Custer Air Force Station Custer Air Force Station ( ADC ID : P - 67 DC - 6 , NORAD ID : Z - 67 , DC - 6 ) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar and Direction Center station . It is located west - northwest of Battle Creek , Michigan . It was closed in 1969 . History . Cold War era . Prompted by the start of the Korean War , on July 11 , 1950 , the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the second segment Air Defense Command s permanent radar network . Receiving the Defense Secretary ’ s approval on July 21 , the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction of what became the network of Semi Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) sites . The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force ( and later FAA ) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense , intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack . The SAGE site that would become Custer Air Force Station was carved out of the eastern side of the Army ' s Fort Custer Training Center near Battle Creek , Michigan . The site was officially established on 18 April 1953 . However , the 781st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron ( AC & W Sq ) began operations with AN / FPS - 3 and AN / CPS - 4 radars at the site in April 1952 . Initially the station functioned as a Ground - Control Intercept ( GCI ) and warning station . As a GCI station , the squadron ' s role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit ' s radar scopes . The site was renamed Custer Air Force Station on 1 July 1956 . An AN / FPS - 4 replaced the AN / CPS - 4 in 1956 and an AN / FPS - 6 superseded this unit two years later . Also in 1958 an AN / FPS - 20 replaced the AN / FPS - 3 search radar . This radar was upgraded to an AN / FPS - 66 in 1961 . A second height - finder radar was installed in 1959 . On 31 July 1963 , the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z - 67 . In 1958 , the SAGE Data Center ( DC - 06 ) was established at Custer AFS ( Fort Custer ) . DC - 06 was co - located on the Cantonment area of the 781st AC & W Sq . During September , 1959 , the 781st AC & W Sq joined the SAGE system , feeding data to DC - 06 . After joining , the squadron was re - designated as the 781st Radar Squadron ( SAGE ) ( Radar Sq ) on 1 September 1959 . The 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 . In addition to the main facility , Custer AFS operated the following AN / FPS - 18 Gap Filler sites : DC - 06 was initially under the Detroit Air Defense Sector ( DeADS ) , originally established as the 4627th Air Defense Wing on 8 January 1957 . The 781st Radar Sq was inactivated on 25 June 1965 and the sector was discontinued on 1 April 1966 . The DeADS was replaced by the 34th Air Division ( AD ) . DC - 06 with its AN / FSQ - 7 computer remained under the 34th AD until it was inactivated on 30 September 1969 when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down many SAGE Data Centers . With the inactivation of the Air Division , Custer AFS was closed effective 31 Dec 1969 . Current status . Today the site appears to be a light business office park along with being the headquarters of the 24th NORAD Division . The large SAGE DC - 06 blockhouse remains , now being a security archives warehouse . There is also a sign on the perimeter fence for a construction trucking company . The buildings in the immediate area of the SAGE blockhouse are in generally good repair , with some still in use . The Battle Creek regional chapters of the Air Force Sergeant ' s Association and Air Force Enlisted Association use the old Open Mess building .