USAF
SAGE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM

SAGE (SEMI-AUTOMATIC GROUND ENVIRONMENT)
SAGE WAS A CONTINENTAL AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM - BUILT DURING THE COLD WAR TO PROTECT AGAINST ENEMY BOMBERS
COST 8-12 BILLION DOLLARS TO GET OPERATIONAL
STARTED 1954 - FULLY OPERATIONAL BY 1963 - DECOMISSIONED 1983
THE LARGEST COMPUTER EVER BUILT
-
23 DIRECTIONAL CENTERS WERE BUILT IN CONCRETE HARDENED BUNKERS - LINKED TO THE SAGE SYSTEM AND 100+ RADAR STATIONS BY TELEPHONE LINES
EACH BUNKER HOUSED AN A/N FSQ-7 (SAGE) COMPUTER (ABLE TO TRACK UP TO 400 AIRPLANES /COMPUTER)
52 A/N FSQ-7 COMPUTERS WERE BUILT IN TOTAL FOR SAGE (55,000 VACUUM TUBES - 1/2 ACRE FLOOR SPACE - 275 TONS EACH)
-
THE AN/FST-2 WAS A RADAR DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM - PART OF SAGE LONG-RANGE RADAR SITES
THE AN/FST-2 WOULD AUTOMATICALLY PROCESS RECIEVED TARGET DATA
IT COULD VERIFY AND IDENTIFY TARGETS - COMPUTE RANGE/AZIMUTH/HEIGHT/SIZE OF TARGETS
(FINE GRAIN DATA "FGD" / SEMI-AUTOMATIC HEIGHT FINDER "SAH/F")
-
IBM WAS CONTRACTED TO BUILD THE HARDWARE

A/N FSQ-7 COMPONENTS

A/N FSQ-7 INPUT PANEL

A/N FSQ-7 BRL REPORT

AN/FST-2 ARTICLE

AN/FST-2 CABINET
THE COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM HAS AN EXAMPLE IN THEIR COLLECTION
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/accession/102653997
SAGE COMPUTER KNOB
KNOBS OF THIS TYPE WERE USED TO CONTROL COUNTLESS FUNCTIONS OF THE SAGE SYSTEM
-
WHEN PUSHED IN THE "E" BUTTON LOCKS INTO PLACE - RELEASABLE BY THE SPRING LATCH SHOWN IN (SIDE A)
KNOB
 (FRONT)
KNOB
(BACK)
 KNOB
(SIDE A)
 KNOB
(SIDE B)

SAGE COMPUTER BUTTON
UNIT POWER OFF

BURROUGHS VACUUM TUBE COMPUTER BOARD IN ORIGINAL BOX
FROM AN AN/FST-2 RADAR SYSTEM COMPUTER

BOARD (FRONT)
DATE 2-10-56
BOARD (BACK)
 
 
 
2 POUCHES
INCLUDED DESICCANT
COPY OF ORIGINAL LABEL 
PACKED 1959
ORIGINAL OUTER POUCH
CADILLAC PRODUCTS 
MIL-36 MARCH 1957 
 
 
BOX & OUTER POUCH
COMPONENTS
VACUUM TUBE

CIRCUIT BOARDS
FROM AN AN/FST-2 RADAR SYSTEM COMPUTER
PCO-3
DATE 1-12-56
RA-2
DATE 7-5-55
FF-2
DATE 9-23-55
DMV-1
DATE 12-6-55
FF-3
DATE 9-23-55
FF-3
DATE 9-23-55
FF-3
DATE 9-23-55
RA-2
DATE 7-5-55
RCD
DATE 2-20-56
M-53
DATE 6-5-55
M-210
DATE 6-5-55

M-206
DATE 6-5-55

M-206
DATE 6-5-55
M-201
DATE 6-5-55
M-56
DATE 6-5-55
M-70
DATE 6-5-55

M-63
DATE 6-5-55

I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY EARLY SAGE BOARD
IT IS MUCH HEAVIER AND THICKER THAN THE OTHER SAGE BOARDS IN THE COLLECTION
IT ALSO LACKS THE BURROUGHS TYPE LABELING THE OTHER BOARDS HAVE

SAGE PLUGGABLE UNIT COMPONENTS

UNIT #1 SPARE

1960 INSPECTION REPORT

BENDIX AVIATION INSPECTION TAG

UNIT #2 SPARE

UNIT #3 SPARE

UNIT #4 SPARE
AIR FORCE PROPERTY 1959

UNIT #5 SPARE

UNIT #6 SPARE

UNIT #7 SPARE

UNIT #8

UNIT #9

HANDLE TOPS

SAGE RELAY COVERS







 


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