Eglin AFB Site C-6

This article is about the military installation 6 mi (9.7 km) from Freeport, Florida. For the 1966-1976 "Rock Hill Test Site, Freeport, FL[1]", see Rock Hill rocket sled.

Eglin AFB Site C-6
The transmitting and receiving phased array antennas are mounted on the 45° angled side of the transmitter/receiver building at Eglin AFB Site C-6. The antennas face southward in a direction that intercepts the 90 minute circular orbit altitude near the equator.
Map
General information
Typetransmitter/receiver building
Architectural stylephased array building
Locationelevated landform between Fox Branch, Little Alaqua, and Little Basin Creeks[2]
Town or cityWalton County[3]
CountryUnited States
Coordinates30°34′24″N 86°12′54″W / 30.57333°N 86.21500°W / 30.57333; -86.21500[4]
OwnerUnited States Space Force
Technical details
Materialstructural steel: 1,250 tons
concrete: 1,400 cubic yards (1,100 m3)[4]
Design and construction
DeveloperBendix Corporation
Website
21 Space Wing Fact Sheet 4730

Eglin AFB Site C-6 is a United States Space Force radar station which houses the AN/FPS-85 phased array radar, associated computer processing system(s), and radar control equipment designed and constructed for the U. S. Air Force by the Bendix Communications Division, Bendix Corporation.[5][6] Commencing operations in 1969, the AN/FPS-85 was the first large phased array radar. The entire radar/computer system is located at a receiver/transmitter building and is supported by the site's power plant, fire station, 2 water wells (for 128 people),[7] and other infrastructure for the system. As part of the US Space Force's Space Surveillance Network its mission is to detect and track spacecraft and other manmade objects in Earth orbit for the Combined Space Operations Center satellite catalogue.[8] With a peak radiated power of 32 megawatts the Space Force claims it is the most powerful radar in the world, and can track a basketball-sized object up to 22,000 nautical miles (41,000 km) from Earth.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mueller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Google terrain map at 30.564035,-86.214051
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference GNIS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference wikimapia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a306547.pdf. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ a b "AN/FPS-85". US Air Force Fact Sheet. United States Dept. of Defense. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  7. ^ "SWAP: Assessment for EGLIN SITE C-6 (RADAR)". Dep.state.fl.us. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. ^ "20th SPCS opens new SCIF". Peterson.AF.mil. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.