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Show Page 14 - IIVmmb i-, fI By 1st. Lt. John C. Wessel Information Officer, 4754th Several enemy aircraft are approaching the west coast of the United States attempting' to make a sneak attack. Will United States air defense forces be taken by surprise ? Or will our radar defense system be able to detect and track the incoming attackers? Providing the answers to the USAF Defense - Semi-Automat- ic U969 ninir"" The squadron commander, Lt. Col. Donald F. STAFF Rudolph (seated), consults with his immediate staff. (Left to right) 2d Lt. Thomas W. Evans, personnel officer; TSgt. Robert J. Sliwinski, first sergeant, and Capt. Robert L. Collins, operations officer. these questions is the mission of the 4754th Radar Evaluation Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, commanded by Lt. Col. Donald F. Rudolph. Basically, the- 4754th is responsible for the technical evaluation of all long-rang- e air defense radars in the Ground Environment (SAGE) system. These include radar stations located around the perimeter of the continental United States and in Canada. Evaluations are performed also at radar stations in Alaska and Iceland. The squadron is assigned to r HILL TOP TIMES Aerospace (ADC) headquarters at Ent Air Force Base. Command Colo. radar evaluation is a complex project with a number of A purposes. The primary purpose is to determine how well the radar set can do the job it was designed to do namely, the detection and tracking of air- craft. ADC RADAR STATION A typical ADC lornr-ranrari evaluation responsibility, is shown above. The search radar (center) is nank finder radars. This photo illustrates the remote and lonely isolation whiVh of most radar sites. 4754th d h 155 ment operates in that config- uration. A typical evaluation begins when it is placed on the quarterly evaluation schedule by Headquarters ADC. A radar evaluation officer is assigned to manage the entire evaluation effort. Personnel, each a specialist in a particular field, are selected from the various squadron sections to form the evaluation team. After several weeks of preparatory investigations and coordination, the team travels to the radar station to be evaluated, using military air transportation and GSA (U.S. government) vehicles. sisted 'by his team, analyzes the data and writes the evaluation report. The draft of the report is carefully scrutinized by several individuals, including the Quality Control section, the Report Review Board composed of experts from the various squadron branches, and finally the squadron operations officer. Technical Accuracy Several drafts of the report may have to be written before the report is finally approved. This is a long, tedious process, but it insures that high stand- - K characteristic ards of technical o accuracy The on-sievaluation effort is divided into two phases. The maintenance phase consists of numerous equipment tests and adjustments. The flight phase is the "proof of the pudding," demonstrating the actual capabilities and "limitations of the radar which has been brought up to peak operating condition during the maintenance phase. An aircraft, usually furnished by a nearby ADC fighter-interceptsquadron, is flown along an exact, predetermined route to see how well the radar will detect and track it. Each of the specialists on the evaluation team has his own special job to perform. The evaluation officer (team chief) manages and coordinates all of the various activities. The team's workday usually lasts from sun-u- p to When I I - i other agencies the operational be realifrom the ev- capability which can stically aluated expected radar station. The entire ocess, evaluation pr- from initial scheduling to final report distribution, lasts from as few as three to as many as six months or more. The squadron also performs! special evaluations and other projects in order to solve the J various problems which arise in any complex electronic system.;; tions are to aid the and higher echelons investi?a- - conducted in order ADC command staff if in making decisions. high-lev- el 'J and grammar are maintained. The final result is a radar evaluation report which qualitatively and quantitatively describes to the ADC command staff and Special studies and Evaluation Effort ha8 W0 heig,lt" Vital M ussom) te This involves the selection of the best operating configuration of the radar equipment (such as the settings and adjustments of numerous switches and controls) and the determination of how well the equip- - . ir ;i New Developments j The squadron monitors developments in the radar new .j field ; and continuously revises it' J evaluation procedures in order to keep abreast of the rapidly advancing technology. j or The souadron sarily Lt. Col. Donald F. Rudolph, 4754th RES Commander mission wt frequent involves extensive periods of temporary remoej duty at the various evalofr j radar sites. Usually, an tion trip lasts tor inrw weeks. Some have lasted fori Also rmany as six weeks. special p TDY are and jects, conferences, lasttrain; for can Some of these eral months. equiring- sun-dow- n. To accomplish its mission, the 4754th tatfjji ized a total of 185 pejonji particularly perplexing problems arise, as they often do. several team members find themselves working long hours into the night. 1 V X, RESEARCH Much preliminary research and must be accomplished before the evaluation team preparation for he ev?,ualed- - "ef a squadrondeparts iiVJTerry Rtalln surveyor, L. Carlton, performs a map study to determine the expected coverage of the radar. 'X. Data Collected An enormous quantity of data is collected during the evaluation, especially during the flight phase. Upon returning to Hill AFB, the team processes the data to produce meaningful quantitative figures describing the actual the radar set. This data reduction process alone requires many manhours of effort. The evaluation officer, as per-formanc- including 30 officers, 10 listed men, and are off.cers Most of the cialists in the communal electronics field. The enlisted men have variety of specialties, a ma The official emEXPERTS blem of the 4754th, symbolizing the unit and its mission. Inscribed around the bottom is the squadron motto, "Experts in Workmanship." F eround radio computer ntep . administration t and W-are civilians the 13 electronics engineers reputed 0nnp Z, the best H in t'g" their fieW |