Recent Photos of Ellsworth AFB, SD

Looking North

Looking East

Looking West

GATR Site (never completed) 2012 image looking East

GATR Site (never completed) 2012 image looking West

GATR Building

The USACE FUDS reports state that the GATR building was abandoned in 1962 as an empty shell, as shown in the first two photos. The 740th AC&W Squadron (Defense) had been scheduled to convert to SAGE operations (and become the 740th Radar Squadron (SAGE)), but the M-97 radar station was closed prior to completing the upgrade. Construction of the SAGE GATR facility was cancelled accordingly, and the property was sold to a private party. In recent years, the private owner completed construction of the GATR building, as shown in the last three recent photos taken by Scott Murdock. [Scott`s original photos are posted on his trip-report website, http://www.airforcebase.net/trips/rapid/rapid.html.]

From FUDS document

From Scott Murdock

May, 2001 photos contributed by Scott Murdock