Cross City Air Force Station

Cross City Air Force Station Cross City Army Airfield
Part of Air Defense Command Air University
Dixie County, near Cross City, Florida
1999 USGS photo
Type	Long Range Radar Site
Coordinates	29°38′4.60″N 83°05′55.89″W / 29.634611°N 83.0988583°W / 29.634611; -83.0988583.
Location code	ADC ID: TM-200, NORAD ID: Z-200
Built	1942
Built by	U.S. Air Force
In use	1942-1969
Open to the public	Yes
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Garrison	Cross City, Florida

Cross City AFS

Location of Cross City Air Force Station, Florida

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Emblem of the 691st Radar Squadron

For the civil airport use of this facility, see Cross City Airport.

Cross City Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force Station that operated under Air Defense Command. It was located just outside Cross City, Florida. During World War II, it was active as a training base for Air University and Third Air Force.

The former Air Defense Command radar site It was closed in 1970 by the Air Force, and turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Today it is part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS), designated by NORAD as Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) Ground Equipment Facility J-10.

History

World War II

The airport was opened as a public airfield in April, 1940. In August 1942, the facility was requisitioned by the United States Army Air Forces. Known as Cross City Army Airfield, it was used as part of the Air University Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics (AAFSAT) tactical combat simulation school in Central and Northern Florida.

Activated on 1 November 1943 and headquartered at Orlando Army Air Base, the school's mission was to develop tactics and techniques of aerial warfare and to establish technical and tactical proficiency requirements for combat units to effectively engage and defeat enemy air forces. This was done with a wide variety of aircraft, including heavy strategic bombers; tactical fighters; medium and light bombers; reconnaissance and dive bombers, based at different airfields of the school.

AAFSAT assigned the 81st Fighter Squadron to the airfield on 18 June 1943, flying P-40 Warhawks until 1 February 1944.

In addition to AAFSAT, Third Air Force used the airfield as a fighter training base, assigning squadrons of the 2d and 3d Air Commando Groups to Cross City, training with P-51 Mustangs before deploying to India and Burma:

• 1st Fighter (Commando) Squadron, 12–21 June 1944
• 2d Fighter (Commando) Squadron, 9–21 June 1944
• 3d Fighter (Commando) Squadron, 7 August-6 October 1944

The air commando units trained in gunnery, reconnaissance and field training. With their departure, several liaison squadrons arrived for training, and Cross City AAF was reassigned to Dale Mabry Field near Tallahassee as a sub-base. The airfield was later transferred to the Air Technical Service Command on 1 February 1945.^[1][2][3] After the war, the airfield was returned to civil control.

Air Defense Command

In 1958, the United States Air Force re-established a presence on the airport under the operational control of Air Defense Command (ADC). The was renamed Cross City Air Force Station. The 691st Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) Squadron activated an AN/FPS-20A search RADAR and a pair of AN/FPS-6A height-finder RADAR sets on 1 July, 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.

During 1959 Cross City AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-09 at Gunter AFB, Alabama. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 691st Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 October 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.

In 1962 the search radar was upgraded to an AN/FPS-66 radar, and then to an AN/FPS-66A in 1967. In addition to the general radar surveillance, Cross city AFS supported CIM-10 Bomarc antiaircraft missile testing by the 4751st Air Defense Missile Squadron at Eglin Auxiliary Field #9 (Hurlburt Field), Florida.

In addition to the main facility, Cross City operated two AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler sites:

• Perry, Florida (TM-200A): 30°04′42″N 083°34′47″W / 30.07833°N 83.57972°W / 30.07833; -83.57972 (TM-200A)
• Bridgeboro, Georgia (TM-200B/TM-199B): 31°25′28″N 083°57′12″W / 31.42444°N 83.95333°W / 31.42444; -83.95333 (TM-200B/TM-199B)

On 1 April 1966 the MADS was redesignated as the 32d Air Division. In 1969 one AN/FPS-6 was removed. The Air Force deactivated the 691st Radar Squadron on 30 September 1970 and closed the facility.^[4]

Today what was Cross City Air Force Station is now the Florida Department of Corrections Cross City Correctional Institution. Access by the general public is not permitted. Many former Air Force buildings are utilized by the prison. The radar site is still used as part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS).

Air Force units and assignments

Units:

• 691st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, assigned 1 July 1958

Activated 1 March 1958 at 35th AD, Dobbins AFB, Georgia (not equipped or manned)

Re-designated 691st Radar Squadron (SAGE), 1 October 1959

Inactivated 30 September 1970

Assignments:

• 35th Air Division, 1 December 1957
• 32d Air Division, 15 November 1958
• Montgomery Air Defense Sector, 1 November 1959
• 32d Air Division, 1 April 1966
• 20th Air Division, 19 November 1969-30 September 1970

See also

• Florida World War II Army Airfields
• Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
• 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.

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 2004.
• 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 Cross City AFS, FL

1. ^ USAFHRA Document 00171241
2. ^ USAFHRA Document 00117882
3. ^ USAFHRA Document 00171240
4. ^ USAFHRA Document 00463594

External links

• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for CTY
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for CTY