RCAF Station Pagwa
Encyclopedia
Royal Canadian Air Force Station Pagwa (ADC ID: C-14) is a General Surveillance Radar station that was closed in 1966. It was located at the unincorporated place and railway point of Pagwa
in geographic Bicknell Township, Unorganized North
Cochrane District in northeastern
Ontario
, Canada
.
It was operated as part of the Pinetree Line
network controlled by NORAD.
and with the expansion of a North American continental air defence system, Pagwa was selected as a site for a United States Air Force
(USAF) radar station in 1950, one of the many that would make up the Pinetree Line of Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) radar sites. The United States undertook construction which lasted from 1951 to 1953.
When it was finished the USAF moved into Pagwa Air Station, and it was home to the USAF's Air Defense Command (ADC) 913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
. It was equipped with AN/FPS-3C, AN/FPS-502, AN/FPS-20A, AN/TPS-502, and AN/FPS-6B radars.
The squadron provided radar services until the USAF handed the station over to the RCAF on 29 May, 1963. This was part of an arrangement with the United States that came as a result of the cancellation of the Avro Arrow. Canada would lease 66 F-101 Voodoo
fighters and take over operation of 12 Pinetree radar bases.
37 AC&W Squadron was renamed as 37 Radar Squadron Pagwa on 1 May 1964. It was also upgraded with the following radars:
RCAF Pagwa joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
(SAGE) system in 1963, and the station became a long-range radar site. It would no longer guide interceptors but only look for enemy aircraft, feeding data to the Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector
SAGE DC-14 Direction Center of the 30th NORAD Region at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. Later, the station commenced feeding data to the Duluth Air Defense Sector
DC-10 Direction Center of the 29th NORAD Region. Support services were provided by RCAF Station North Bay
and 38 Radar Squadron at RCAF Station Armstrong
. Armstrong provided "flying doctor" services with a deHavilland Canada Otter.
The radar squadron was disbanded on 1 October 1966. The last RCAF personnel left the station on 15 December 1966 bringing to a close one of the shortest, in time, RCAF manned sites in the NORAD system.
Pagwa, Ontario
Pagwa is an unincorporated place and railway point in geographic Bicknell Township in Unorganized North Cochrane District in northeastern Ontario, Canada...
in geographic Bicknell Township, Unorganized North
Unorganized North Cochrane District
Unorganized Cochrane North Part is an unorganized area in the District of Cochrane in northeastern Ontario, Canada. It comprises all parts of the district north of Timmins and Iroquois Falls which are not part of an incorporated municipality.-Communities:...
Cochrane District in northeastern
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
It was operated as part of the Pinetree Line
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD , over half were manned by United States Air Force...
network controlled by NORAD.
History
As a result of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and with the expansion of a North American continental air defence system, Pagwa was selected as a site for a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) radar station in 1950, one of the many that would make up the Pinetree Line of Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) radar sites. The United States undertook construction which lasted from 1951 to 1953.
When it was finished the USAF moved into Pagwa Air Station, and it was home to the USAF's Air Defense Command (ADC) 913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
The 913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector, Air Defense Command, stationed at Pagwa Air Station, Ontario, Canada...
. It was equipped with AN/FPS-3C, AN/FPS-502, AN/FPS-20A, AN/TPS-502, and AN/FPS-6B radars.
The squadron provided radar services until the USAF handed the station over to the RCAF on 29 May, 1963. This was part of an arrangement with the United States that came as a result of the cancellation of the Avro Arrow. Canada would lease 66 F-101 Voodoo
F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
fighters and take over operation of 12 Pinetree radar bases.
37 AC&W Squadron was renamed as 37 Radar Squadron Pagwa on 1 May 1964. It was also upgraded with the following radars:
- Search Radars: AN/FPS-3C, AN/FPS-502, AN/FPS-20A
- Height Radars: AN/TPS-502, AN/FPS-6B
RCAF Pagwa joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) system in 1963, and the station became a long-range radar site. It would no longer guide interceptors but only look for enemy aircraft, feeding data to the Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector
Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector
The Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division, being stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan.- History :...
SAGE DC-14 Direction Center of the 30th NORAD Region at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. Later, the station commenced feeding data to the Duluth Air Defense Sector
Duluth Air Defense Sector
The Duluth Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 30th Air Division, being stationed at Duluth Airport, Minnesota...
DC-10 Direction Center of the 29th NORAD Region. Support services were provided by RCAF Station North Bay
CFB North Bay
Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is an air force base located at the City of North Bay, Ontario about north of Toronto. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is the centre for North American Aerospace Defense Command operations in Canada,...
and 38 Radar Squadron at RCAF Station Armstrong
CFS Armstrong
Canadian Forces Station Armstrong is a closed General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east of Armstrong, Ontario. It was closed in 1974.It was operated as part of the Pinetree Line network controlled by NORAD.-Origins:...
. Armstrong provided "flying doctor" services with a deHavilland Canada Otter.
The radar squadron was disbanded on 1 October 1966. The last RCAF personnel left the station on 15 December 1966 bringing to a close one of the shortest, in time, RCAF manned sites in the NORAD system.