Information for Colville AFS, WA

Latitude: 48-35-27 N, Longitude: 117-35-19 W

Call Sign(s): Railway

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-60	Z-60	760	Colville AFS, WA	FPS-3; FPS-5; FPS-6; GPS-3; FPS-6A; FPS-20.	Feb-52	01-Nov-60	Plans for an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled. Site deactivated due to budgetary cuts. Was east of town. A split site, the lower camp was the Spruce Canyon Youth Camp, but has since been torn down.
P-60A			Ione, WA	FPS-14	Jul-58	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Located on top of North Baldy Mtn. Became the site of fire-lookout tower (torn down in 1989).
P-60B			Northport, WA				Gap-Filler Annex. Located on Flagstaff Mtn.
P-60C			Curlew, WA	FPS-18	Apr-60	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Former LRR site, P-6 (Bodie Mtn. site).
P-60D / P-40C	Z-40C		Okanogan, WA	FPS-18	Dec-60 *	Dec-67	Gap-Filler Annex. Was once a planned site for an Army Nike FPS-36 radar. * Activated and tied into the SAGE network 15 June 1965. Site located atop Starvation Mtn. Ownership transferred from Colville AFS, WA (P-60), to Othello AFS, WA (P-40) when Colville AFS closed on/about 01 Nov 60.
P-60E			Mazama, WA				Gap-Filler Annex. Site was located at the top of Slate Peak (reportedly the highest point in Washington accessible by automobile). Both the building and the radar tower have been removed.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-60

Z-60

760

Colville AFS, WA

FPS-3; FPS-5; FPS-6; GPS-3; FPS-6A; FPS-20.

Feb-52

01-Nov-60

Plans for an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled. Site deactivated due to budgetary cuts. Was east of town. A split site, the lower camp was the Spruce Canyon Youth Camp, but has since been torn down.

P-60A

Ione, WA

FPS-14

Jul-58

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Located on top of North Baldy Mtn. Became the site of fire-lookout tower (torn down in 1989).

P-60B

Northport, WA

Gap-Filler Annex. Located on Flagstaff Mtn.

P-60C

Curlew, WA

FPS-18

Apr-60

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Former LRR site, P-6 (Bodie Mtn. site).

P-60D / P-40C

Z-40C

Okanogan, WA

FPS-18

Dec-60 *

Dec-67

Gap-Filler Annex. Was once a planned site for an Army Nike FPS-36 radar. * Activated and tied into the SAGE network 15 June 1965. Site located atop Starvation Mtn. Ownership transferred from Colville AFS, WA (P-60), to Othello AFS, WA (P-40) when Colville AFS closed on/about 01 Nov 60.

P-60E

Mazama, WA

Gap-Filler Annex. Site was located at the top of Slate Peak (reportedly the highest point in Washington accessible by automobile). Both the building and the radar tower have been removed.

History of Colville AFS, WA

This site took over coverage once provided by site L-28, Spokane. The 760th AC&W Squadron began operating an AN/TPS-1B medium-range search radar in March 1951 at then Lashup-Permanent site LP-60. In November 1951 an AN/TPS-1C replaced the -B model. This radar was subsequently replaced by an AN/FPS-3 long-range search radar and an AN/FPS-5 height-finder radar at this now Permanent site (P-60) in February 1952. In 1956 the AN/FPS-5 height-finder radar was retired and replaced by an AN/FPS-6 model. Also in 1956 an AN/GPS-3 search radar was installed. In 1958 the 760th operated a newly installed AN/FPS-20 radar, and the AN/FPS-3 radar was retired. An AN/FPS-6A height-finder was added also in 1958. In 1960 the AN/FPS-20 was modified to the AN/FPS-20A model. An AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was planned, but was subsequently cancelled. In November 1960 this site was deactivated due to budget constraints. References: "Searching the Skies"; misc. ADCOM documents; eyewitness accounts.

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