North Bend Air Force Station

North Bend Air Force Station
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
Type	Air Force Station
Coordinates	43°32′00″N 124°10′35″W / 43.5333333°N 124.17639°W / 43.5333333; -124.17639 (North Bend AFS P-12)
Built	1952
In use	1952-1980
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Garrison	761st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

North Bend AFS

Location of North Bend AFS, Oregon

Map of all coordinates from Google Map of all coordinates from Bing
Export all coordinates as KML
Export all coordinates as GeoRSS
Map of all microformatted coordinates
Place data as RDF

North Bend Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-12, NORAD ID: Z-12) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 3.9 miles (6.3 km) north-northeast of Hauser, Oregon. It was closed in 1980.

History

North Bend 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.

The 761st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at Reedsport, Oregon, on 7 February 1951 with AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-4. With site P-12's activation, the temporary "lashup" site L-33 at Portland shut down. The site was re-designated as North Bend AFS on 1 December 1953, 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 1955 an AN/FPS-8 was installed. The radar subsequently was converted into an AN/GPS-3, and removed in 1956. In 1957 an AN/FPS-6 took over height-finder duties. An AN/FPS-6B was added in 1959. This site began operating an AN/FPS-7 search radar in 1960.

During 1960 North Bend AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-13 at Adair AFS, Oregon. After joining, the squadron was re-designated as the 761st Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 15 July 1960. 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 1963 AN/FPS-26A and AN/FPS-90 radars were performing height-finding duties. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-12. The AN/FPS-7 was subsequently upgraded to an AN/FPS-107 model.

In addition to the main facility, North Bend operated several AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler sites:

• Port Orford, OR (P-12A) 42°44′13″N 124°30′35″W / 42.73694°N 124.50972°W / 42.73694; -124.50972 (P-12A)
• Disston, OR (P-12B) 43°35′09″N 122°39′09″W / 43.58583°N 122.6525°W / 43.58583; -122.6525 (P-12B)
• Placer, OR (P-12C) 42°41′31″N 123°13′48″W / 42.69194°N 123.23°W / 42.69194; -123.23 (P-12C)

Over the years, the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars. In 1979 North Bend came under Tactical Air Command (TAC) jurisdiction with the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and the creation of ADTAC. The 761st Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated 11 February 1980 as a result of budget restrictions, and the general phase down of air defense radar stations.

With the station's closure, the site was turned over to the statee of Oregon and it is now used as the Sutter Creek Institute (minimum-security prison)

Air Force units and assignments

Emblem of the 761st Radar Squadron

Units:

• 761st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Activated at Reedsport Air Force Station, Oregon, 7 February 1951

Site re-designated as North Bend Air Force Station, 1 December 1953

Re-designated as 761st Radar Squadron (SAGE), 15 July 1960

Re-designated as 761st Radar Squadron, 1 February 1974

Inactivated on 11 February 1980

Assignments:

• 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 7 February 1951
• 25th Air Division, 6 February 1952
• 4704th Defense Wing, 1 January 1953
• 25th Air Division, 8 October 1954
• Portland Air Defense Sector, 1 March 1960
• 26th Air Division, 1 April 1966
• 25th Air Division, 15 September 1969
• 25th ADCOM Region, 8 December 1978-11 February 1980

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 North Bend AFS, OR

External links