History of Great Falls AFB, MT

By 1954, several AC&W squadrons had been formed at then Great Falls AFB. The 903rd AC&W Squadron was one of them, and operated an AN/TPS-1D. The 903rd AC&W Squadron subsequently relocated to Gettysburg AFS, SD. Meanwhile, in 1957, under the control of the 801st AC&W Squadron, the Malmstrom AFB radar station became operational with AN/FPS-20 search and AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars. A second AN/FPS-6 series height-finder radar was added in 1960, and subsequently was upgraded to an AN/FPS-90 set. In 1959 this station was performing air-traffic-control duties for the FAA, and joined the SAGE system circa 1961. In 1964 the site received an AN/FPS-24 search radar, replacing the AN/FPS-20. The 801st Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated on 31 December 1969. However, the radar site itself rejoined the SAGE network on 30 June 1971. The FAA operated an AN/FPS-65 search radar (which had replaced the AN/FPS-24), and the Air Force added an AN/FPS-90 height-finder radar. This height-finder radar later became an AN/FPS-116 for the JSS Program, then was removed circa 1988. The Malmstrom AFB radar site was closed altogether in the late 1990s, replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge north of Great Falls. References: "Searching the Skies"; misc. ADCOM documents; eyewitness accounts.


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