Information for Vincent AFB, Yuma, AZ

Latitude: 32-39-15 N, Longitude: 114-35-28 W

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
SM-162	Z-162	864	Vincent AFB, Yuma, AZ	CPS-5D, CPS-4; MPS-7, MPS-14; MPS-8	1956	01-Aug-63	Base collocated with Yuma Airport and Yuma MCAS. A new SAGE radar site (RSM-162 / Z-162) was being built south of the MCAS, but was not completed due to squadron deactivation.
M-128C / SM-162H			Topock, AZ	(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)			Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located alongside National Old Trails Road, south of Franconia, AZ.
M-128D / SM-162I			Poston, AZ	(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)			Gap-Filler Annex. The LRR facility was originally constructed for the Colorado War Relocation Camp to house Japanese during WWII. However, apparently was never activated as an AC&W radar station. Instead, gap-filler radar site M-128D / SM-162I was built here (but was not activated).
SM-162A			Tacna, AZ	FPS-14	May-58	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located atop Radar Hill on Wellton Mesa, west-southwest of Tacna.
SM-162B			Corn Springs, CA	(FPS-18 planned)			Gap-Filler Annex. Demolished. Only the building's concrete pad and three radar-tower foundations/footings remain.
SM-162C			Stone Cabin, AZ	FPS-18	Feb-59	Dec-60	Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located just north of the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds, off US Rte 95.
SM-162D			Palo Verde, CA	(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)			Gap-Filler Annex. Built, but apparently, was never operational.
SM-162F			Cactus City, CA **	(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)			Gap-Filler Annex. ** In early ADC plans, but never was built

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

SM-162

Z-162

864

Vincent AFB, Yuma, AZ

CPS-5D, CPS-4; MPS-7, MPS-14; MPS-8

1956

01-Aug-63

Base collocated with Yuma Airport and Yuma MCAS. A new SAGE radar site (RSM-162 / Z-162) was being built south of the MCAS, but was not completed due to squadron deactivation.

M-128C / SM-162H

Topock, AZ

(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located alongside National Old Trails Road, south of Franconia, AZ.

M-128D / SM-162I

Poston, AZ

(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)

Gap-Filler Annex. The LRR facility was originally constructed for the Colorado War Relocation Camp to house Japanese during WWII. However, apparently was never activated as an AC&W radar station. Instead, gap-filler radar site M-128D / SM-162I was built here (but was not activated).

SM-162A

Tacna, AZ

FPS-14

May-58

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located atop Radar Hill on Wellton Mesa, west-southwest of Tacna.

SM-162B

Corn Springs, CA

(FPS-18 planned)

Gap-Filler Annex. Demolished. Only the building's concrete pad and three radar-tower foundations/footings remain.

SM-162C

Stone Cabin, AZ

FPS-18

Feb-59

Dec-60

Gap-Filler Annex. Building is still extant. Located just north of the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds, off US Rte 95.

SM-162D

Palo Verde, CA

(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)

Gap-Filler Annex. Built, but apparently, was never operational.

SM-162F

Cactus City, CA **

(FPS-14 first planned, then FPS-18)

Gap-Filler Annex. ** In early ADC plans, but never was built

History of Vincent AFB, Yuma, AZ

Circa 1955, the 4750 AD Wg first operated a temporary site with two CPS-5D and one CPS-4 radars. Later, the 864th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1956 using AN/MPS-7 and AN/MPS-14 radars. Vincent AFB was transferred to the US Navy on 1 Jan 1959, and the tenant radar site was renamed Yuma AFS. On 20 July 1962, the base designation was changed to Marine Corps Air Station. In this time frame, the Air Force began construction of a new Yuma AFS (RSM-162) about 13 miles south of Yuma. However, the replacement site was never completed, as, in March 1963, the Air Force ordered the 864th AC&W Squadron to deactivate. Operations ceased 1 August 1963.

References: "Searching the Skies"; misc. ADCOM documents; US Army Corps of Engineers FUDS report; MCAS Yuma web site ("History" entry); 1955 CONAD History document.

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