9. AFS King Salmon

Former King Salmon Air Force Stn had a dual function: a radar station annex comms hub operated by 705 AC&W Sq
From 1950-1953 the base was ops as a GCI radarstation. Then reassigned as an Air Defense Direction Center 1953-1977. Later a test site for the then brand new new FPS-117 radar 1978-1983 and converted into an operational NWS Long Range Radar Stn with the first FPS-117 radar from 1984 until its closure in 1998.

King Salmon has also been used as a communications hub. Communications were initially provided by HF radio's which were unreliable because of the atmospheric disturbances. After the decision to activate the RCA's White Alice Communications System (WACS). This was a USAF tropospheric scatter and microwave radio relay system which activated at the King Salmon site in 1957 at grid 58°42′19″N 156°40′08″W and remained ops until 1979 as WACS phased out being replaced by the commercial Alascom satcom system. The site is still maintenanced by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson personnel but the radar has been non-ops after station closure.

King Salmon Air Stn:
http://www.whitealice.com/wacs/sites6/aknacw.jpg
http://www.whitealice.com/wacs/akn2.jpg
http://www.whitealice.com/wacs/dishh.jpg

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