Editor/Writer: Robert M. Braley Jr., MSgt (ret) USAF/AKANG Last Update: July 13, 2011
Klamath Air Force Station(AFS) P-33 (Requa), CA Call Sign(s): Engage Directions: Latitude: 41-33-33 N, Longitude: 124-05-10 W, five miles west of California Highway 101 at Klamath, California. From Klamath, go west on Requa Road to the end of the road. NOTE: most of the buildings (all will be) have been romoved and access to the station property is no longer possible. The Redwood National and State Parks staff and contractors are in the process of removing all buildings and restoring the land to its natural state.
On January 1, 1951 the 777th AC&W Squadron was activated, thus establishing Klamath AFS as Lashup-Permanent site, LP-33, operating an AN/TPS-1B radar. The site then became a part of the Permanent radar network.
Beginning in April 1952, the 777th AC&W Squadron began operating AN/FPS-3 and AN/FPS-4 radars at this northern California coastal site.
In 1956 the Air Force added an AN/GPS-3 to the facility.
By 1958 an AN/FPS-20 and AN/FPS-6 had replaced the initial pair of radars. During the following year, an AN/FPS-6A height-finder radar was added, later modified to an AN/FPS-90. The AN/GPS-3 was removed.
During 1960 the 777th became a SAGE radar squadron.
By the end of 1961, the AN/FPS-20A had been upgraded and redesignated as an AN/FPS-66.
An AN/FPS-26 height-finder radar was added in the 1963/1964 time frame.
By 1966 there was an AN/FPS-27 long-range search radar in operation there, and the AN/FPS-66 was subsequently retired.
The site came under TAC jurisdiction beginning in 1979.
On September 30, 1981 the 777th was in-activated. In the 1980s much property was turned over to the National Park Service. The operations area became a FAA/USAF joint-use facility.
In 1995, the FAA operated an AN/FPS-66A search set in the old AN/FPS-27 tower.
The Klamath / Crescent City radar site has since been 'replaced' by the FAA/USAF JSS site at Rainbow Ridge, CA (J-83A), operating an ARSR-4.
