Point Arena Air Force Station Point Air Force Station ( ADC ID : P - 37 , NORAD ID : Z - 37 ) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station . It is located east of Point Arena , California . It was closed in 1998 by the Air Force , and turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) . Today the site is part of the Joint Surveillance System ( JSS ) , designated by NORAD as Western Air Defense Sector ( WADS ) Ground Equipment Facility J - 34 . History . Point Arena AFS 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 , on July 11 , 1950 , the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the permanent network . Receiving the Defense Secretary ’ s approval on July 21 , the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction . The station was originally located at Hill Peak Road ( now Eureka Hill Road ) . Its Air Force Callsign was " Madam " , designated as Lashup - Permanent site LP - 37 , operating an AN / TPS - 1 B radar . The 776th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated on 27 November 1950 and operated AN / FPS - 3 and AN / FPS - 4 radars , and 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 . In 1955 the 776th received an AN / FPS - 8 that subsequently was converted to an AN / GPS - 3 . In 1958 AN / FPS - 20 and AN / FPS - 6 radars had replaced the original sets . An AN / FPS - 6B joined the site in 1960 . In late 1960 Point Arena AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) system , feeding data to DC - 18 at Beale AFB , California . After joining , the squadron was re - designated as the 776th Radar Squadron ( SAGE ) on 15 January 1961 . The radar 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 August 1963 , with the closure of the San Francisco Air Defense Sector , Point Arena was transferred to the SAGE Data Center ( DC - 13 ) at Adair AFS , Oregon . Point Arena AFS replaced its AN / FPS - 20 with an AN / FPS - 24 radar in 1961 ( the first production model ) . By 1963 the 776th Radar Squadron ( SAGE ) had replaced its AN / FPS - 6 height - finder radars with AN / FPS - 26 A and AN / FPS - 90 models . On 31 July , the site was re - designated as NORAD ID Z - 37 . In addition to the main facility , Point Arena operated an AN / FPS - 14 Gap Filler site : Laytonville , CA ( P - 37A ) . The 776th held additional responsibilities during the 1960s as Point Arena was designated as a Backup Intercept Control site for both the BUIC I and BUIC II programs . The AN / FPS - 24 was replaced with an AN / FPS - 93 A model c . 1976 . Over the years , the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars . In 1979 Point Arena AFS came under Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) jurisdiction with the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and the creation of ADTAC . Later in 1979 the station began operating AN / FPS - 91 A and AN / FPS - 116 radars under the Joint Surveillance System ( JSS ) program . The 776th subsequently was inactivated on 30 September 1980 and an element of the 26th Air Defense Squadron continued operations . A reorganization in 1987 placed the site under the Southwest Air Defense Sector of the 25th Air Division . The site is now closed , replaced by FAA / USAF JSS site at Rainbow Ridge , CA ( J - 83A ) , with an ARSR - 4 radar . " The road leading to the site was originally known as Hill Peak Road but at some point changed names to Eureka Hill Road . In addition to the site ' s radars , it also supplied ground - to - air communications to aircraft within its operating area . The radio equipment was located at the GATR ( ground air transmitter and receiver ) site , located at the crest of Eureka Hill Road , a few miles from the actual radar site . The GATR site was remotely located from the radar site to minimize interference from the radars into the radio gear . Closure . Since the late 1990s the DoD has tried to give away the property to various local government agencies , however the cost of environmental cleanup ( lead paint and asbestos ) have limited interest in the property . The remote location from major population centers also hurts its " marketability . "