Aerial Photo History

From 1956 until 1961, the Gibbsboro, NJ, radar site functioned as an unmanned Gap-Filler Annex (P-9A/Z-9A) under the control of Highlands AFS, NJ (P-9/Z-9).  Seen in this 1957 aerial image is the L-shaped Gap-Filler building (lower right). The shadow of its AN/FPS-14 Gap-Filler radar tower is seen immediately to its left. 

From 1961 until 1966, Gibbsboro AFS functioned as a joint-use Long-Range Radar (LRR) Station for both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army (with a temporary radar site at Camp Pedricktown, NJ, used in the interim, from circa 1960 - 1962).  The Air Force Gap-Filler radar was removed in 1961.  Seen in this 1963 aerial image are the Air Force AN/FPS-26A height-finder radar (1), Air Force AN/FPS-66 search radar (2), Air Force AN/FPS-27 search radar (3), Army AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars on open steel temperate towers (4 & 5), and the Air Force AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar (6).  The search-radar data were shared with the Army.  The AN/FPS-66 was removed after the AN/FPS-27 became fully operational.  The old gap-filler building (bottom right) was converted into the Civil Engineer office. 

From 1966 until 1984, Gibbsboro AFS functioned as an Air Force-only ("blue-suit") LRR site.  Seen in this 1970 aerial image are the AN/FPS-26A (left), the AN/FPS-27 (center), and AN/FPS-6 (upper right).  In 1983, the AN/FPS-27 and the AN/FPS-26A were shut down, and the 772nd Radar Squadron was deactivated.  The FAA site at Trevose, PA (just north of Philadelphia) was then used a data-tie site for the Joint Surveillance System (JSS).  In 1986, an AN/FPS-117 minimally-attended radar (MAR) was installed at Gibbsboro AFS for test and evaluation under contractor support (shown below).  In 1992, the AN/FPS-117 radar was shipped to Murphy Dome AFS, AK.  Gibbsboro AFS closed, and regional radar coverage was again assumed by the FAA radar site in Trevose, this time "permanently."  

GibbsboroAFSNJ_FPS-117_USGS_03-22-1989.jpg

From 1986 until 1992, Gibbsboro AFS served as the test site for the then-new AN/FPS-117 Minimally-Attended Radar (MAR) developed under Project "SEEK IGLOO" for use in Alaska and in the North Warning System (NWS) (the replacement for the Distant Early-Warning (DEW) Line).  This 1989 aerial image form the USGS shows the AN/FPS-117 radar mounted on the former AN/FPS-27 FD Search Radar tower (with radome).  This radar set was then shipped to Murphy Dome AFS, Alaska.  

From 1992 until circa 1997, Gibbsboro AFS lay dormant, in caretaker status.  Seen in this 1995 aerial image are the two remaining, empty Air Force radar towers.

Circa 1997, Gibbsboro AFS was resurrected as an FAA / Air Force joint-use Long-Range Radar Site with a modern ARSR-4 3D radar, and remains in operation to this day.  (The FAA radar site at Trevose was shut down.)  Seen in this 2002 aerial image is the FAA-operated ARSR-4 radar (tower with radome) immediately right of the former AN/FPS-27 radar tower.  Circa 2007, the old LRR Operations building (center) and the AN/FPS-26A radar tower (far left) were removed, as seen in the "Recent Photos" section.