Information for Othello AFS, WA

Latitude: 46-43-19.8 N, Longitude: 119-10-53.1 W

Call Sign(s): Igloo, Panorama, Lipstick

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-40	Z-40	637	Othello AFS, WA	FPS-3/-20; FPS-5; FPS-7C; FPS-6; FPS-6A	FPS-7C; FPS-6A; FPS-26A	Jan-52	31-Mar-75	BUIC-III. Site was located at top of Saddle Mountain, south of town of Othello. Plans for an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled; an AN/FPS-7C search radar was installed instead. The AN/FPS-7C later became AN/FPS-107. BUIC I ops ended 1 Mar 66. GATR Site was located at Larson AFB.
P-40A			Kittitas, WA					Gap-Filler Annex. Possibly was cancelled prior to construction (?).
P-40B	Z-40B		Wenatchee, WA	FPS-18		Apr-64	Dec-67	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Placed in standby status on 1 Apr 1965 for two years. Located on Badger Mountain.
P-60D / P-40C	Z-40C		Okanogan, WA	FPS-18		Dec-60 *	Dec-67	Gap-Filler Annex. Was once a planned site for an Army Nike FPS-36 radar. * Activated and tied into the SAGE network 15 June 1965. Site located atop Starvation Mtn. Ownership transferred from Colville AFS, WA (P-60), to Othello AFS, WA (P-40) when Colville AFS closed on/about 01 Nov 60.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-40

Z-40

637

Othello AFS, WA

FPS-3/-20; FPS-5; FPS-7C; FPS-6; FPS-6A

FPS-7C; FPS-6A; FPS-26A

Jan-52

31-Mar-75

BUIC-III. Site was located at top of Saddle Mountain, south of town of Othello. Plans for an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled; an AN/FPS-7C search radar was installed instead. The AN/FPS-7C later became AN/FPS-107. BUIC I ops ended 1 Mar 66. GATR Site was located at Larson AFB.

P-40A

Kittitas, WA

Gap-Filler Annex. Possibly was cancelled prior to construction (?).

P-40B

Z-40B

Wenatchee, WA

FPS-18

Apr-64

Dec-67

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Placed in standby status on 1 Apr 1965 for two years. Located on Badger Mountain.

P-60D / P-40C

Z-40C

Okanogan, WA

FPS-18

Dec-60 *

Dec-67

Gap-Filler Annex. Was once a planned site for an Army Nike FPS-36 radar. * Activated and tied into the SAGE network 15 June 1965. Site located atop Starvation Mtn. Ownership transferred from Colville AFS, WA (P-60), to Othello AFS, WA (P-40) when Colville AFS closed on/about 01 Nov 60.

History of Othello AFS, WA

The 637th AC&W Squadron began operating an AN/FPS-3 long-range search radar and an AN/FPS-5 height-finder radar in January 1952, assuming coverage from lashup sites L-29 and L-30. In 1956 the Air Force replaced the height-finder radar with an AN/FPS-6. In 1958 the 637th operated an AN/FPS-20 search radar and added an AN/FPS-6A height-finder radar. In July 1960 the site provided data to the regional SAGE center. An AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was planned, but was subsequently cancelled. In 1963 the AN/FPS-20 radar was replaced by an AN/FPS-7C set featuring an ECCM capability (the AN/FPS-7C was later modified to the AN/FPS-107 version). Also in 1963 the AN/FPS-6 was retired as an AN/FPS-26A FD height-finder radar was being installed, completed in 1964. The 637th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated on March 31, 1975.

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

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