Originally-Planned JSS Replacement for Gibbsboro AFS, NJ

contributed by Tom Page

The original Joint Surveillance System (JSS) plans for Gibbsboro AFS, NJ, called for the site to be replaced by the FAA long-range radar site at Trevose, PA (located just north of Philadelphia, next to the US Rte 1 interchange with the PA Turnpike). The problem was, an environmental study discovered that the beam from an Air Force nodding height-finder radar (AN/FPS-116), to have been installed at Trevose, would have swept too close to existing inhabited buildings. So, the Air Force decided to keep Gibbsboro AFS open after all. During the change-out of the AN/FPS-27 search radar at Gibbsboro AFS, the FAA`s Trevose site was used as a temporary data-tie until an AN/FPS-117 could be installed at Gibbsboro AFS. The AN/FPS-117 radar reportedly had problems, and it was decided to send that radar to Murphy Dome AFS, AK. Again, Trevose was used as a data-tie, and was designated as JSS Site J-61. In the mid 1990`s, the Air Force began replacing the radars at most of its shared CONUS radar sites with the new ARSR-4 long-range 3-D radar (designated also as AN/FPS-130). Gibbsboro AFS received one of these new ARSR-4 radars, and the data-tie with Trevose was subsequently terminated. Once the ARSR-4 at Gibbsboro was fully certified by the FAA, the Trevose site was closed. The Trevose FAA site (which originally operated an ARSR-1, and later an ARSR-60) was located at latitude 40°08`04"N and longitude 74°59`13.5"W. It may be viewed in satellite imagery at URL: http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?S=10&T=1&X=2505&Y=22213&Z=18&W=2