CFS Saglek

History

The site was established in 1953 as a General Surveillance Radar station. It was used initially by the United States Air Force, one of the many that would make up the Pinetree Line of Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) radar sites.

The Northeast Air Command, the 924th Aircraft Control and Radar Squadron on the station on 1 October 1953. Initial radars installed were AN/FPS-3C long Range Search Radar; AN/FPS-502 small surveillance radar, AN/FPS-87A general Surveillance and an AN/TPS-502 height finder radar.

As a GCI base, the 924th's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes. These interceptors were assigned to the 64th Air Division at Goose AFB, Labrador. The station was reassigned to the USAF Air Defense Command on 1 April 1957, and was given designation "N-29".

In 1963, the site was connected to the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-31) at Goose AFB, and the site was upgraded to an AN/FPS-93A and AN/TPS-502 radars. On 30 June 1971, the USAF transferred control of the site to the Canadian Forces, which closed the facility.

North Warning System

A long range, phased array AN/FPS-117 3-dimensional air search surveillance radar and a doppler AN/FPS-124 short-range surveillance radar were installed in November 1989 as part of the North Warning System to cover any radar surveillance gaps. The new site (LAB-2) consists of a radar towers, communications facility, and storage and tunnel connected buildings for personnel.

USAF units and assignments

Units:

924th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Activated at Grenier AFB, New Hampshire 13 June 1953

Moved to Saglek Air Station, Labrador, 1 October 1953 Inactivated 30 June 1971

Assignments:

4707th Air Defense Wing, 25 May 1953

64th Air Division (NEAC), 1 October 1953

4732d Air Defense Group (ADC), 1 April 1957

Goose Air Defense Sector, 1 April 1960

37th Air Division, 1 April 1966

21st Air Division, 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971