Oklahoma City Air Force Station

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Coordinates: 35°24′12″N 097°21′28″W / 35.40333°N 97.35778°W / 35.40333; -97.35778 (Oklahoma City AFS P-52)
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Oklahoma City Air Force Station
Part of Air Force Materiel Command
1995 airphoto
Oklahoma City AFS is located in Oklahoma
Oklahoma City AFS
Oklahoma City AFS
Location of Oklahoma City AFS, Oklahoma
Coordinates35°24′12″N 097°21′28″W / 35.40333°N 97.35778°W / 35.40333; -97.35778 (Oklahoma City AFS P-52)
TypeUnited States Air Force Station (Cold War)
Site information
Controlled by United States Air Force
Site history
Built1942
In use1951–1968
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Oklahoma City Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-52, NORAD-ID: Z-52) is a closed

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, just to the southeast of Tinker Air Force Base
. It ceased to be a separate Air Force installation on 1 October 1983, when it merged with Tinker.

History

Air Defense Command

In late 1951

Air Defense Command selected the station as a site for one of twenty-eight radar stations built as part of the second segment of the permanent radar surveillance network. Prompted by the start of the Korean War, on July 11, 1950, the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the second segment of the permanent network. Receiving the Defense Secretary's approval on July 21, the Air Force exercised a right of return to the former World War II airfield and directed the Army Corps of Engineers
to proceed with construction.

On 1 May 1951 the 148th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron of the California Air National Guard was assigned to the new Oklahoma City Air Force Station by the

AN/FPS-6
height-finder radar in 1958. The AN/FPS-10s were phased out, with the last one being removed in 1962.

The 33d AD moved to Oklahoma City AFS on 8 May 1956 and activated a Manual Air-Defense Control Center (ADCC), P-86 for ADC interceptors in Oklahoma, Kansas and the panhandle of Texas. It also formed a number of new Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons which it deployed to newly built radar sites in its assigned area. On 1 January 1960, the Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector (OCADS) was established, however it remained a manual ADS, with no SAGE blockhouse being constructed. OCADS was re-designated as the 4752d ADS briefly in 1960–61, then taken over by the

AN/FPS-67
search and AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars.

OCADS was re-established in 1963 and was re-designated as Manual Combat Center (MCC-11)/NORAD Sector Combat Center (Manual). In 1965 the search radar was upgraded to the AN/FPS-67B variant. On 1 April 1966 OCADS was again re-designated as the 31st Air Division

The Air Force closed MCC-11 on 31 December 1969 due to budget reductions. The FAA continues to operate the AN/FPS-67B search radar today as part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS).

After ADCOM ceased operations at Oklahoma City AFS, its facilities were occupied by

Air Force Logistics Command.[1] On 1 October 1983 the station merged with Tinker AFB and lost its status as a separate installation.[2] In June 1976, SCA was reduced in size as it lost its squadrons on Strategic Air Command stations to the new Strategic Communications Area

SCA was inactivated on 1 June 1981 in a major reorganization of AFCS (now named

38th Electronic Installation Wing. As mission needs were reduced the 38th EIW was inactivated in 2000[3]
and its group remained the only unit on the former station.

What was Oklahoma City Air Force Station is today used by the FAA and the Air Force 38th Engineering Installation Group, with most buildings remaining in use.

ADCOM units assigned to Oklahoma City Air Force Station

  • 31st Air Division, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969
  • 32d Air Division
    , 1 August 1961 – 4 September 1963
  • 33d Air Division
    , 8 May 1956 – 1 January 1960
  • Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector, 1 January 1960 – 1 September 1961; 25 June 1963 – 1 April 1966
  • 4752d Air Defense Wing
    , 1 September 1961 – 25 June 1963

Air Force Communications Command units stationed at Oklahoma City Air Force Station

  • Southern Communications Area, 1 May 1970 – 1 June 1981
  • Engineering Installation Center (later Engineering Installation Division, Communications Systems Center), 1 June 1981 – 8 November 1994[2]
  • 38th Engineering Installation Wing, 8 November 1994 – 3 February 2000[3]
  • 1845th Electronic Engineering Group (later 1845th Engineering Installation Group, 38th Engineering Installation Group, 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group), 1 August 1988 – present[5]
  • 38th Mission Support Squadron, 17 January 1995 – 3 February 2000
  • 1810th Reserve Advisor Squadron, 1 January 1976 – ca 1991[6]
  • 1845th Electronic Engineering Squadron, 1 May 1970 – 1 June 1981[7]

[8]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
    .
  2. ^
    OCLC 49946668
    .
  3. ^ a b Robertson, Patsy AFHRA Factsheet, 38th Combat Support Wing Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine 6/4/2008 (retrieved March 9, 2013)
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Robertson, Patsy AFHRA Factsheet, 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group 10/19/2009 (retrieved March 9, 2013)
  6. ^ Miller, pp. 262–263
  7. ^ Miller, pp. 274–275
  8. ^ Includes units stationed at Tinker AFB after merger

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Further Reading