URGENT U.P. Breaking News Bulletin – 4-25-18 – 8:30 a.m.
Break-in reported at the Sault Ste. Marie Air Force Radar Station
By Greg Peterson
U.P. Breaking News
Owner, News Director
906-273-2433
(Sault Ste. Marie, MI) – Officials are remaining mum about a break-in and vandalism reported at a closed radar site in the Soo that was once a vital eye in the northern sky when the military worried about a Soviet attack.
A break-in was reported this week at a radar station that once kept watch over America’s north shore from the Soo looking for Cold War enemies.
The moth-balled Sault Ste. Marie Air Force Station kept watch from 1952 to 1979.
The break-in was reported to Chippewa County 911 by the station’s caretaker on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Its not clear if the burglary was recent, or if there was enough snowmelt with recent warm temps that cleared the way for the base to be inspected this winter.
Details of the break-in have not been released by any law enforcement in the eastern U.P.
Extensive vandalism has been reported at the closed Calumet military radar station in the Copper Country – but its not clear if the Soo facility has been burglarized as much.
The Sault Ste. Marie Air Force Station was manned by the 753rd AC&W Squadron, according to the online info site fortwiki. U.S. military officials and our allies were worried that the Soviet Union would launch missiles and warplanes from over the top of the globe.
The site had both a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and early warning mission including tracking and identifying all aircraft entering their assigned airspace.
July 2016 photo by John Stanton via fortwiki of the former Soo AFS base bachelor officer quarters
July 2016 photo by John Stanton via fortwiki of the Sault Ste. Marie AFS Radar Operations and FST-2 Building
July 2016 photo former Soo Radar Base photo via fortwiki by John Stanton
The Sault Ste. Marie Air Force Station (1952-1979):
http://fortwiki.com/Sault_Ste_Marie_Air_Force_Station
A Cold War Air Force Radar Station first established as Sault Ste. Marie Lashup Radar Site L-21 in 1951 near Sault Ste. Marie, Chippewa County, Michigan. Named Sault Ste. Marie Air Force Station after the location.
Joined the Permanent System with a Permanent ID of LP-66, changed later to just P-66 and to a SAGE System ID of Z-66. Abandoned in 1979.
Upper Peninsula Breaking News by Greg Peterson 