Clear Air Force Station Image File history File links Size of this preview: 597 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1004 pixels, file size: 83 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Part of Part of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)
Alaska, United States
Aerial view.
Type	Air Force Station
Built	1959
In use	1959 - present
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Garrison	21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado

Clear AFS is about five miles (8km) south of Anderson, Alaska

Clear Air Force Station (ICAO: PACL) is a United States Air Force Station located 5 miles (8 km) south of Anderson, Alaska, USA. The 13th Space Warning Squadron is located at this base; a part of the 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base and NORAD.^[1] For other uses, see Alaska (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1000 pixel, file size: 285 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions of this file File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1000 pixel, file size: 285 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions of this file File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... USAF redirects here. ... https://www. ... Peterson Air Force Base (Peterson AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in El Paso County, Colorado near Colorado Springs. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Anderson is a city in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States. ... The ICAO (IPA pronunciation: ) airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... USAF redirects here. ... Anderson is a city in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States. ... For other uses, see Alaska (disambiguation). ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... The 13th Space Warning Squadron is assigned to the 21st Space Wing of the Air Force Space Command, both with headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, United States, and is part of the new phased-array radar system, called PAVE PAWS1. ... https://www. ... Peterson Air Force Base (IATA: COS, ICAO: KCOS, FAA LID: COS) is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

History

Clear Air Force Station has a rich history with very humble beginnings. The area's first permanent landmark was the Alaska Railroad whose line from Anchorage to Fairbanks was completed in 1915. Rumor has it that operations began in the Clear area when a small dirt landing strip was constructed alongside the railroad in World War II to aid pilots ferrying P-39 and P-63 fighter planes to Russia. During the post-war period, Clear served as a gunnery range for the Army Air Corps, and later as a divert field for Air Force aircraft operating in Alaska. The real estate was known as "Clear Air Force Auxiliary Field," a part of Ladd Field in Fairbanks, current-day site of Fort Wainwright. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal fighter aircraft in service with American forces at the start of World War II. At first for a short time designated XP-45, it had just a single-speed, single-stage supercharger for its engine, instead of an exhaust-driven... The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was developed from the P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircrafts deficiencies. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

1950s

In 1959, a strip of wilderness at Clear was appropriated to become Site II of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS). Groundbreaking for the new radar took place in May of that year. Over the next two years, construction would continue on the three detection radars that would become Clear's trademark. The radars were designed by GE and MIT Lincoln Laboratory and built by RCA. Operational capability was achieved in 1961. Although the site belonged to the Air Force, civilian contractor personnel actually performed the missile-warning mission until 1964, when Air Force personnel finally permanently manned the station. Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Phased array BMEWS Installation at Thule, Greenland The Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) was the first operational ballistic missile detection radar. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... Ge may refer to: Gê, a group of indigenous Brazilian tribes and their Ge languages Ge (Cyrillic) (Г, г), a letter of the Cyrillic alphabet Ge with upturn (Ґ, ґ), a letter of the Ukrainian alphabet Nikolai Ge, a Russian painter Gē, an ancient Chinese dagger-axe Ge (genus), a genus of butterflies Also... Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT, MapúaTech or simply Mapúa) is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary institute located in Intramuros, Manila. ... MIT Lincoln Laboratory, also known as Lincoln Lab, is a federally funded research and development center managed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and funded by the United States Department of Defense. ... This article is about the former RCA Corporation. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ...

The history of Clear as a radar site really began in 1957 with the Soviet launch of Sputnik. The US could no longer ignore the threat of Soviet ICBMs, and the early detection of enemy launches became a national priority. In 1959, a 10x40 mile strip of wilderness at Clear was appropriated to become Site II of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS). Site I was already under construction at Thule, Greenland, and Site III would soon follow at Fylingdales-Moor, North Yorkshire, England. A humble camp area was erected adjacent to the railroad, and groundbreaking for the new radar took place in May 1959. Over the next two years, construction would continue on the three massive detection radars that would become Clear's trademark. The radars, designed by GE and MIT's Lincoln Labs and built by RCA, measure 165x400 feet, and weigh 2,000,000 lbs apiece. Considering there were no major roads in the area at the time, the construction of Clear was an enormous undertaking with a final price tag of $360,000,000.

