Information for Charleston AFS, ME

Latitude: 45-05-30 N, Longitude: 069-05-45 W

Call Sign(s): Founder, Abduct, Chambre, Pyramid

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-65	Z-65	765; Det. 6, 14 MWS	Charleston AFS, ME	FPS-3; FPS-5; FPS-20; FPS-27; FPS-6,-6A; FPS-26A (FSS-7)	FPS-27A; FPS-6A; (FSS-7)	Apr-52	30-Sep-80	BUIC-III. FPS-26A modified to FSS-7 radar.
P-13A / P-65B	Z-13A / Z-65B		Sedgwick, ME	FPS-14		Sep-57	Dec-67	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located 1.3 miles northwest of town center, on Radar Road. Control transferred to Charleston AFS, ME (Z-65) after Brunswick AFS (Z-13) closed in 1965.
P-65A	Z-65A		Topsfield, ME	FPS-18A		Dec-58	Dec-67	Gap-Filler Annex. Both building and radar tower are still extant. Located atop Musquash Mtn. Doubled as a fire-lookout tower.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-65

Z-65

765; Det. 6, 14 MWS

Charleston AFS, ME

FPS-3; FPS-5; FPS-20; FPS-27; FPS-6,-6A; FPS-26A (FSS-7)

FPS-27A; FPS-6A; (FSS-7)

Apr-52

30-Sep-80

BUIC-III. FPS-26A modified to FSS-7 radar.

P-13A / P-65B

Z-13A / Z-65B

Sedgwick, ME

FPS-14

Sep-57

Dec-67

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located 1.3 miles northwest of town center, on Radar Road. Control transferred to Charleston AFS, ME (Z-65) after Brunswick AFS (Z-13) closed in 1965.

P-65A

Z-65A

Topsfield, ME

FPS-18A

Dec-58

Dec-67

Gap-Filler Annex. Both building and radar tower are still extant. Located atop Musquash Mtn. Doubled as a fire-lookout tower.

History of Charleston AFS, ME

The 765th AC&W Squadron brought Charleston AFS to life in April 1952 and assumed coverage that had been provided by a Lashup site at Dow AFB (L-l). The site initially had AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-5 radars. In 1957 an AN/FPS-6 replaced the AN/FPS-5 height-finder radar. An AN/FPS-6A height-finder radar came in 1958 along with an AN/FPS-20 search radar that replaced the AN/FPS-3. During 1959 Charleston joined the SAGE system. In 1963 the site became the first in the nation to receive an AN/FPS-27 (after the prototype). This radar subsequently was upgraded to become an AN/FPS-27A. In 1964 an AN/FPS-26A height-finder was installed, and the AN/FPS-6 was removed. The AN/FPS-26A was then converted into an AN/FSS-7 SLBM D&W radar in 1966 for the 14th MWS (Det. 6). The 765th Radar Squadron was deactivated in September 1979. The 14th MWS detachment was inactivated a year later.

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

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