Clear Air Force Station

Clear Air Force Station
Part of Alaska Air National Guard
Denali Borough, Alaska, United States
AN/FPS-123 building (white, upper right) on Clear AFS
Clear Air Force Station Location in Alaska
Coordinates	64°17′26″N 149°11′13″W / 64.29056°N 149.18694°W / 64.29056; -149.18694
Site information
Controlled by	2006: 213th Space Warning Squadron 1983: 1st Space Wing (Space Command) 1979:15th Air Force (SAC) 1971: Fourteenth Aerospace Force (ADC) 1967: 13th Missile Warning Squadron (1st OUAs in '70, '73) 1961: Detachment 2, 71 MWW 1961: Electronic Systems Division 1949: Alaskan Air Command
Site history
Built	c. 1950: auxiliary airfield 1958-9: construction camp 1959-61: technical site 1998-2001: SSPARS Site
Garrison information
Past commanders	1961: Col. Walter F. Nyblade

External images

Dogsled near FPS-50 reflectors

BMEWS radars after phased array was completed

AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar

1983: 1st Space Wing (Space Command)

Clear Air Force Station ("Clear" colloq.) is an Alaska Air National Guard radar station for detecting incoming ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles to NORAD's Missile Correlation Center (MCC) and to provide Space Surveillance data to Air Force Space Command's Space Control Center (SCC). Clear's AN/FPS-123 Upgraded Early Warning Radar is part of the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS) which also includes those at Beale AFB, Cape Cod AFS, RAF Fylingdales and Thule Site J. The "historic property" was one of the Alaska World War II Army Airfields and later a Cold War BMEWS site providing NORAD data to Colorado's BMEWS Central Computer and Display Facility (CC&DF).

In addition to the "original camp area" with buildings still in use today, areas of the station include the airfield (ICAO: PACL), the "SSPARS Site" the technical site (Utilador, BMEWS reflectors, support buildings, power plant), and the composite site (two permanent dormitories, a mess hall, recreation area, and administrative area). In addition to the Air National Guard unit, Clear has active duty USAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, civilian, and contractor personnel.