Information for Burns AFS, OR

Latitude: 43-33-41.75 N, Longitude: 119-09-06.20 W

Call Sign(s): Glen Gray

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
M-118	Z-118	634	Burns AFS, OR	MPS-7; MPS-14; FPS-7B; FPS-6/-90 (2)	FPS-66A; FPS-90	1955	30-Sep-70	Site located on Burns Butte, about 5 miles southwest of town. Family housing was at an off-site annex near town. Plans for an AN/FPS-24 or -35 FD search radar were cancelled; the site received an AN/FPS-7C search radar instead. Sq reactivated at new Lake Charles AFS, LA (Z-248), 1972 - 1974.
M-118A	Z-118A		Burns Junction, OR	FPS-18		Sep-58	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Location has been verified by a veteran who once visited the site when it was active.
M-118C			Beulah, OR **					** Gap-Filler Annex. In original ADC plans, but never was built.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

M-118

Z-118

634

Burns AFS, OR

MPS-7; MPS-14; FPS-7B; FPS-6/-90 (2)

FPS-66A; FPS-90

1955

30-Sep-70

Site located on Burns Butte, about 5 miles southwest of town. Family housing was at an off-site annex near town. Plans for an AN/FPS-24 or -35 FD search radar were cancelled; the site received an AN/FPS-7C search radar instead. Sq reactivated at new Lake Charles AFS, LA (Z-248), 1972 - 1974.

M-118A

Z-118A

Burns Junction, OR

FPS-18

Sep-58

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Location has been verified by a veteran who once visited the site when it was active.

M-118C

Beulah, OR **

** Gap-Filler Annex. In original ADC plans, but never was built.

History of Burns AFS, OR

In 1955 the 634th AC&W Squadron began operating an AN/MPS-7 search-radar set and an AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar set at this site atop Burns Butte. By 1959 this radar had been joined by a pair of AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars. An AN/FPS-24 or -35 FD search radar was planned, but was subsequently cancelled. Instead, an AN/FPS-7B radar replaced the AN/MPS-7 radar in 1960. In January 1961 the site joined the SAGE system. In 1963 two AN/FPS-90s were performing height-finder duties. In 1965 an AN/FPS-66A search radar (relocated from Condon AFS, OR) replaced the AN/FPS-7B at the site. One AN/FPS-90 height-finder radar was retired in 1968. The 634th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated at Burns AFS on 30 September 1970. [However, the 634th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was reactivated at the re-opened Lake Charles AFS, Louisiana, circa 1972, then deactivated for good in the 1974 time frame.]

References: "Searching the Skies"; misc. ADCOM documents; eyewitness accounts.

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