Boron Radar Station 2023
Channel: 909 Adventures - Urbex & More
Date: 07/03/2023

Today im flying my drone A DJI Mini SE over the former Federal Prison Camp, Boron (FPC Boron) in Boron, California. This is also the former site of Boron Air For Station or (Boron AFS) which was formerly Atolia Air Force Station or (Atolia AFS). I have gotten a lot of questions about the former site and not a lot of people know it has been demolished. Please enjoy this video from over the former Prison and Air Force Station as we find out together what all is left.

Boron Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar network. Prompted by the start of the Korean War, Secretary of the Air Force Thomas K. Finletter asked Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson on 11 July 1950 for approval to expedite construction of the permanent network. Receiving approval 10 days later, the Air Force directed the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction.

The 750th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was assigned to Atolia, California, on 28 January 1952. It assumed coverage responsibilities formerly held by the temporary Lashup Radar Network site at Edwards Air Force Base. It operated two AN/FPS-10 radars and initially functioned as a ground-controlled interception (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders. Atolia AFS was renamed Boron Air Force Station on 1 December 1953.

The AN/FPS-10 search radar at Boron remained until 1959. In 1958 an AN/FPS-6 replaced the AN/FPS-10 height finder radar. A second height finder radar (an AN/FPS-6A) was installed in 1959.

During 1961 Boron AFS joined the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, feeding data to DC-17 at Norton Air Force Base, California. After joining, the squadron was redesignated as the 750th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 May 1961. The radar squadron provided continuous information to the SAGE Direction Center, where it was analyzed to determine range, direction, altitude, speed, and whether aircraft were friendly or hostile.

A separate Ground Air Transmit Receive (GATR) site was located 3.5 miles NNW of the main site to provide some isolation from the high-powered RF energy from the search radar systems for the GATR's HF/VHF/UHF voice and data air-to-ground communications. GATR sites used voice communications via AN/GRT-3[2] transmitters and AN/GRR-7[3] receivers to guide F-106 Delta Dart and other suitably-equipped intercept aircraft to airborne targets. AN/GRC-27[4] backup transceivers were used to cover frequencies that were lost due to outages of the main transmitters and receivers. In addition to these, an AN/GKA-5 Time Division Data Link (TDDL) system was used to digitally provide the vectoring data to the intercept aircraft.

In addition to the defense mission, Boron AFS became a joint-use facility with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in tracking aircraft in the Los Angeles sector. By this time the AN/FPS-10 had been replaced by an AN/FPS-20 search radar. However, this radar was soon replaced by an AN/FPS-35 frequency diversity radar. By 1963 this radar operated with AN/FPS-26A and AN/FPS-90 height-finder radars. Boron AFS was re-designated as NORAD ID Z-59 on 31 July 1963.

In 1968 the AN/FPS-90 was deactivated. In 1969 the AN/FPS-35 was removed, and was replaced by an AN/FPS-67 on the same tower (and with a radome); it became operational in 1970.

In 1979, Boron AFS was converted into Federal Prison Camp, Boron, a minimum-security federal prison for male inmates that was closed in 2000. The prison site and housing area have been completely demolished. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating trespass activity at FPC Boron. All identified instances of trespass are logged, and trespassers may be subject to federal and state prosecution including imprisonment and/or fines.

NEW VIDEOS EVERY TUESDAY: 

00:00 Intro
01:25 Let the droning begin
02:05 Lets talk history
03:35 Continue flying around
05:24 The only thing left standing
06:31 Black government vehicle