Air Defense Radar Stations

Information for Dauphin Island AFS, AL

693 Radar Squadron (AC&W) ADC
Dauphin Island AFS, AL
Latitude: 30-15-00 N, Longitude: 088-04-40 W

Perm ID	Sage ID	Unit	Location	Early Equip.	Final Equip.	Oper. Date	Inact. Date	Notes
TM-196	Z-196	693	Dauphin Island AFS, AL	FPS-20; FPS-6A (2); FPS-7	FPS-93A; FPS-6 *	Jan-59	Sep-70 *	* Re-opened in 1972 as part of the Southern Air Defense System.
TM-196A / M-126A	Z-126A		New Orleans, LA	FPS-14	FPS-18	Oct-57	1 July 1970	Gap-Filler Annex. The radar site was located at Camp Leroy Johnson (next to Lake Pontchartrain).
TM-196B	Z-196B		Gulfport, MS	FPS-18		Aug-61	01-Jul-70	Gap-Filler Annex. Site was just east of the airport, on 47th Street, between Adams Ave. and Chamberlain Ave., per USACE FUDS report.

Perm ID

Sage ID

JSS ID

Unit

Location

Early
Equip.

Final
Equip.

Oper.
Date

Inact.
Date

Notes

TM-196

Z-196

693

Dauphin Island AFS, AL

FPS-20; FPS-6A (2); FPS-7

FPS-93A; FPS-6 *

Jan-59

Sep-70 *

* Re-opened in 1972 as part of the Southern Air Defense System.

TM-196A / M-126A

Z-126A

New Orleans, LA

FPS-14

FPS-18

Oct-57

1 July 1970

Gap-Filler Annex. The radar site was located at Camp Leroy Johnson (next to Lake Pontchartrain).

TM-196B

Z-196B

Gulfport, MS

FPS-18

Aug-61

01-Jul-70

Gap-Filler Annex. Site was just east of the airport, on 47th Street, between Adams Ave. and Chamberlain Ave., per USACE FUDS report.

History of Dauphin Island AFS, AL

This site and the attendant 693rd AC&W Squadron became operational in January 1959. The site had an AN/FPS-20 search radar and two AN/FPS-6A height-finder radars. Dauphin Island began operating an AN/FPS-7 radar in 1960, and joined the SAGE system. In 1961 this site was an ADC/FAA joint-use facility. However, it was removed from joint-use status in 1962 and then put back in joint-use status in 1963. Two years later, the site was again removed from joint-use status. The Air Force deactivated the 693rd in September 1970. The site was re-opened in 1972 as part of the Southern Air Defense Systems (SADS). A second radar squadron, the 635th, arrived from Fort Lawton, Washington that year. This unit operated an AN/FPS-93 and an AN/FPS-6 radar. The 635th was deactivated on July 1, 1974. The radar site became operating location OLAG / 630th Radar Squadron, and later an operating location of the 678th Air Defense Group. The site closed for good on 30 September 1980.

References: "Searching the Skies"; misc. ADCOM documents.