Information for Fort Heath, Winthrop, MA (MM-1)

Latitude: 42-23-20 N, Longitude: 070-58-10 W

Perm ID	Sage ID	JSS ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
MM-1	MM-1		820	Fort Heath, Winthrop, MA (MM-1)	ARSR-1 (FAA); FPS-6A (2 - Army); FPS-6B (2 - Air Force)	ARSR-1 (FAA)	1961	1962	Shared Army / FAA / Air Force radar site for Nike Missile air-defense system (B-21DC); Missile Master site MM-1. Later, FAA site, Winthrop (Boston). Site now closed altogether; all radar towers removed.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

MM-1

820

Fort Heath, Winthrop, MA (MM-1)

ARSR-1 (FAA); FPS-6A (2 - Army); FPS-6B (2 - Air Force)

ARSR-1 (FAA)

1961

1962

Shared Army / FAA / Air Force radar site for Nike Missile air-defense system (B-21DC); Missile Master site MM-1. Later, FAA site, Winthrop (Boston). Site now closed altogether; all radar towers removed.

History of Fort Heath, Winthrop, MA (MM-1)

This US Army Missile Master (MM) site using an FAA-operated ARSR-1 long-range radar supported the Boston Defense Area Nike anti-aircraft missile operations, and was tied into the USAF Air Defense Command network in 1961. Two AN/FPS-6B height-finder radars were added for the Air Force, attended by the 820th AC&W Squadron. [The Army also operated two AN/FPS-6A radars.] The site was removed from the ADC network in 1962. The Army continued to use the radar facility until the end of 1964 when the Nike control center there was deactivated. The FAA continued operating the ARSR-1 radar of the former Fort Heath -- renamed Winthrop, MA -- until the mid to late 1990s. When the FAA assumed control of the new ARSR-4 JSS radar at North Truro, MA, on outer Cape Cod, the ARSR-1 was deactivated.

References: "Searching the Skies"; misc. ADCOM documents; eyewitness accounts; on-line Nike data.

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