Searching the Skies: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program - BMEWS, SAGE, NORAD, PAVE PAWS, Spacetrack, Safeguard, Ground Observer Corps (GOC), Whirlwind

During the Cold War the United States Air Force assumed a burden for the defense of the skies over the United States. To coordinate this defense, a detection and command and control system had to be put in place that involved the construction of hundreds of radar stations and command facilities across the North American continent. As the Soviet threat evolved from bombers to missiles, America's detection and command and control systems also grew more sophisticated. Searching the Skies: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program is the product of an effort by personnel at the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL), working in cooperation with Dr. Green, Dr. Cameron, and other members of the military history community. The purpose of this study is to provide a tool for military installation cultural resource managers tasked with the proper stewardship of their historic and cultural resources. The study provides the basis for identifying, understanding, and evaluating DoD radar facilities associated with the Cold War.

Topics and subjects covered include: BMEWS, SAGE, Project Supremacy, Ground Observer Corps (GOC), CONAD, Pinetree Line, Whirlwind II (AN/FSQ-7) computer, NORAD, mid-Canada Line, BUIC, spacetrack, safeguard, Perimeter Acguisition Radar (PAR), PAVE PAWS, Radar Systems Classification Methods, PARCs.

Part I: The History of Defense Radar Programs * Introduction * Chapter 1 - The Evolution of Air Defense (1918-1959) * Early Development of Air Defense * The Post-War Era * Building the Network * The Debate * Improving Command and Control * Improving the Radar Network * Chapter 2 - The Evolution to Aerospace Defense (1959-1979) * The Radar Network After Sputnik * Missile Detection and Defense * Chapter 3 - Air Defense Revitalized (1979-1994) * Looking to the Future * Rebuilding the Network * Chapter 4 - Epilogue * Endnotes * Part II: Systems Overview * Radar Systems Classification Methods * World War II Radars * Early Cold War Search Radars * SAGE System * Compatible Search Radars * SAGE System Compatible Height-finder Radars * Gap-Filler Radars * North Warning System Radars * Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) Radars * Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Radars * Command and Control Systems * Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) System * Backup Interceptor Control (BUIC) System * Joint Surveillance System (JSS) * Part III: Site Listings * Appendix: Notes for Site Listings * Bibliography * Defense Radar Acronyms