Information for Winnemucca AFS, NV

Latitude: 41-00-40 N, Longitude: 117-46-03 W

Call Sign(s): Vaudeville, Torchy

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
M-127	Z-127	658	Winnemucca AFS, NV	FPS-3/-20/-66; FPS-6B (2) / FPS-90 (2)	FPS-66; FPS-90	1956	June 1968	Radar / Operations site was located on top of Winnemucca Mountain. Cantonment and housing areas were located below, near town. Plans for an AN/FPS-28 FD search radar and later for an FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled.
M-127A	Z-127A		Quinn River Crossing, NV	(FPS-14 planned); FPS-18		Dec-58	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant.
M-127B	Z-127B		Unionville, NV	FPS-18		Dec-58	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Building and radar-tower foundations are still extant.
M-127E			Denio, NV **					** Gap-Filler Annex. In original ADC plans, but never was built. Location was on top of Catnip Mountain.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

M-127

Z-127

658

Winnemucca AFS, NV

FPS-3/-20/-66; FPS-6B (2) / FPS-90 (2)

FPS-66; FPS-90

1956

June 1968

Radar / Operations site was located on top of Winnemucca Mountain. Cantonment and housing areas were located below, near town. Plans for an AN/FPS-28 FD search radar and later for an FPS-27 FD search radar were cancelled.

M-127A

Z-127A

Quinn River Crossing, NV

(FPS-14 planned); FPS-18

Dec-58

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant.

M-127B

Z-127B

Unionville, NV

FPS-18

Dec-58

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Building and radar-tower foundations are still extant.

M-127E

Denio, NV **

** Gap-Filler Annex. In original ADC plans, but never was built. Location was on top of Catnip Mountain.

History of Winnemucca AFS, NV

This site typified some of the problems with the mobile radar program. Because the program received minimal funding, the cantonment area was sited on Department of the Interior land located several miles away from the radar, rather than on adjacent land owned by the Southern Pacific Land Company. Delays in the decision-making process set the date for beneficial occupancy back to February 1955. Operational status was finally achieved by the 658th AC&W Squadron in 1956. The site used an AN/FPS-3 radar. By 1959 this radar had been joined by a pair of AN/FPS-6B height-finder radars. In 1960 the AN/FPS-3 was replaced by an AN/FPS-20 search set. An AN/FPS-28 FD search radar, then later an AN/FPS-27 FD search radar, were planned but were subsequently cancelled. At the end of 1961, the AN/FPS-20 search radar had been upgraded into an AN/FPS-66. At this time Winnemucca was providing a feed into the SAGE system. In 1963 the two height-finder radars were converted to AN/FPS-90 units. In 1967, one AN/FPS-90 was removed from service. The 658th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated in June 1968.

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

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