Information for Madera AFS, CA

Latitude: 37-02-07 N, Longitude: 120-01-59 W

Call Sign(s): Shady Lady, Flatten

Perm ID	Sage ID	JSS ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-74	Z-74		774	Madera AFS, CA	FPS-3/-20/-66; FPS-4; FPS-6; FPS-90	FPS-66; FPS-6; FPS-90	Jan-52	25-Jun-66	Plans for an AN/FPS-28 FD search radar were cancelled; an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was planned instead. However, the plans for the FPS-27 FD search radar were also cancelled.
P-74A				Lemoore, CA **	(FPS-14 planned)				** Gap-Filler Annex. In early ADC plans, but never was built. Lemoore was the site of an Army Air Field.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-74

Z-74

774

Madera AFS, CA

FPS-3/-20/-66; FPS-4; FPS-6; FPS-90

FPS-66; FPS-6; FPS-90

Jan-52

25-Jun-66

Plans for an AN/FPS-28 FD search radar were cancelled; an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was planned instead. However, the plans for the FPS-27 FD search radar were also cancelled.

P-74A

Lemoore, CA **

(FPS-14 planned)

** Gap-Filler Annex. In early ADC plans, but never was built. Lemoore was the site of an Army Air Field.

History of Madera AFS, CA

Madera began as a Lashup site, LP-74, operating an AN/TPS-1B in March 1951. The 774th AC&W Squadron began operating AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-4 radars from this location in January 1952. In 1958 the height-finder radar was replaced by AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-6A radars. In 1959 an AN/FPS-20 search radar superseded the AN/FPS-3. In 1960 the Air Force upgraded an AN/FPS-6A to become a -6B, and integrated the site into the SAGE system. The Air Force then upgraded the search radar, first to an AN/FPS-20A, and then to an AN/FPS-66. An AN/FPS-28 FD search radar was planned, but was subsequently cancelled. Then an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was planned, but it too was cancelled. By 1963 this AN/FPS-66 search radar operated in conjunction with AN/FPS-6 and AN/FPS-90 height-finder radars. This site was inactivated on June 25, 1966.

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

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