1960s

In addition to the technical site (the area containing the radars, radar support buildings, and power plant), two permanent dormitories, a mess hall, recreation area, and administrative area (collectively known as the composite site) were also completed nearby. Initial operational capability was achieved on July 1, 1961, and full operational capability was declared three months later. In November 1961, the Air Force's Air Defense Command accepted the facilities from Air Force Systems Command who had been overseeing construction. The responsibility for operation lay with the 2nd Detachment of the 71st Missile Warning Wing. Although the site belonged to the Air Force, civilian contractor personnel actually performed the missile-warning mission until 1964, when Air Force personnel finally permanently manned the Tactical Operations Room (TOR).

In 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake, the second largest earthquake ever recorded, shook Alaska. Although no casualties were sustained, the earthquake caused the site to "go red" (unable to perform the mission) for six minutes. Although designed to detect incoming missiles, Clear's radars were also useful in tracking satellites in low-earth orbits. Further improving this capability, as well as providing enhanced accuracy of launch and impact predictions, was the mechanical tracking radar, an 84 foot diameter radar on a moving pedestal housed in a 140 foot diameter radome. The tracker became operational in 1966. On January 1, 1967, Det 2 became the 13th Missile Warning Squadron. One of the squadron's first acts was to provide emergency shelter to 216 refugees from Fairbanks and the surrounding area when a devastating flood struck the region in August 1967. That same year, the squadron was given funding for additional building construction. Despite the new construction, many of the "temporary" buildings from the original camp area are still in use today. Earthquake Damage, Anchorage The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of Friday, March 27, 1964 (Good Friday, a Christian holy day associated with a historical earthquake[1]), 5:36 P.M. AST (03:36 3/27 UTC) had a magnitude of 9. ...

Throughout the '60s and early '70s, Clear played a part in a series of experiments affecting its radars. One such experiment was conducted by the University of Alaska, which injected sulfur hexafluoride into the upper atmosphere to see if the aurora could be dissipated or intensified.

1970s

1970 marked the first of Clear's Outstanding Unit Awards.

In 1971, the 13th MWS was reassigned from the 71st Missile Warning Wing to the 14th Aerospace Force. The '70s also saw a number of firsts at Clear, including the assignment of its first female officer in 1973. In the same year, the 13th MWS was awarded its second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The 13th was reassigned from Air Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) through 15th Air Force in 1979. In 1981, Clear underwent a major modification when it was feared that the radome, housing the tracker radar, was unsafe (a nearly identical radome had recently burnt to the ground at Thule). This project saw the disassembly of the tracker, the demolishing of the existing radome, the construction of a new radome, and the reconstruction of the tracker.

1980s

The 13th was again reassigned on 1 May 1983, this time to Space Command's 1st Space Wing. Another first at Clear, which received a lot of local publicity, was the first all-female crew, which pulled a shift on 28 February 1986. When Thule and Fylingdales were converted to phased-array radar systems, Clear became the last mechanical missile warning site in the US. It was decided that Clear would be upgraded with a phased-array as well, and the Clear Radar Upgrade (CRU) was born.

2000s

Rather than build a completely new radar, the CRU utilized existing radar components from the deactivated PAVE PAWS SLBM warning site at El Dorado, Texas. Ground was broken for the new radar in April 1998. The new radar is known as the Solid-State Phased-Array Radar System (SSPARS--pronounced ES-pars). On 15 December 2000, after nearly 40 years of operation, the last of the original BMEWS radars ceased transmitting, and the SSPARS began 24-hour operations. Initial Operational Capability was declared on 31 January 2001.

