Cape Charles Air Force Station

 closed / former military, historical layer / disappeared object, United States Air Force

The US Army originally acquired this property to establish Fort Winslow (later renamed Fort John Custis) in 1941. The artillery located here included two 16" guns, four 8" guns and four 155mm pieces. Along with the guns at Fort Story, VA, the guns here were used in defense of the Chesapeake Bay.

This site started in April 1948 as Lashup site L-15 using AN/CPS-5 search and AN/CPS-4 height-finder radars. This equipment was used when Fort Custis was incorporated into the lashup-permanent network as site LP-56, and then the permanent network as site P-56. The unit manning this facility, the 771st AC&W Squadron, continued operating the AN/CPS-4 and, as of April 1952, an AN/FPS-3 search radar as well; the AN/FPS-3 remained operational until 1962. In 1955 an AN/FPS-8 search radar was installed, converted to an AN/GPS-3, and operated through 1958. By the end of that year, two AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars were activated. During 1959 Cape Charles became a SAGE radar site. In 1963 the site hosted AN/FPS-7B, AN/FPS-6, and AN/FPS-26A radars. In 1963 the site also became an ADC/FAA joint-use facility. The facility came under TAC jurisdiction in 1979. The 771st Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated 1 June 1981. A new JSS radar site at NAS Oceana assumed coverage for the area.

www.radomes.org/museum/showsite.php?site=Cape%2BCharles...
www.northamericanforts.com/East/Virginia/Fort_Custis/in...
fortwiki.com/Fort_John_Custis