Dow AFB BOMARC Missile Site
Dow AFB BOMARC Missile Site (1959-1964) - A Cold War era United States Air Force (USAF) BOMARC Missile Site activated in June 1959 near Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine. This BOMARC Missile Site closed in 1964.
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History
This site was constructed as a USAF BOMARC Missile Site in 1959, activated in June 1959 and went operational in June 1960. The site was built with launchers for 28 BOMARC A Model II missiles. The site was never modified for the BOMARC B Model missiles.
Two models were produced:
- 'A' Model - Liquid-fuel booster electron-tube based guidance radar and computer. Boeing/MARC CIM-10A
- 'B' Model - Solid-fuel booster transistor based guidance radar and computer. Boeing/MARC CIM-10B
| A Model | B Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Rocket | One Aerojet General LR59-AG-13 liquid rocket | One Thiokol XM-51 solid fuel rocket |
| Ramjets | Two Marquardt RJ43-MA-3 | Two Marquardt RJ43-MA-7 ramjets |
| Wingspan | 18 ft 2 in | 18 ft 2 in |
| Length | 46 ft 10 in | 45 ft 1 in |
| Height | 10 ft 4 in | 10 ft 4 in |
| Diameter | 2 ft 11 in | 2 ft 11 in |
| Weight | 15,619 lbs | 16,032 lbs |
| Speed | 1,975 mph(Mach 2.8) | 1,975 mph(Mach 2.8) |
| Range | 260 miles | 440 miles |
| Service Ceiling | 65,000 ft | 100,000 ft |
| Armament | W-40 nuclear warhead -or- 1,000 lb conventional high-explosive warhead |
W-40 nuclear warhead -or- 1,000 lb conventional high-explosive warhead |
| Cost | $1,154,000 | $1,150,000 |
This site was manned by the 30th Air Defense Missile Sq (BOMARC).
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The missiles remained on alert until the site was deactivated in 1964.
Physical Plant
The missile site consisted of three separate areas, the Launch Area, the Missile Support Area, and a remoted Ground to Air Transmitter (GAT) radio site.
| Number | Building | Area | Currently Exists |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coffin Launcher Shelter (28) | Launcher | Yes | All remain & all modified |
| 2 | Ordnance Facility | Launcher | Yes | Changed + New Building |
| 3 | Compressor Building | Launcher | Yes | |
| 4 | Diesel Fuel Storage | Support | Yes | Tank modified into garage? |
| 5 | Heating & Power Building | Support | Yes | |
| 6 | Assembly & Maintenance Building | Support | Yes | |
| 7 | Propellant Acid Facility | Support | Yes | |
| 8 | Propellant Fuel Facility | Support | Yes | |
| 9 | Vehicle Storage | Support | Yes | Bldg. Modified |
| 10 | Security & Identification | Support | No | Bldg. Gone |
Current Status
Now part of the Bomarc Industrial Park. Many of the buildings still exist but most have been modified and repurposed.
The Ground to Air Transmitter Site (GAT) now contains the Glenburn Town Hall, Public Safety Building, Salt Storage Building, and the Homestead Estates water supply wells.
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<googlemap version="0.9" lat="44.85307" lon="-68.78638" zoom="16" width="-500" height="-500" scale="yes" overview="yes" controls="large" icons="http://www.fortwiki.com/mapicons/icon{label}.png"> (G) 44.912500, -68.825278, Dow AFB BOMARC GAT Site (M) 44.85307, -68.78638, Dow AFB BOMARC Missile Site (1959-1964) </googlemap> |
Location: Near Bangor in Penobscot County, Maine. Lat: 44.85307 Long: -68.78638 Elevation: {{{3}}} ACME, Bing, Google
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See Also:
Sources:
- Cornett, Lloyd H. & Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization (1946-1980), Office of History ADC, Peterson AFB, Colorado, 31 Dec 1980, 179 pages, Pdf, page 150.
- Mc Mullen, Richard F., ADC Historical Study No. 14 - History of Air Defense Weapons, Historical Division Office of Information, HQ Air Defense Command, Chapter 6. Pdf
- Morgan, Mark L. and Berhow, Mark A., Rings of Supersonic Steel: Air Defenses of the United States Army 1950-1979, Third Edition, Hole in the Head Press, Bodega Bay, 2010, ISBN 978-0-9761494-0-8, 358 pages.
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1913350
Links: