03/08/2016
As updating of the Pave PAWS[1] radar installation gets under way at the Cape
Cod Air Force Station in Massachusetts, the US Air Force has reached out to the
Amateur Radio community to continue the positive working relationship developed
between the two parties since March 2007. Pave PAWS radar installations on both
coasts have required the modification of some 70 centimeter Amateur Radio
systems to mitigate interference to the military radars. The Amateur Service is
secondary on 70 centimeters. ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson,
N1ND, said work now has begun to install the updated early-warning radar
standards at Cape Cod.
"This is the new version of Pave PAWS and will bring the Cape Cod radar up to
the same higher standard already employed at the Beale Air Force Base Pave PAWS
facility in California, as well as at others in the Space Early Warning
system," Henderson said. "The radar will be a little more sensitive, so some
additional mitigation is possible, but nothing like that required when the
project started. This is the last Pave PAWS site to be upgraded."
Henderson, who has served as the League's point person on this project, and
ARRL New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, were briefed in late 2015
on the changes by officials at the Cape Cod facility. "The fact that the Air
Force reached out to inform us of the pending changes speaks volumes about the
excellent working relationship we have managed to build with them over the past
9 years," said Henderson. "The Amateur Radio communities in proximity to both
the Cape Cod and Beale sites have stepped up to the plate and demonstrated
their willingness to be good-faith partners with the Air Force, accepting their
responsibility as secondary users of this part of the spectrum, and, in almost
all cases, taking the necessary steps to achieve the required mitigation
standards while still maintaining Amateur Radio access to this spectrum."
In a statement, Cape Cod AFS Sixth Space Warning Squadron[2] Crew Commander and
Public Affairs Officer Lt Drew S. Dutcher said his facility recognizes and
appreciates Amateur Radio's service to the community and its continued
cooperation.
"In the coming months we will be undergoing upgrades to our facility which will
help us improve our capabilities to locate and track satellites for entities
such as NASA and Space-X," Dutcher said. "The improvements will also ensure
utilization of cutting-edge technology to protect our eastern sea border from
incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and Sea Launched Ballistic
Missiles. As always, we ask that you be mindful and courteous of our frequency
range. We do not anticipate any interference or spurious emissions to any
[Amateur Radio] frequencies."
Dutcher asked radio amateurs experiencing "any anomalies" on their 70
centimeter frequencies to contact[3] the Public Affairs Office. He thanked the
ham community for advancing the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio
and continuation of cooperation. The Cape Cod Pave PAWS installation was the
first in the US.
More information will become available as work at Cape Cod AFS continues.
Henderson asked amateurs with questions about the project to contact[4] him at
ARRL Headquarters and to copy him on any communications to the US Air Force
regarding interference or spurious emissions believed to be associated with the
Pave PAWS radar system.
"Pave" is a program name for electronics systems. "PAWS" stands for Phased
Array Warning System. The technical nomenclature for the radar is AN/FPS-123.
[1] http://www.afspc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3656
[2] http://www.peterson.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4702
[3] mailto:public.affairs2@us.af.mil
[4] mailto:n1nd@arrl.org
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