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Back-Up Interceptor Control

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The Backup Interceptor Control System (BUIC, /[invalid input: 'icon']ˈbjuː[invalid input: 'ɨ']k/[citation needed]) was a series of backup air defense command and control systems at sites in the United States and Canada used as backups to the main Direction Control centers of the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system. The large SAGE Direction Control centers were mostly located at major airbases and often near large cites. Each SAGE Direction Control center had two large vacuum tube AN/FSQ-7 computers that required a large building and about a megawatt of power to run. One of the computers would be operational while the other served as a backup. In the event of both computers failing there needed to be another method to direct air defense systems. The SAGE command centers were vulnerable to Intercontinental Ballistic Missile attack due to their strategic locations and lack of protection, so it was decided to add remote backup control centers or BUICs. The BUIC centers would, for the most part, be co-located with smaller radar sites rather than at major Air Force Bases. The United States Air Force (USAF) planned to implement the backup system in two stages. The first stage was to set up manual backup control centers followed by new computerized systems in stage two. By the time SAGE became operational, transistorized computers were already replacing vacuum tube systems. The BUIC II computer systems were designed using transistors, making them smaller and more power efficient than the AN/FSQ-7 based Direction Control centers. At one point the BUIC III system was intended to replace the SAGE AN/FSQ-7 systems, but the older systems were not replaced and the BUIC III remained a backup system. Although more advanced systems were contemplated, the final design of the BUIC III system was an upgraded version of the BUIC II with around twice the performance.[1] The original SAGE systems outlasted most of the BUIC III systems as all but one US and one Canadian BUIC site were shut down in 1974.[2][1] The remaining SAGE and BUIC direction control center sites were shut down between 1983 and 1984 when the SAGE system was replaced by the Joint Surveillance System which is a combined system for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Air Force.

List of Back-Up Interceptor Control sites
Station Location BUIC I BUIC II BUIC III
Baudette AFS[3] Minnesota 1968
Boron AFS California
Calumet Air Force Station[4] Michigan yes
Cape Charles Air Force Station Virginia ??
Charleston Air Force Station[5] Maine 3/1963 3/1966 12/1969
Fortuna Air Force Station North Dakota yes yes
Fort Meade radar station Maryland yes
Fallon Air Force Station Nevada yes
Finland AFS Minnesota yes
Havre AFS Montana yes
Keno AFS Oregon yes
Makah AFS Washington until 3/1966
Montauk AFS New York yes
Mount Laguna AFS[6] California yes
North Bend AFS[7] Oregon 12/1962 yes
North Truro AFS[8] Massachusetts 1963 9/1965 yes
Othello AFS[9] Washington Yes Yes
Palermo AFS[10] New Jersey 10/1965
Port Austin AFS[11] Michigan 1965 1968
Saratoga Springs AFS[12] New York until 1965
Tyndall Air Force Base Florida yes yes
RCAF Station St. Margarets New Brunswick yes yes yes
CFB Senneterre Quebec yes

BUIC I

BUIC I was a manual (non-computerized) control system used as a backup to SAGE in case the SAGE systems went down. Like the later computerized BUIC systems these centers were mainly located at radar sites rather than larger air force bases. They were built as a stopgap until a computerized system system was developed and implemented.[citation needed]

BUIC II

BUIC II command and control sites used the Burroughs AN/GSA-51 Radar Course Directing Group.

BUIC III

The AN/GYK-19[13] (initially AN/GSA-51A) was an upgraded version of the BUIC II system designated AN/GSA-51A[14] and required a larger building than the AN/GSA-51. The first BUIC III site was Canadian Forces Station (CFB) Senneterre, and Air Defense Command's was first installed at Fort Fisher Air Force Station, North Carolina. [15]


Upgrades and closure

The AN/FYQ47 Common Digitizer for the Joint Surveillance System replaced the SAGE Burroughs AN/FST-2 Coordinate Data Transmitting Sets.[14]

In 1972 the USAF decided to shut down most of the BUIC sites, with most of the sites mothballed by 1974 except for the BUIC III site at Tyndall Air Force Base.[1] In Canada the BUIC site at Senneterre was shut down, but St Margarets remained open. The remaining sites were closed between 1983-1984 when SAGE was replaced by the Joint Surveillance System.

References

  1. ^ a b c Winkler, David F. ; Webster, Julie L. Searching the Skies: the Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING RESEARCH LAB (ARMY).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Air Defense Radar Stations". Radomes.org. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  3. ^ "Baudette Air Force Station - A Brief History".
  4. ^ "665th RS in Copper Country". The Patriot. Duluth: 23rd Norad Air Division. 28 September 1979.
  5. ^ "Welcome Brochure 765th Radar Squadron Charleston AFS, ME". Furbush-Roberts Printing Company. Retrieved 2013-03-02. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  6. ^ Betty Lubrano (April 12, 1970). "Radar Station Grows In Size". San Diego Union. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  7. ^ US Air Force. "Squadron History". Retrieved 2013-03-02. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  8. ^ "North Truro Air Force Station". Communications & Electronics Digest. Air Defense Command: 24–25. Sept. 1967. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "637th Radar Sqdn., Othello AFS, WA". Othello Outlook. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  10. ^ "Second BUIC Facility Joins NORAD Net". Reading Eagle. 10 November 1965.
  11. ^ US Air Force. "Port Austin AFS, MI History" (Press release). Radomes.org. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  12. ^ "Communications & Electronics Digest". Air Defense Command. September, 1967. Retrieved 2013-03-02. {{cite magazine}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  13. ^ "NORAD Back-Up Intercept Control (BUIC) Sites". Radomes.org. 1981-09-02. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  14. ^ a b "BUIC III at Tyndall". Communications & Electronics Digest. Air Defense Command: 19–21. 1968. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ "First BUIC Site Opens: Ft. Fisher first in ADC To Get New Defense System". The Command Post. Stewart AFB, NY. 1969. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
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