Eldorado Air Force Station

Eldorado Air Force Station located 35 miles (56 km) south of San Angelo, Texas was one of the four unique AN/FPS-115 PAVE PAWS, early-warning phased-array radar systems. The 8th Space Warning Squadron, 21st Space Wing, Air Force Space Command operated at Eldorado Air Force Station.

Eldorado Air Force Station
Part of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)
Former PAVE PAWS array at Eldorado AFS
Coordinates30°58′44.68″N 100°33′9.59″W
TypeAir Force Station
Site information
Controlled byUnited States Air Force
ConditionCold Standby
Site history
In use1987 - 1995
Garrison information
Garrison8th Missile Warning Squadron

The Station was associated with Goodfellow Air Force Base, 35 miles (56 km) north, and was part of the NORAD at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex command structure.[1][2]

History

Construction of Eldorado Air Force Station began shortly after site selection for the four PAVE PAWS arrays was completed in 1983, with the station achieving its Initial Operational Capacity (IOC) in May 1986 and becoming fully operational in 1987.[1][3]

As the likelihood of sea-based missile attacks from the Gulf of Mexico decreased, and with the low probability of missile attacks from the South, the United States Air Force decided to close the southern-facing PAVE PAWS sites at Robins Air Force Base and Eldorado, Texas. After closure in 1995 one radar face from Eldorado AFS, along with another from the closed Robins Air Force Base site were moved to Clear Air Force Station, Alaska as part of the BMEWS upgrade in 1998.[2][3]

Units Stationed

Current status

As of 2006 the station was in mothballs awaiting possible future re-activation.[3]

References
  1. "PAVE Phased Array Warning System (PAWS) at Eldorado Air Force Station (AFS)". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. "AN/FPS-115 PAVE PAWS". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  3. Michael Graczyk. "$200 million Eldorado radar station stands abandoned". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 22 August 2012.

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