Martin AN/GSG-5 Battery Integration and Radar Display Equipment

Martin AN/GSG-5 Battery Integration and Radar Display Equipment
BIRDIE, Midget Missile Master [1]
military command, control and coordination system
Country United States
States[2]:C-13 CA CT FL GA(2) IL KS LA MA MI MN MO(2)
NE NJ NY OH(2) RI TX(3) VA SD WA WI
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First
deployed 		October 1961 (AN/GSG-6)
Turner AFB, Georgia. [1]
Contractor Martin Company

The Martin AN/GSG-5 Battery Integration and Radar DIsplay Equipment (BIRDIE)[1] was a transportable electronic fire distribution center for automated command and control of remote surface-to-air missile launch batteries. The solid state radar netting system replaced the vacuum tube AN/FSG-1 at 3 United States Missile Master bunkers (Fort Lawton Air Force Station, Washington;[3] Fort Heath, Massachusetts;[2] and Lockport Air Force Station, New York)[4] and BIRDIEs were deployed at over 25 US locations including Homestead-Miami, Florida; Providence, Rhode Island;[5] and San Francisco.[6] The AN/GSG-5 with 3 consoles was a direction center for up to 16 Nike missile batteries, but a smaller variant with only 1 console and without computer and storage equipment (single shelter AN/GSG-6) could control only 2 batteries[7] and was the 1st BIRDIE deployed.[1] Several BIRDIE systems were replaced by Hughes AN/TSQ-51 Air Defense Command and Coordination Systems (Missile Mentor), and the last AADCP with an AN/GSG-5 was at Ft Lawton on July 1, 1973 (the next-to-last was at Highlands Air Force Station, New Jersey).[2]:C-23

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Army Installing First of 19 Midget Missile Master Systems". Army Research and Development Newsmagazine (Washington 25, D.C.). October 1961. Retrieved 2011-09-27. Turner Air Force Base, Ga., where the U.S. Army Signal Corps is installing the first of its 19 BIRDIE systems. ... Housed in 8' x 8' x 18' shelters... The Turner AFB BIRDIE is a small type, directing firing of a limited number of units. A larger unit stores, processes and updates target information in directing fire of a great many missile batteries.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 McMaster, B. N., et al (December 1984). Historical Overview of the Nike Missile System (Report). Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  3. ↑ Colt, Duane. (2011-03-19) the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink.org. Retrieved on 2013-09-18.
  4. ↑ Nike Missile Niagara Falls-Buffalo Defense Area. Techbastard.com. Retrieved on 2013-09-18.
  5. ↑ Morgan, Mark L; Berhow, Mark A (2002). Rings of Supersonic Steel (Google Books) (second ed.). Hole in the Head Press. ISBN 0-615-12012-1. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  6. ↑ "New Firing Control System: Army Unveils Missile Mentor". Red Bank Register (Red Bank, New Jersey). February 1, 1967. p. 13. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  7. ↑ "Army Air Defense Control Systems". U. S. Army Air Defense Digest (Hinman Hall, Fort Bliss, Texas: U. S. Army Air Defense School). January 1965. Retrieved 2011-09-28. |chapter= ignored (help)