Clear Air Station breaks ground on $106 million radar

Clear Air Station breaks ground on $106 million radar

Released: Apr 21, 1998

CLEAR AIR STATION, Alaska (AFNS) -- The Air Force's largest military construction project for fiscal 1998 kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony here April 16.

The Clear Radar Upgrade program, a $106.5 million project, will replace the last mechanical radar in the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System network, which is currently operated by the 13th Space Warning Squadron here.

The existing mechanical radar are being replaced with a phased array warning system, commonly referred to as PAVE PAWS. PAVE is an Air Force program name, while PAWS stands for Phased Array Warning System. The PAVE PAWS system will increase mission capability and provide a more reliable warning system well into the future.

Unique to this project is that the new radar facility will use existing equipment from another PAVE PAWS site in Eldorado, Texas, thereby avoiding the acquisition of an entirely brand new radar system at a cost savings of $140 million.

Several military and contractor organizations are working together on the Clear Radar Upgrade program. The Electronic Systems Center at Hansom Air Force Base, Mass., is the overall program manager, and the Raytheon Company, is the primary contractor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with Electronic Systems Center and Raytheon, will oversee the construction portion of contract for the new facility that will hold the two radar faces and all related equipment.

The 13th SWS, a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo., provides tactical warning and attack assessment of sea-launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service)