Hawthorne Bomb Plot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hawthorne Bomb Plot |
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| Navy Fallon RBS | |
| Babbitt, Nevada Near Hawthorne, Nevada |
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Map of Babbitt, with the station to the east
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| Coordinates | 38°32′10.84″N 118°38′2.73″W / 38.5363444°N 118.6340917°W |
| Site information | |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Fate | Demolished |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Unknown-1966 Lt Col Hollacher 1966-Unknown Lt Col McHan |
The Hawthorne Bomb Plot was a special military site in Babbitt, Nevada. It was used by the United States Air Force during the Cold War. This period was a time of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The site had a powerful radar station. This radar helped train bomber pilots. It made sure they could hit their targets accurately.
Contents
What Was the Hawthorne Bomb Plot?
The Hawthorne Bomb Plot was a "Formerly Used Defense Site." This means it was once a military location that is no longer active. It was home to a Strategic Air Command (SAC) radar station. SAC was a part of the Air Force that managed nuclear bombers and missiles.
How it Started
Operations at Hawthorne began in December 1961. At first, it was a temporary setup. It was used for something called "RBS Express #2."
Later, the 11th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron set up a permanent base. This base was in Babbitt, Nevada. Babbitt was a town for military families. It was near the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot.
Radar Bomb Scoring
The main job of the Hawthorne Bomb Plot was "Radar Bomb Scoring" (RBS). This was a way to practice bombing missions without dropping actual bombs.
- Radar tracked training planes.
- It recorded how close they would have come to a target.
- This helped pilots improve their aim.
Special Radar Equipment
A group called Detachment 12 ran the radar systems. One important radar was the Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Central. This specific radar (serial number 10) was at Hawthorne from about 1977 to 2000.
Before coming to Hawthorne, this radar was used in other places. It helped with bombing during the Vietnam War. It was part of a system called "Combat Skyspot."
Training Missions
In 1966, the unit at Hawthorne became part of the 1st Combat Evaluation Group. Their job was to track training flights. These flights often happened over the Nevada Test and Training Range.
The radar scored how well SAC bombers performed. This training was very important during the Cold War. It kept pilots ready for any real-world situations.
"Oil Burner" Routes
Hawthorne was also part of a special flight path called "Oil Burner" route OB-10. This route was for SAC bombers practicing low-level flights.
- The route started west of Elko, Nevada.
- It went southwest to Mina, Nevada.
- Planes flew at a low altitude, around 13,000 to 14,000 feet.
- Nearby targets for practice were at the Tonopah Test Range.
End of Operations
The Air Force detachment announced it was moving in 1985. They moved to the Havre Radar Bomb Scoring Site. However, the Hawthorne radar station was still used by Naval Air Station Fallon in 1993.
Eventually, the site was no longer needed for military use. In 2004, a recreational vehicle (RV) park called Whiskey Flats was built in the area where the radar station once stood.
External Links
- 11th RBS site images
- nearby SAC 1 & 2 Target area (p. 12)
