Presque Isle Air Force Base
Presque Isle Air Force Base was a
The original airport was constructed in 1930 by the
The airfield was reactivated by the
The
Parts of the former base were redeveloped as a civilian airport, known today as Presque Isle International Airport.
Snark missile launch complex
Presque Isle AFB became the site for the only operational
"Operational Snark Launching Site I"[5] was selected by the SAC Strategic Missile Site Selection Panel[6] on 21 March 1957, land for the "new base [with] 740 men" was acquired in January 1958,[7][8] and construction of the $12,000,000 base began in May 1958[9][10] by the J.R. Cianchete Construction Company.[6]
The
External image | |
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row of hangars when new | |
map of complex with dimensions | |
modern hangar photo |
First alert status was 18 March 1960, and 30 missiles were available in December[14] with 4 on alert.[15] After the 702d SMW was declared operational on 28 February 1961, 20 Snarks were on alert in the summer of 1961,[16] : 28 and on 25 June 1961 the wing was inactivated[17] following President Kennedy's earlier announcement for "73 military establishments" to be closed[18] (Congress was informed on 30 March.)[19]
Civilian use after base closure
The Snark Missile Launch Complex was purchased by the city of Presque Isle, Maine, in early 1962 for $56,000 (the city also bought "other parts of the former Presque Isle Air Force Base, ...known as the Skyway Industrial Park" in 1962)[20] and some of the remaining AFB area was redesignated "Presque Isle Air National Guard Facility".[15] Four of the hangars were used for woodworking in 1962[21] and in 1995, one was used as a flax mill.[22]
The former launch complex now has the designation Environmental site ME500.[23]
Parts of the former base were redeveloped as
Northern Maine Community College was founded in 1961 on the former air base grounds. The Skyway Industrial Park was created in the vicinity of the airport.
See also
- Holloman Air Force Base § Missile testing sites (Snark testing sites)
- List of Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island launch sites
Notes
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Units, p. 72
- ^ a b Cornett & Johnson, p. 118
- ^ "My First Adventure: Trans Lab, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia on a BMW G650X-Challenge | Adventure Rider". advrider.com. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Former SNARK missile hangers and launch pads". wikimapia.org. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ OCLC 035600289. Archived from the original(PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
power and water pumping plant measuring 160 by 102 feet; an engine run-up facility that was 99 by 61 feet; a two-story launch and surveillance building measuring 44 by 39 feet, and a 15,000-gallon fuel tank farm with a pump house and truck filling stand.
(cites the "Installation Plan, SM-62 (Snark) for Presque Isle, Maine," in the archives at the U.S. Strategic Command, History Office, Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE.) - ^ "The Sunday News Journal - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Youngstown Vindicator - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Air Force To Build Snark Base" (Google news archive). Beaver Valley Times. 16 December 1957. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ISBN 9781563114557. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Captain James Berral's: An Interesting Night with the Snark".
- ^ a b "SNARK". oocities.org. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Plans for Construction Bidding on Presque Isle Snark Base Within a Week" (Google news archive). Lewiston Evening Journal. 4 April 1958. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
one contract. It calls for six assembly and checkout buildings, each about 420 by 86 feet, a power and water pumpting plant, an engine run-up building, six compressor houses, a fuel oil tank, a fuel pump house, water distribution and sanitary sewer systems, and rehabilitiation of the existing administration [sic] and control building.
- ISBN 9780891414001. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Northrop SM-62 "Snark" - Deployment". Strategic Air Command.com. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ^ "Preliminary Comments on an Article from the Official Soviet Journal, Information Bulletin of the Missile Troops" (PDF). Washington D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ John C. Lonnquest And David F. Winkler (1996). "To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program" (PDF). Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "The Lewiston Daily Sun - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Bangor Daily News - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "The Lewiston Daily Sun - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "The Lewiston Daily Sun - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Bangor Daily News - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "PHASE I ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT WEBBER OIL COMPANY PROPERTY 42 CHAPMAN ROAD PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE" (PDF). 20 May 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
Further reading
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
- Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).