Claysburg Air Force Station

Claysburg Air Force Station
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
Type	Air Force Station
Coordinates	40°17′15″N 078°33′50″W / 40.2875°N 78.56389°W / 40.2875; -78.56389 (Claysburg AFS P-63)
Built	1952
In use	1952-1961
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Garrison	772d Aircraft Warning and Control Squadron

Claysburg AFS

Location of Claysburg AFS, Pennsylvania

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Emblem of the 772d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Claysburg Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-63) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Claysburg, Pennsylvania. It was closed in 1961 due to budget constraints. The unit was moved to Gibbsboro Air Force Station (RP-63), New Jersey.

History

Claysburg Air Force Station was part of the last batch of twenty-three radar stations constructed as part of the Air Defense Command permanent network. It was activated in April 1952, replacing the Connelsville L-16 Lashup site. It was declared completely operational in late 1952.

The 772d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron began operations with an AN/CPS-4 height-finder radar and AN/FPS-3 search radar, 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 1956, an AN/FPS-4 replaced the AN/CPS-4 and two years later an AN/FPS-20 replaced the original AN/FPS-3 search radar.

During 1959 Claysburg AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, initially feeding data to DC-03 at Syracuse AFS, New York. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 772d Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 February 1959. 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.

This site was deactivated in 1961 and repositioned to Gibbsboro AFS, New Jersey. Today Claysburg AFS has been redeveloped into Blue Knob Ski Resort.

Air Force units and assignments

Units:

• 772d Aircraft Warning and Control Squadron, assigned on 1 December 1951

Activated at Connellsville, PA (L-16), 1 July 1950

Moved to Knob Park, PA on 1 December 1951

Blue Park redesignated Claysburg Air Force Station, PA on 1 December 1953

Redesignated 772d Radar Squadron (SAGE), 1 February 1959

Moved to: Gibbsboro Air Force Station, NJ, 1 May 1961.

Assignments:

• 503d Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 1 January 1951
• 26th Air Division, 6 February 1952
• 4710th Defense Wing, 16 February 1953
• 4708th Air Defense Wing, 1 March 1956
• 30th Air Division, 8 July 1956
• Syracuse Air Defense Sector, 15 August 1958-1 May 1961

See also

• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations

References

	United States Air Force portal
	Military of the United States portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
• Information for Claysburg AFS, PA

External links