Pickstown Air Force Station

Pickstown Air Force Station
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
Pickstown AFS Location of Pickstown AFS, South Dakota
Coordinates
Type	Air Force Station
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1961
In use	1961-1968
Garrison information
Garrison	695th Radar Squadron

File:695th Radar Squadron - Emblem.png

Emblem of the 695th Radar Squadron

Pickstown Air Force Station (ADC ID: SM-134, NORAD ID: Z-134) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 3.1 miles (5.0 km) east-northeast of Pickstown, South Dakota. It was closed in 1968.

History

Pickstown Air Force Station was initially part of Phase II of the Air Defense Command Mobile Radar program. The Air Force approved this expansion of the Mobile Radar program on October 23, 1952. Radars in this network were designated “SM.”

The station became operational with the activation of the 695th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 18 April 1961. The squadron was equipped with AN/FPS-66 and a pair of AN/FPS-6 radars. It fed data to DC-22 at Sioux City AFS, Iowa. The radar squadron provided information 24/7 the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile.

The radars were operated until 1968 when Air Defense Command closed the station as part of a draw down of assets and budget reductions. Today, what was Pickstown AFS has been completely redeveloped. It is now Fort Randall Casino & Hotel operated by the Yankton Sioux Tribe.

Air Force units and assignments

Units:

• 695th Radar Squadron (SAGE), Activated on 16 April 1961

Inactivated on 8 September 1968

Assignments:

• Sioux City Air Defense Sector, 16 April 1961
• 30th Air Division, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

See also

• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
• Information for Pickstown AFS, SD