Information for Finley AFS, ND

Latitude: 47-30-51.9 N, Longitude: 097-52-12.2 W

Call Sign(s): Michael, Flower, Longview, Gray Mare

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-29	Z-29	785	Finley AFS, ND	FPS-3/-20; FPS-4; (FPS-5?); FPS-8; FPS-35; FPS-6; FPS-90	FPS-35; FPS-90	Apr-52	30-Dec-79	Replaced by new FAA-operated Finley JSS ARSR-3 (ARSR-4 now) site (Z-303), about a mile and or so west-northwest of original Z-29 radar site, at the old GATR site. Was this a BUIC-II site (AN/GSA-51)?
P-29A	Z-29A		Sheyenne, ND	FPS-14		Nov-57	Jun-68	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located on top of Black Hammer Hill, the highest point in eastern North Dakota.
P-29B	Z-29B		Grafton, ND	FPS-14		Nov-57	Jun-68	Gap-Filler Annex. Located at the Grafton Municipal Airport, about 2 miles east of town.
P-29C	Z-29C		Valley City, ND	FPS-18		Dec-59	Dec-67	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant.
P-29D			Dawson, ND **	(FPS-18 planned)				Gap-Filler Annex. ** Planned but not built.
P-29D / SM-132B	Z-29D / Z-132B		Middle River, MN	FPS-18		Apr-59	Jun 1964* (Jun 68)	Gap-Filler Annex. Both building and radar tower are still extant. * June 1964 is when the gap-filler annex was administratively transferred to Baudette AFS, MN; the Middle River GFA probably deactivated on/about June 1968 (when the other GFA was deactivated).

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-29

Z-29

785

Finley AFS, ND

FPS-3/-20; FPS-4; (FPS-5?); FPS-8; FPS-35; FPS-6; FPS-90

FPS-35; FPS-90

Apr-52

30-Dec-79

Replaced by new FAA-operated Finley JSS ARSR-3 (ARSR-4 now) site (Z-303), about a mile and or so west-northwest of original Z-29 radar site, at the old GATR site. Was this a BUIC-II site (AN/GSA-51)?

P-29A

Z-29A

Sheyenne, ND

FPS-14

Nov-57

Jun-68

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located on top of Black Hammer Hill, the highest point in eastern North Dakota.

P-29B

Z-29B

Grafton, ND

FPS-14

Nov-57

Jun-68

Gap-Filler Annex. Located at the Grafton Municipal Airport, about 2 miles east of town.

P-29C

Z-29C

Valley City, ND

FPS-18

Dec-59

Dec-67

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant.

P-29D

Dawson, ND **

(FPS-18 planned)

Gap-Filler Annex. ** Planned but not built.

P-29D / SM-132B

Z-29D / Z-132B

Middle River, MN

FPS-18

Apr-59

Jun 1964* (Jun 68)

Gap-Filler Annex. Both building and radar tower are still extant. * June 1964 is when the gap-filler annex was administratively transferred to Baudette AFS, MN; the Middle River GFA probably deactivated on/about June 1968 (when the other GFA was deactivated).

History of Finley AFS, ND

The 785th AC&W Squadron began operating an AN/FPS-3 search radar and AN/FPS-4 from this site in April 1952. In 1957 an AN/FPS-6 replaced the AN/FPS-4 height-finder radar, and an AN/FPS-8 search radar saw brief service. At the end of 1958 this site was operating an AN/FPS-20 radar. A second height-finder (AN/FPS-6B?) was added during 1959. At the end of 1959, Finley became a SAGE system input provider. In 1962 this station operated an AN/FPS-35 search radar plus AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-90 height-finder radars. The AN/FPS-6 was removed in 1969. The site was transferred to the TAC in October 1979. The 785th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated, and radar operations at Finley AFS (Z-29) ceased, on 30 December 1979 when a new JSS site was activated at the former GATR site about a mile to the northwest. The new Finley JSS site (Z-303/J-75) began operations with an FAA ARSR-3 search radar and an Air Force AN/FPS-116 height-finder radar (removed circa 1988). That site now operates an ARSR-4, as of the mid/late 1990?s.

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

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