Palermo Air Force Station
Encyclopedia
Palermo Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-54, NORAD ID: Z-54) is a closed United States Air Force
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 4.8 miles (7.7 km) north of Sea Isle City, New Jersey
. It was closed in 1970.
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 additional stations, and it received the Defense Secretary’s approval on July 21, the Air Force directed the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction of Palermo Air Force Station.
Because of difficulties with new production radar equipment, Palermo AFS initially received radar equipment from the former Lashup site to expedite operational status. Thus it was designated as site LP-54, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes.
In 1951 AN/CPS-5 and AN/TPS-10A height-finder radars were added to the site. By April 1952 the 770th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was operating AN/CPS-4 and AN/FPS-3 radars. In the spring of 1957, Palermo was one of the first to deploy an AN/FPS-20 radar. Palermo also received two AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars at this time.
During 1958 Palermo AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
(SAGE) system, initially feeding data to DC-01 at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 770th Radar Squadron
(SAGE) on 1 Oct 1958. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile. By late 1959 this station also was performing air traffic control duties.
On October 1, 1961, the 770th Radar Squadron
and the site designation (RP-54) left for Fort Meade, Maryland. The Palermo site was then operated by Detachment 1 of the New York Air Defense Sector. This unit was replacecd by the 680th Radar Squadron
in 1962 and the P-54 site designation returned to Palermo in 1963. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-54, and later the AN/FPS-20 was upgraded into an AN/FPS-65 radar. In 1968 one AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar was retired.
The 680th was inactivated and the Air Force closed the facility in May 1970. Palermo's GATR (Ground Air Transmitter Receiver) site (R-28) remained active until 1975, becoming a detachment of the 770th AC&W Squadron at Fort Meade, Maryland. The housing reportedly was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard after site closed.
For many years, the site was abandoned and overgrown, with deteriorating buildings and former radar towers dominating the site. Palermo AFS was demolished in 2003 and was redeveloped into the "Osprey Point" single-family housing development, with no evidence of the former military radar station.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 4.8 miles (7.7 km) north of Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
. It was closed in 1970.
History
In September 1948 the Air Force authorized Air Defense Command to establish thirteen radar stations in the Northeastern United States. These stations were in operation by mid-1949. The Air Force activated an AN/TPS-1B long-range search radar at the "Lashup" site (L-1), that fed into a primitive control center established at Roslyn Air Warning Station, New York.Prompted by the start of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, on July 11, 1950, the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of additional stations, and it received the Defense Secretary’s approval on July 21, the Air Force directed the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction of Palermo Air Force Station.
Because of difficulties with new production radar equipment, Palermo AFS initially received radar equipment from the former Lashup site to expedite operational status. Thus it was designated as site LP-54, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes.
In 1951 AN/CPS-5 and AN/TPS-10A height-finder radars were added to the site. By April 1952 the 770th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was operating AN/CPS-4 and AN/FPS-3 radars. In the spring of 1957, Palermo was one of the first to deploy an AN/FPS-20 radar. Palermo also received two AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars at this time.
During 1958 Palermo AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) system, initially feeding data to DC-01 at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 770th Radar Squadron
770th Radar Squadron
The 770th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland...
(SAGE) on 1 Oct 1958. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile. By late 1959 this station also was performing air traffic control duties.
On October 1, 1961, the 770th Radar Squadron
770th Radar Squadron
The 770th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland...
and the site designation (RP-54) left for Fort Meade, Maryland. The Palermo site was then operated by Detachment 1 of the New York Air Defense Sector. This unit was replacecd by the 680th Radar Squadron
680th Radar Squadron
The 680th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Palermo Air Force Station, New Jersey...
in 1962 and the P-54 site designation returned to Palermo in 1963. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-54, and later the AN/FPS-20 was upgraded into an AN/FPS-65 radar. In 1968 one AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar was retired.
The 680th was inactivated and the Air Force closed the facility in May 1970. Palermo's GATR (Ground Air Transmitter Receiver) site (R-28) remained active until 1975, becoming a detachment of the 770th AC&W Squadron at Fort Meade, Maryland. The housing reportedly was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard after site closed.
For many years, the site was abandoned and overgrown, with deteriorating buildings and former radar towers dominating the site. Palermo AFS was demolished in 2003 and was redeveloped into the "Osprey Point" single-family housing development, with no evidence of the former military radar station.