Former Zeus Acquisition Radar Site

 radar station, nikemissile

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The Zeus Acquisition Radar (ZAR) was an enormous early warning radar system able to detect incoming nuclear warheads at ranges as great as 600 miles. The system was built in two parts, a triangular transmitter station to the south (lower) and the hemispherical receiver to the north (upper). It was built as part of the Nike Zeus program in the early 1960s.

The transmitter was so powerful, about 20 MW, that it required a 90-foot tall metal fence surrounding it to protect people walking by the site from its microwave output. The path of the fence is visible as what appears to be a ring road surrounding the transmitter station. To access the radar while it was operating, a metal tunnel ran from the transmitter building to the fence, roughly following a line drawn between the transmitter and receiver.

The receiver was centred in a large octagonal field of metal mesh suspended high in the air, providing a flat "ground plane". It was high enough to cover the control center building and part of the nearest water tank to the southeast (below right). The outline of this area is not longer so obvious. Data processing took place in the large building beside the receiver, which also contained the various communications systems needed to send those tracks to the various Battery Control sites that would handle the firing. In this case, the single BC was at the western end of the island (to the left). The ZAR would manage the overall battle, passing off targets to the appropriate BC, which would then complete the interception.

The system used so much power that a separate power plant was constructed between the two buildings, where the empty land is today. Fuel tanks were located where the smaller buildings south of the receiver are today. Most of the buildings in the area are newer additions.