Thule Site J

History

General Operational Requirement 156 for BMEWS was issued on 7 November 1957; the system had originally been designed to go with the active portion of the WIZARD system. On 4 February 1958, the USAF informed Air Defense Command that BMEWS was an all-out program placed on the Department of Defense master urgency list. The US announced on 14 January 1958 its decision to establish a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, with Thule to be operational in 1959. A May 1958 estimate put total costs for Thule and Clear Air Force Station at approximately $800 million; a 13 October 1958 plan estimated completion for both in September 1960.

A World War II freighter operated by Burns & Roe originally supplied electrical and heating power to Site J until a powerplant was built later; water came from Thule AB via a branch line. Kiewit was contracted for heavy construction, including AN/FPS-50 reflector foundations and tunnels between transmitter buildings.

Construction began in May 1958; a trial reflector installation failed because ordinary carbon steel bolts were used instead of 1.5% chrome steel. The maintenance building with electric heat was the first completed. The four AN/FPS-50 reflectors with 25-ton foundations were finished by 8 August 1959; two pedestals for trackers were built for deferred radars.

Did You Know?

• On 5 October 1960, radar returns during Thule moonrise produced a false alarm while Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was in New York.
• The BRCS undersea cable from Greenland was cut in September, October, and November 1961, presumably by fishing trawlers.
• In June 1980, Thule's FPS-49A radome by Goodyear burnt to the ground and was rebuilt.
• Thule's AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar completes about 10% of the United States' observations of Earth orbiting satellites.