More recently Clear underwent another metamorphosis. In 2001 Clear began its transition from an Active Duty, dependent restricted, remote short tour to a full time Active Alaska Air National Guard unit. Despite the many hurdles, Clear celebrated the historic standup of the 213 Space Warning Squadron on 30 August 2006. This marks the first time a Guard unit has taken on a mission of this type and is failing wonderfully. Clear is now comprised of Active Duty Air Force, Alaska Air National Guard, Canadian Air Force, civilian, and contractor personnel.

Operations

On January 1, 1967, the 13th Missile Warning Squadron (MWS) was created at Clear AFS. In 1971, the 13 MWS was reassigned from the 71st Missile Warning Wing to the 14th Aerospace Force. The 13th was reassigned from Air Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) through Fifteenth Air Force in 1979. is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... ... For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film) The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992. ... Activated on November 1, 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was established as part of the U.S. Army Air Force in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

In 1981, Clear underwent a major modification when it was feared that the radome, housing the tracker radar, was unsafe. This project saw the disassembly of the tracker, the demolishing of the existing radome, the construction of a new radome, and the reconstruction of the tracker. AUGUST 25 1981 US Marine Sean Vance is Born on the 25th of August {ear nav|1981}} Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Radomes at the Misawa Security Operations Center, Misawa, Japan A radome (a portmanteau of radar and dome) is a structural, weatherproof enclosure used to protect an antenna. ...

The 13th was again reassigned on 1 May 1983, this time to Space Command's 1st Space Wing. is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ...

The 11-story tall SSPARS in its protective dome

Ground was broken in 1998 for a new radar known as the Solid-State Phased-Array Radar System (SSPARS, pronounced "ES-pars"). The SSPARS is a PAVE PAWS radar. On 15 December 2000, after nearly 40 years of operation, the last of the original BMEWS radars ceased transmitting, and the SSPARS began 24-hour operations. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1360 pixel, file size: 993 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1360 pixel, file size: 993 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Coverage of PAVE PAWS is show in blue. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The 13th Space Warning Squadron is currently undergoing a transition to the Alaska Air National Guard. During the summer of 2006, the Alaska Air National Guard will activate the 213th Space Warning Squadron to assume the duties of the 13th (which will be deactivated). Clear Air Force Station will remain an active duty Air Force installation, but military manning will be provided by the Alaska Air National Guard. The Air National Guard (ANG) is part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Air Force (USAF). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Military of the United States Portal

• Clear Air Force Station

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States_Air_Force. ...

Related content

v • d • e Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) Air Forces Fourteenth  · Twentieth Centers Space and Missile Systems Center  · Space Innovation & Development Center  · 614th Air and Space Operations Center Bases Buckley · F.E. Warren · Los Angeles · Malmstrom · Patrick · Peterson · Schriever · Thule · Vandenberg Stations Cape Canaveral · Cape Cod · Cavalier · Cheyenne Mountain · Clear · New Boston · Onizuka Wings Space 21st · 30th · 45th · 50th · 460th Missile 90th · 91st · 341st other 61st Air Base · Global Positioning Systems · Launch and Range Systems · Military Satellite Communications Systems · Space-Based Infrared Systems · Space Development and Test · Space Superiority Systems Squadrons Space Control 1st • 4th • 16th • 20th • 25th • 76th • 380th Space Development 1st • 2d • 3d Space Experimentation 1st • 3d Space Launch 1st • 2d • 3d  • 4th • 5th Space Operations 1st • 2d • 3d  • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th  • 8th • 9th • 19th  • 21st • 22d  • 23d • 111th • 148th Space Surveillance 1st • 3d • 4th  • 5th • 16th • 17th • 18th  • 19th • 20th Space Test 1st Air and Space • 2d • 3d  • 4th Space Weather 65th Space Warning 2d • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th  • 8th • 9th • 10th  • 11th • 12th  • 13th • 137th • 213th Weapons 328th