Pickstown Air Force Station

Pickstown Air Force Station (ADC ID: SM-134, NORAD ID: Z-134) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 3.1 miles (5.0 km) east-northeast of Pickstown, South Dakota. It was closed in 1968.

Pickstown Air Force Station
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
Pickstown AFS
Location of Pickstown AFS, South Dakota
Coordinates43°04′59″N 098°28′31″W
TypeAir Force Station
Site information
Controlled by United States Air Force
Site history
Built1961
In use1961-1968
Garrison information
Garrison695th Radar Squadron
Emblem of the 695th Radar Squadron

History

Pickstown Air Force Station was initially part of Phase II of the Air Defense Command Mobile Radar program. The Air Force approved this expansion of the Mobile Radar program on October 23, 1952. Radars in this network were designated “SM.”

The station became operational with the activation of the 695th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 18 April 1961. The squadron was equipped with AN/FPS-66 and a pair of AN/FPS-6 radars. It fed data to DC-22 at Sioux City AFS, Iowa. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile.

The radars were operated until 1968 when Air Defense Command closed the station as part of a draw down of assets and budget reductions. Today, what was Pickstown AFS has been completely redeveloped. It is now Fort Randall Casino & Hotel operated by the Yankton Sioux Tribe.

Air Force units and assignments

Units:

  • 695th Radar Squadron (SAGE), Activated on 16 April 1961
Inactivated on 8 September 1968

Assignments:

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gollark: Against the random one it rapidly decides to not trust it and probably does well for it, against tit for tat it cooperates, against tat for tit it soon apifies it, against devil it also soon apifies it, against angel it's nice to it (suboptimal, can't really fix it easily), against time machine it cooperates, against grudger it cooperates, and that's basically it.
gollark: It probably isn't optimal but you know.
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See also
  • List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

    • A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
    • Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
    • Information for Pickstown AFS, SD
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