Information for Claysburg AFS, PA

Latitude: 40-17-15 N, Longitude: 078-33-50 W

Call Sign(s): Silvertone

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
P-63	Z-63	772	Claysburg AFS, PA	CPS-4; FPS-3; FPS-4; FPS-6 (2), -6A; FPS-20, -20A	Apr-52	01-May-61	a.k.a. Blue Knob Park (AFS), PA; Sq relocated to RP-63, Gibbsboro AFS, NJ; Claysburg AFS became Det. 1, 772nd AC&W Sq. (SAGE); later, gap-filler site P-30H / Z-62F (but possibly was never operational as such).
P-63A			Fort Loudon, PA **	FPS-36 (Army); [FPS-14 (Air Force, planned)]	1959 (Army)	1961 (Army)	Planned Gap-Filler Annex. Also known as Cowan's Gap. ** In early ADC plans, but the Air Force gap-filler radar facility was never was built. Previously, site was an Army Nike gap-filler radar facility (1959-1961) for the Washington - Baltimore defense area.
P-63B, P-21D			Philipsburg, PA **	(FPS-14 planned)			** Gap-Filler Annex. In early ADC plans, but never was built. P-21D was also listed as Richardsville, PA.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

P-63

Z-63

772

Claysburg AFS, PA

CPS-4; FPS-3; FPS-4; FPS-6 (2), -6A; FPS-20, -20A

Apr-52

01-May-61

a.k.a. Blue Knob Park (AFS), PA; Sq relocated to RP-63, Gibbsboro AFS, NJ; Claysburg AFS became Det. 1, 772nd AC&W Sq. (SAGE); later, gap-filler site P-30H / Z-62F (but possibly was never operational as such).

P-63A

Fort Loudon, PA **

FPS-36 (Army); [FPS-14 (Air Force, planned)]

1959 (Army)

1961 (Army)

Planned Gap-Filler Annex. Also known as Cowan's Gap. ** In early ADC plans, but the Air Force gap-filler radar facility was never was built. Previously, site was an Army Nike gap-filler radar facility (1959-1961) for the Washington - Baltimore defense area.

P-63B, P-21D

Philipsburg, PA **

(FPS-14 planned)

** Gap-Filler Annex. In early ADC plans, but never was built. P-21D was also listed as Richardsville, PA.

History of Claysburg AFS, PA

The 772nd AC&W Squadron began operations at this peak in April 1952, allowing shutdown of the Connellsville L-16 Lashup site. In 1956 an AN/FPS-4 replaced the original AN/CPS-4 height-finder radar, and two years later an AN/FPS-20 replaced the original AN/FPS-3 search radar. In 1958 two AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars were installed, and the AN/FPS-4 was retired. One height-finder radar was upgraded to an AN/FPS-6A in 1959. Also in 1959, the search radar was upgraded to an AN/FPS-20A. This site was deactivated in 1961, and the squadron and the site designation relocated to Gibbsboro, New Jersey (RP-63 / Z-63), a shared Army Nike long-range radar site (for the Pedricktown, NJ, Nike Missile-Master control center) and previously Air Force gap-filler radar site P-9A. Claysburg AFS was redesignated a gap-filler annex, but reportedly never became operational as such.

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

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