Las Vegas Air Force Station Las Vegas Air Force Station ( ADC ID : SM - 163 , NORAD ID : Z - 163 ) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station . It is located west - northwest of Las Vegas , Nevada . It was closed by the Air Force in 1969 and turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) . The site is now is now data - tied into the Joint Surveillance System ( JSS ) . History . Las Vegas Air Force Station was initially part of Phase II of the Air Defense Command Mobile Radar program . The Air Force approved this expansion of the Mobile Radar program on October 23 , 1952 . Radars in this network were designated “ SM . ” The radar site is located on top of Angel Peak , which is north - northwest of the city of Las Vegas , and east of Mt . Charleston . The Air Force constructed about 24 main buildings in two LVAFS areas , the Operations and Cantonment Areas . Construction in the Operations Area consisted of four radar towers , four operational buildings , one water pump station , a power building , and five large aboveground fuel tanks . The Cantonment Area contained approximately 5 dormitories a dispensary , a mess hall , an administration building , an automotive shop , a maintenance shop , a storage building , a recreation building , one underground gasoline storage tank , and one large above - ground fuel oil tank . Each building had a smaller day tank for storage of heating oil . Three septic tanks comprised the sewage treatment system . The station became operational on 1 April 1956 when the 865th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was assigned to the new station . The squadron initially used AN / FPS - 3 search and AN / MPS - 14 height - finder radars at this site , and 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 1958 an AN / FPS - 20 A replaced the AN / FPS - 3 search radar . During 1961 Las Vegas AFS joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) system , initially feeding data to DC - 21 at Luke AFB , Arizona . After joining , the squadron was redesignated as the 865th Radar Squadron ( SAGE ) on 15 October 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 . It also became a joint - use facility with the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) . On 31 July 1963 , the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z - 163 . An AN / FPS - 26 A height - finder radar joined the site in 1963 . In 1964 an AN / FPS - 27 search radar set was installed , and in 1965 the AN / FPS - 20A was retired from Air Force service ( reportedly , the FAA retained this radar set ) . In 1968 the AN / MPS - 14 height - finder radar was removed . In addition to the main facility , Las Vegas operated several AN / FPS - 14 Gap Filler sites : The 865th Radar Squadron ( SAGE ) was inactivated 31 December 1969 . In 1970 the Air Force relinquished the property to the Department of Interior and transferred accountability for all improvements , with the exception of Buildings 18 and 40 , to Clark County . Accountability for Building 18 was transferred to the Atomic Energy Commission ( currently DOE ) and accountability for Building 40 ( Radar Tower FPS - 20 ) was transferred to the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) . Today , all main buildings in the Operations Area are currently in use . The FAA operates the radar facility in Building 40 . DOE maintains Building 18 and leases space to Nellis Air Force Base , and other government and private entities . Clark County leases all other buildings in the Operations Area to other government and private organizations . The former Cantonment Area is used by Clark County Juvenile Court Services , Spring Mountain Youth Camp ( SMYC ) . Buildings 5 , and 44 have been removed , but the foundations are currently used for various functions . The FAA continues to operate the AN / FPS - 20A today as part of the Joint Surveillance System ( JSS ) . Both facilities ( SMYC and FAA ) are restricted access .