The United States Air Force established its first radar at Montauk Point in 1948. In the years that followed, Montauk Air Force Station was home to a variety of surveillance and height-finding radar that guarded the New York City area against surprise attack by Soviet bombers or missiles. In 1958, Montauk Air Force Station was integrated into the Semi-automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE, air defense network, which linked the nation's air defenses. In 1960, the Air Force deployed the new AN/FPS-35 Radar to Montauk. The AN/FPS-35, then the most advanced surveillance radar available to the United States Air Force, could detect airborne objects at over 200 miles, and its operator could vary its frequency, making it difficult for an enemy to jam. Operated by the 773rd Radar Squadron, it sent information to the SAGE Direction Center at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, where it was interpreted and coordinated with other installations throughout the northeastern United States. The radar was also part of a larger air defense system that included Nike surface-to-air missiles and 19 Nike missile batteries deployed in the New York Metropolitan area during the Cold War. Its enormous antenna measured 120 feet in width and weighed approximately 70 tons. The AN/FPS-35 remained operational until 1980, and Montauk's AN/FPS-35 is the only intact example of a large, frequency diversity radar left in the United States.
