Ground Air Transmit Receive

Ground Air Transmit Receive (GATR) "control sites"[1] were the radio stations of a Cold War communications network in the Burroughs 416L SAGE Defense System deployed to automate ground-controlled interception using manned interceptors. Generally located near or, in some cases, on a Aerospace Defense Command radar station, a GATR site was used for the Ground to Air Data Link Subsystem to communicate command guidance via "HF/VHF/UHF voice & TDDL"[2] to vector F-106 Delta Dart and other equipped aircraft[3] that had been dispatched by teams in Weapons Direction rooms of SAGE Direction Centers. GATR maintenance was by the 304x4 Ground Radio Maintenance career field[4] with initial radio training at Keesler Air Force Base,[5] and GATR sites included the RCA AN/GKA-5 Time Division Data Link (TDDL) equipment providing output to an AN/FRT-49 Electronic Guidance Signals Transmitting Set with Varian klystron and 20 kilowatt output (or earlier 100 watt, single-channel AN/GRT-3). The aircraft receivers were either Hughes AN/ARR-60 or SLI AN/ARR-61[6] "Airborne Radio Receivers" of the Hughes MA-1 Fire Control System.[7]

Most "GATR/SAGE sites" are now Formerly Used Defense Sites such as the 6-acre (2.4 ha) site supported by Oakdale Air Force Station, Pennsylvania, and that were designated for closure by the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.[8]

Sites

USAF Ground Air Transmit Receive sites
Sector[3]
DC
GATR #
Coordinates
 Support AFS, etc. ST
Washington
DC-04
 R-16 Z-117 (Roanoke Rapids) VA
Bangor
DC-05
 R-25 Z-15 (Topsham)[3] ME
Detroit
DC-06
 Z-20 (Selfridge AFB) MI
Montgomery
DC-09
 R-tbd  Z-249 (Dauphin Island) AL
Duluth
DC-10
 Z-29 (Finley) ND
Seattle
DC-12
 Z-tbd (Makah)
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Los Angeles 
DC-17
 R-22 Z-15 (Lompoc) CA
Los Angeles
DC-17
 R-tbd Z-74 (Madera) CA
Los Angeles
DC-17
 R-tbd Z-59 (Boron) CA
San Francisco  
*NCC-18
 R-19  Z-38 (Mill Valley) CA
San Francisco
NCC-18
   Z-96 (Almaden) CA
Minot
NCC-19
   n/a (Minot AFB) ND
Great Falls
DC-20
 R-27  Z-27 (Fortuna) ND
Great Falls
DC-20
   Z-177 (Dickinson) MT
Phoenix
DC-21
 Z-181 (Ajo) AZ
Patrick
DC-09
 Z-211 FL
Z-tbd (Cut Bank) MO
Sioux City
DC-22
 Z-133 (Hastings) NE

References

  1. ↑ http://www.epa.gov/reg3hscd/npl/PA5210022344.htm
  2. ↑ , Tim (Sept 21, 2007). "Re: Speaking of AUTOVON" (coldwarcomms message). Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-02-18. A previously referenced AT&T training manual on SAGE/BUIC/AUTOVON phone systems does list all the AUTOVON/SAGE Switching Centers & includes their General Purpose (AUTOVON) NNX, their SAGE NNX, and … For example, Delta, Utah had 890 for AUTOVON, 764 for SAGE Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. 1 2 3 "Topsham AFS". Cold War Relics. copyright 2009. Retrieved 2013-02-19. the SAGE block house was bulldozed in 1985. Check date values in: |date= (help) (image of entrance sign with arrow: "Bangor North American Air Defense Sector")
  4. ↑ http://www.radomes.org/museum/showroster.php?site=Minot+GATR,+ND
  5. ↑ Blackburn, Charles A (2012-06-23). "[anecdote posting]" (PDF). AFdasf.org. Retrieved 2014-02-24. Keesler for 304x4 training; GATR sites in Cut Bank, MO and Hastings, NE…last assignment to Andrews AFB GAR site at Brandywine, MD
  6. 1 2 http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/jetds/an-arq2ary.html
  7. ↑ http://www.f-106deltadart.com/sage_system.htm
  8. ↑ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1998-05-12/pdf/98-12569.pdf
  9. ↑ http://57thbombwing.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=58236http://www.radomes.org/museum/recent/SelfridgeAFBMI.html
  10. ↑ http://wikimapia.org/5186065/Ground-Air-Transmitter-and-Receiver-GATR-Site
  11. ↑ http://wikimapia.org/5186065/Ground-Air-Transmitter-and-Receiver-GATR-Site
  12. ↑ http://wikimapia.org/5013155/GATR-site
  13. ↑ http://www.radomes.org/museum/showsite.php?site=Minot+GATR,+ND
  14. ↑ NORAD/CONAD Historical Summary, 1965B
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