Information for Key West NAS, FL

Latitude: 24-35-04 N, Longitude: 081-41-18.5 W

Call Sign(s): Imagine

Perm ID	Sage ID	JSS ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
Z-209	Z-209	J-07	671	Key West NAS, FL	FPS-37; FPS-6A	FPS-67B; FPS-90 (2)	1962	JSS ARSR-4 site now	Originally, Navy-only radar site (located on Boca Chica Key, south-southeast of the runways, at 24Â°34'27.57"N, 081Â°40'49.25"W), added to ADC network at time of Cuban missile crisis. New joint-use radar site was north of the runways. Also shared with the Army for the Nike Hawk air-defense batteries at Key West; designated AADCP site KW-18DC.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

Z-209

J-07

671

Key West NAS, FL

FPS-37; FPS-6A

FPS-67B; FPS-90 (2)

1962

JSS ARSR-4 site now

Originally, Navy-only radar site (located on Boca Chica Key, south-southeast of the runways, at 24Â°34'27.57"N, 081Â°40'49.25"W), added to ADC network at time of Cuban missile crisis. New joint-use radar site was north of the runways. Also shared with the Army for the Nike Hawk air-defense batteries at Key West; designated AADCP site KW-18DC.

History of Key West NAS, FL

This Navy AN/FPS-37 radar (located south-southeast of the runways) was added to the Air Defense Command network in 1962 at the time of the Cuban missile crisis. In June 1962 the 671st Radar Squadron (SAGE) was activated here, and an AN/FPS-6A height-finder radar was added in late 1963 / early 1964. Te new joint-se radar site was constructed north of the runways, with two AN/FPS-90 height-finder radars and an AN/FPS-67B search radar, which would remain in operation for the next thirty years. In 1979 the Key West site became a TAC facility, and the 671st Radar Squadron was replaced by OLAJ 20th ADS. By 1988 the last of the two AN/FPS-90 sets was removed. An ARSR-4 is operated by the FAA at this site today.

Also, the Joint Air Reconnaissance Control Center (JARCC) was collocated with the radar site. Its call sign was Hershey.

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

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