Information for North Charleston AFS, SC

Latitude: 32-53-44 N, Longitude: 080-01-20 W

Call Sign(s): Hemingway

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
M-113	Z-113	792	North Charleston AFS, SC	MPS-7; GPS-3; MPS-11; MPS-8; FPS-20A / -66; MPS-14; FPS-26	FPS-27; MPS-14; FPS-26	1955	01-Jun-80	Site adjacent to Charleston AFB, beside I-26. Plans for an AN/FPS-28 FD search radar were cancelled; an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was installed instead. Site was once a joint-use site with the FAA (who operated the AN/FPS-66) from roughly 1959 to 1966; then, FAA relocated the AN/FPS-66 to Jedburg. In 1980, NC AFS was replaced by Jedburg JSS site, now with an ARSR-4.
M-112A / M-113C	Z-112A / Z-113C		Parris Island MCAS, SC	FPS-14	FPS-18	Apr-58	1 July 1970	Gap-Filler Annex. * Dec 61 is the probable date when this GFA site changed from Z-112A to Z-113C. ADC records indicate that when this site closed in 1970, it had the last FPS-14; however, one veteran reported that he was there when an FPS-18 was installed in the 1967-1968 time frame.
M-113A	Z-113A		Stateburg, SC	FPS-18		Aug-59	01-Jul-70	Gap-Filler Annex.
M-113A			Burgess, SC **	(FPS-18 planned)				Gap-Filler Annex. ** Planned but not built. Was redesignated as M-115A, Myrtle Beach, SC.
M-113B	Z-113B		Georgetown, SC	FPS-14	FPS-18	May-58	01-Jul-70	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Radar tower was torn down in recent years. According to sources, the Georgetown Municipal Airport was earlier the Georgetown Marine Corps Outlying Field (OLF).

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

M-113

Z-113

792

North Charleston AFS, SC

MPS-7; GPS-3; MPS-11; MPS-8; FPS-20A / -66; MPS-14; FPS-26

FPS-27; MPS-14; FPS-26

1955

01-Jun-80

Site adjacent to Charleston AFB, beside I-26. Plans for an AN/FPS-28 FD search radar were cancelled; an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was installed instead. Site was once a joint-use site with the FAA (who operated the AN/FPS-66) from roughly 1959 to 1966; then, FAA relocated the AN/FPS-66 to Jedburg. In 1980, NC AFS was replaced by Jedburg JSS site, now with an ARSR-4.

M-112A / M-113C

Z-112A / Z-113C

Parris Island MCAS, SC

FPS-14

FPS-18

Apr-58

1 July 1970

Gap-Filler Annex. * Dec 61 is the probable date when this GFA site changed from Z-112A to Z-113C. ADC records indicate that when this site closed in 1970, it had the last FPS-14; however, one veteran reported that he was there when an FPS-18 was installed in the 1967-1968 time frame.

M-113A

Z-113A

Stateburg, SC

FPS-18

Aug-59

01-Jul-70

Gap-Filler Annex.

M-113A

Burgess, SC **

(FPS-18 planned)

Gap-Filler Annex. ** Planned but not built. Was redesignated as M-115A, Myrtle Beach, SC.

M-113B

Z-113B

Georgetown, SC

FPS-14

FPS-18

May-58

01-Jul-70

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Radar tower was torn down in recent years. According to sources, the Georgetown Municipal Airport was earlier the Georgetown Marine Corps Outlying Field (OLF).

History of North Charleston AFS, SC

This site became operational in 1955 when the 792nd AC&W Squadron activated an AN/MPS-7 search radar. In 1956 operational radars included the AN/MPS-7, AN/GPS-3, AN/MPS-14, and AN/MPS-8 sets. In late 1959 this site was also performing air-traffic-control duties for the FAA with a newly installed AN/FPS-20A search radar. In 1961 the search radar was upgraded and redesignated as an AN/FPS-66. In 1962 North Charleston joined the SAGE system. An AN/FPS-26 FD height-finder radar was installed circa 1963. An AN/FPS-28 FD search radar was planned, but was subsequently cancelled; instead, in 1964, the site received an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar. In 1966, the FAA departed along with the AN/FPS-66 search radar. The AN/MPS-14 was modified to an AN/FPS-116 circa 1977. The AN/FPS-26 was retired circa 1979. The facility came under TAC jurisdiction in 1979. In 1980 the Air Force built an AN/FPS-116 height-finder tower at Jedburg, an FAA site located twenty-two miles northwest of Charleston, and closed Z-113. The 792nd Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated on 1 June 1980. The GATR facility was retained until the JSS switchover, circa 1984.

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

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