Information for West Mesa AFS, NM

Latitude: 35-04-19 N, Longitude: 106-52-12 W

Call Sign(s): Carrot,Blush First

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
M-94	Z-94	687	West Mesa AFS, NM	MPS-7; MPS-14; FPS-20A/-91A	FPS-91A; MPS-14	1956	08-Sep-68	Site is 22 miles west of Albuquerque. Site was intended to go atop Mt. Vulcan, but owner refused to sell. Plans for an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled. West Mesa is FAA site now using an AN/FPS-91A radar, now CARSR.
M-94A			Carrizozo, NM **	(none listed)
M-94B			Zuni, NM	(none listed)				Gap-Filler Annex. 1955 CONAD History document lists the location of M-94B as San Antonio, NM. Zuni building is no longer extant. Located about 9 miles south-southeast of Zuni Pueblo. Radar tower and fuel tank were installed, but not the radar equipment due to the pending site cancellation.
M-94C			Datil, NM **	(none listed)				Gap-Filler Annex. ** Listed in early ADC history documents, but not built.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

M-94

Z-94

687

West Mesa AFS, NM

MPS-7; MPS-14; FPS-20A/-91A

FPS-91A; MPS-14

1956

08-Sep-68

Site is 22 miles west of Albuquerque. Site was intended to go atop Mt. Vulcan, but owner refused to sell. Plans for an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled. West Mesa is FAA site now using an AN/FPS-91A radar, now CARSR.

M-94A

Carrizozo, NM **

(none listed)

M-94B

Zuni, NM

(none listed)

Gap-Filler Annex. 1955 CONAD History document lists the location of M-94B as San Antonio, NM. Zuni building is no longer extant. Located about 9 miles south-southeast of Zuni Pueblo. Radar tower and fuel tank were installed, but not the radar equipment due to the pending site cancellation.

M-94C

Datil, NM **

(none listed)

Gap-Filler Annex. ** Listed in early ADC history documents, but not built.

History of West Mesa AFS, NM

A Lashup (L-45) station was operational at Kirtland AFB by late 1949. The Lashup station provided coverage for the Albuquerque-Los Alamos region. The site used AN/CPS-5 and AN/CPS-4 radars. In late 1952 an AN/CPS-5 radar was still operating on a Lashup basis to provide temporary coverage. Meanwhile, plans to permanently site the radar on Mt. Vulcan (located within what is now the Petroglyph National Monument) were thwarted by an owner who refused to sell at the price offered. Instead, the Air Force selected a site twenty-two miles west of Albuquerque, on West Mesa. The new site (M-94) became operational in 1956. At this site the 687th AC&W Squadron used AN/MPS-7 search and AN/MPS-14 height-finder radars. In 1960 West Mesa AFS was also handling air-traffic-control functions for the FAA. An AN/FPS-27 FD search radar was planned, but was subsequently cancelled. In 1961 the site (Z-94) hosted an AN/FPS-20 search radar. By 1966 the 687th Radar Squadron was operating an AN/FPS-91A search set. The Air Force deactivated this squadron in September 1968. The FAA continues to operate the AN/FPS-91A (now CARSR) search radar.

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

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