, p.86
- ^ "Closure Proposed for Military Bases". Spokane Daily Chronicle. 26 April 1978. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ "Anchor boys are fitting in well in their new community". havredailynews.myhometownads.net. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
- ^ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
- ^ a b "Abstract, History 778 Air Defense Group Jan–Mar 1970". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 167.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
- Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. ]
Further reading
- Grant, C. L. "The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126" (PDF). Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. Retrieved 13 January 2012.,
- Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. I. 1945–1955. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 9781437921311.
- Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. II, 1955–1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 9781437921311. Archived from the original(PDF) on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- Information for Havre AFS, MT