Information for Highlands AFS, NJ

Latitude: 40-23-29.5 N, Longitude: 073-59-38.5 W

Call Sign(s): Jitney; Dora (ADC); Snappy Tom (AADCP)

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-9	Z-9	646	Highlands AFS, NJ	CPS-6b(2); FPS-8/GPS-3; [FPS-6A (2) Army]; FPS-7; FPS-6, -90	FPS-7C; FPS-90; FPS-26A; [Army: FPS-69, after USAF left]	1948	01 July 1966	Site had the first operational AN/FPS-7 search radar. TT-4 was an Annex. Site shared with Army for Nike Missile air-defense system (NY-55DC); Army had its own FPS-6A height-finder radars. Site then turned over to Army in 1966; USAF unit became Det. 1, 772nd RADS (used the old FPS-26 for experiments). Army reportedly replaced the AN/FPS-7C search radar with an AN/FPS-69 ABAR radar. Site closed altogether in 1974.
P-30A; P-9B	Z-9B		Duttonville, NJ **	(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)				** Gap-Filler Annex. To have been located in High Point State Park, NJ.; to have replaced a planned Army Nike FPS-36 radar site. In early ADC plans, but never was built. The 1955 CONAD History document identifies the site first as P-30A, then as P-9B.
P-9A	Z-9A		Gibbsboro, NJ	FPS-14		Mar-57	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. In 1957, Gibbsboro became the first location in the nation of a gap-filler radar. Later collocated with Army Nike long-range radar site; then became USAF LRR site RP-63 / Z-63. Now is JSS site J-51.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-9

Z-9

646

Highlands AFS, NJ

CPS-6b(2); FPS-8/GPS-3; [FPS-6A (2) Army]; FPS-7; FPS-6, -90

FPS-7C; FPS-90; FPS-26A; [Army: FPS-69, after USAF left]

1948

01 July 1966

Site had the first operational AN/FPS-7 search radar. TT-4 was an Annex. Site shared with Army for Nike Missile air-defense system (NY-55DC); Army had its own FPS-6A height-finder radars. Site then turned over to Army in 1966; USAF unit became Det. 1, 772nd RADS (used the old FPS-26 for experiments). Army reportedly replaced the AN/FPS-7C search radar with an AN/FPS-69 ABAR radar. Site closed altogether in 1974.

P-30A; P-9B

Z-9B

Duttonville, NJ **

(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)

** Gap-Filler Annex. To have been located in High Point State Park, NJ.; to have replaced a planned Army Nike FPS-36 radar site. In early ADC plans, but never was built. The 1955 CONAD History document identifies the site first as P-30A, then as P-9B.

P-9A

Z-9A

Gibbsboro, NJ

FPS-14

Mar-57

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. In 1957, Gibbsboro became the first location in the nation of a gap-filler radar. Later collocated with Army Nike long-range radar site; then became USAF LRR site RP-63 / Z-63. Now is JSS site J-51.

History of Highlands AFS, NJ

In 1948 the 646th AC&W Squadron activated an AN/CPS-6 radar at this coastal site to feed into a manual control center established at Roslyn, New York. During an exercise in mid-1949, the capability of this site was judged as "zero." These radars were incorporated into the Lashup system and the follow-on permanent network. In 1955 the site received an AN/FPS-8 search radar. This radar was converted into an AN/GPS-3 that would remain until 1960. In 1957, received the first AN/GPA-37 unit. In 1958 an AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar became operational. Also that year the Navesink complex began providing a feed into the SAGE blockhouse located at McGuire AFB, NJ. In September 1959 this site became the first to deploy an AN/FPS-7 radar. Around this time, Highlands AFS also became an Air Force / Army joint-use site; the Army designation for the site was NY-55DC. The Army installed a Nike Missile Master direction center. In 1960 the Air Force installed an AN/FPS-6B height-finder radar. The Army likewise installed a pair of AN/FPS-6A height-finder radars. By 1963 the Air Force AN/FPS-6 and -6B height-finder radars had been replaced by AN/FPS-26A and AN/FPS-90 sets. The 646th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactiveated, and the site was transferred to the Army, on April 1, 1966. The Army reportedly replaced the AN/FPS-7C search radar with an AN/FPS-69 Alternate Battery Acquisition Radar (ABAR). Det. 1, 772nd RADS was activated at the then-Army site. Army radar operations ceased for good in 1974 when the Nike missile air-defense system in the CONUS was phased out. The entire site has since been demolished, and is now part of Hartshorne Woods Park.

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

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