Information for MacDill AFB, FL

Latitude: 27-50-05 N, Longitude: 082-28-19 W

Call Sign(s): Sheepman

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
M-129	Z-129	660; Det. 7, 14 MWS	MacDill AFB, FL	GPS-3; MPS-7; MPS-14; FPS-20; FPS-7B / -7E; FPS-90; FPS-26A	FPS-7E; FPS-90; (FSS-7)	06-Dec-54	15-Nov-80	* Also HQ and Det. 7 of 14 MWS, and later Det 1, 20 MWS (a detachment of Eglin) at closure. FPS-26A modified to FSS-7 SLBM radar. LRR site replaced by Fort Lonesome / Fort Green, FL, JSS sites. GATR retained until JSS switchover (1928 Comm. Sq.).
M-129A	Z-129A		Winter Garden, FL	FPS-14	FPS-18	Dec-58	01-Jul-70	Gap-Filler Annex.
M-129B	Z-129B		Inverness, FL	FPS-14	FPS-18	Dec-58	01-Jul-70	Gap-Filler Annex. Located south of Citrus County Road 480 in the Withlacoochee State Forest, about 9 miles SSW of Inverness.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

M-129

Z-129

660; Det. 7, 14 MWS

MacDill AFB, FL

GPS-3; MPS-7; MPS-14; FPS-20; FPS-7B / -7E; FPS-90; FPS-26A

FPS-7E; FPS-90; (FSS-7)

06-Dec-54

15-Nov-80

* Also HQ and Det. 7 of 14 MWS, and later Det 1, 20 MWS (a detachment of Eglin) at closure. FPS-26A modified to FSS-7 SLBM radar. LRR site replaced by Fort Lonesome / Fort Green, FL, JSS sites. GATR retained until JSS switchover (1928 Comm. Sq.).

M-129A

Z-129A

Winter Garden, FL

FPS-14

FPS-18

Dec-58

01-Jul-70

Gap-Filler Annex.

M-129B

Z-129B

Inverness, FL

FPS-14

FPS-18

Dec-58

01-Jul-70

Gap-Filler Annex. Located south of Citrus County Road 480 in the Withlacoochee State Forest, about 9 miles SSW of Inverness.

History of MacDill AFB, FL

This site became the first operational mobile radar under the first phase of the program. Activated by the 660th AC&W Squadron on December 6, 1954, this site initially used an AN/MPS-7 radar. By 1958 this site also had AN/GPS-3 and AN/MPS-14 radars. During the following year the AN/GPS-3 and AN/MPS-7 sets were replaced by AN/FPS-20A search and AN/FPS-6B height-finder sets. In 1960 MacDill became a SAGE system contributor. In 1961 an AN/FPS-7B assumed search duties, and an additional height-finder radar was added in the form of an AN/FPS-26. In 1963 an AN/FPS-90 height-finder radar replaced the AN/FPS-6B. In 1966 the AN/FPS-26 was modified into an AN/FSS-7 SLBM D&W radar, part of the 14th MWS. Around 1966 this became an FAA/ADC joint-use site, and the search radar was modified to an AN/FPS-7E model. In 1979 this site came under TAC jurisdiction, and was deactivated 15 Nov 1980. The FSS-7 (the final one in the USAF inventory) remained in use for about a year after the host 660th Radar Squadron deactivated, reassigned as Det 1, 20 MWS. The GATR site was retained until the JSS switch-over (circa 1984), with the radios being maintained by the 1928th Comm. Squadron (AFCC).

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

Hide