Custer Air Force Station

Custer Air Force Station
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
Type	Air Force Station
Coordinates	42°20′32″N 085°16′49″W / 42.34222°N 85.28028°W / 42.34222; -85.28028 (Custer AFS P-67)
Built	1952
In use	1952–1965
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Garrison	781st Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

Custer AFS

Location of Custer AFS, Michigan

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Emblem of the 781st Radar Squadron

Emblem of the Detroit Air Defense Sector

Emblem of the 34th Air Division

Custer Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-67, NORAD ID: Z-67) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 5.3 miles (8.5 km) west-northwest of Battle Creek, Michigan. It was closed in 1965.

History

Custer Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar 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 permanent network. Receiving the Defense Secretary’s approval on July 21, the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction.

Established at Fort Custer, Michigan on 18 April 1953, the 781st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron began operations with AN/FPS-3 and AN/CPS-4 radars at the site in April 1952. 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.

The site was re-designated Custer Air Force Station on 1 July 1956. An AN/FPS-4 replaced the AN/CPS-4 in 1956 and an AN/FPS-6 superseded this unit two years later. Also in 1958 an AN/FPS-20 replaced the AN/FPS-3 search radar. This radar was upgraded to an AN/FPS-66 in 1961. A second height-finder radar was installed in 1959. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-67.

In 1958 a Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-06) was established at Custer AFS (Fort Custer). The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. DC-06 was co-located on the Cantonment area of the 781st Radar Squadron.

During 1959 the 781st AC&WS joined the SAGE system, feeding data to DC-06. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 781st Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 September 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 addition to the main facility, Custer AFS operated the following AN/FPS-18 Gap Filler sites:

• Midland, MI (P-67A/P-20G) 43°38′03″N 084°25′42″W / 43.63417°N 84.42833°W / 43.63417; -84.42833 (P-67A/P-20G)
• Richland Center, IN (P-67B/P-73J) 41°07′05″N 086°14′28″W / 41.11806°N 86.24111°W / 41.11806; -86.24111 (P-67B/P-73J)
• Saugatuck, MI (P-67C/P-34G) 42°39′44″N 086°12′33″W / 42.66222°N 86.20917°W / 42.66222; -86.20917 (P-67C/P-34G)
• Shelby, MI (P-67D/P-34B) 43°36′00″N 086°20′25″W / 43.6°N 86.34028°W / 43.6; -86.34028 (P-67D/P-34B)

DC-06 It was initially under the Detroit Air Defense Sector (DeADS), established on on 8 September 1958. The sector was inactivated on 1 April 1966, and re designated as the 34th Air Division. DC-06 with its AN/FSQ-7 computer remained under the 34th AD until it, and the Air Division was inactivated on 30 September 1969 when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down many SAGE Data Centers.With the inactivation of the DADS, Custer AFS was inactivated. The 781st RADS ws Discontinued on 25 June 1965

Today the site appears to be a light business office park along with being the headquarters of the 24th NORAD Division. The large SAGE DC-06 blockhouse remains, now being a security archives warehouse. There is also a sign on the perimeter fence for a construction trucking company. The buildings in the immediate area of the SAGE blockhouse are in generally good repair, with some still in use. The Battle Creek regional chapters of the Air Force Sergeant's Association and Air Force Enlisted Association use the old Open Mess building.

Air Force units and assignments

Units:

• 4627th Air Defense Wing, 8 January 1957

Redesignated: Detroit Air Defense Sector, 1 September 1958

Redesignated: 34th Air Division (Air Defense), 1 April 1966-31 December 1969

• 781st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, activated 16 April 1951 at Fort Custer, MI

Station re-designated as Custer AFS, 1 July 1956

Re-designated 781st Radar Squadron (SAGE), 1 September 1959

Discontinued on 25 June 1965

Assignments:

• 541st Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 16 April 1951
• 30th Air Division, 6 February 1952
• 4706th Defense Wing, 16 February 1953
• 4708th Defense Wing, 1 November 1953
• 30th Air Division, 8 July 1956
• Detroit Air Defense Sector, 1 April 1959

785th AC&W assigned to: DADS

DADS assigned to: 30th Air Division

• 26th Air Division, 4 September 1963 – 1 April 1966

785th Radar Squadron remained under DADS until 25 June 1965

• First Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969

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 Custer AFS, MI

External links