Amazing early Air Defense control computer from the Cold War

http://www.tiltul.com Amazing early Air defense control computer from the Cold War - SAGE
SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) air defense system, became operational in 1958
The Computer History Museum Tour 11
See more from the Computer History video Tour at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TilTuli#grid/user/5F20BDD0A9D88934
TilTul http://tiltul.com LinksYouWantToRemember

SAGE Film, IBM (1956) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvJpZYQy_7Q

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• Sage
• Air
• Traffic
• control
• computer
• History
• Museum
• Cold
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• SAGE
• IBM
• LinksYouWantToRemember

[anderson1245]

I was stationed at the SAGE control center at Malmstrom AFB Mt, 28th Air Div. from 65-68 as a Air Surveillance Tech. I spent many hours in the Blue Room on these scopes. We were the only AD that was Co-Lo with FAA.

[TilTuli]

@anderson1245 Thanks

See also an interesting video clip at tiltuli site of the North America Air Defense - NORAD Radar stations deployment in Canada. AeroSpaceDefence.ca North Bay-1

it shows a map of the Pine Tree Line, Mid Canada Line, Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) radar stations. from the Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence (CFMAD) at North Bay, Ontario Canada..

[csula74]

I was stationed at the SAGE control center in Duluth, Minnesota, the 23rd Air Division, in the 1970's as a Weapons DIrector. The host did not mention that the interceptor pilot could slave his autopilot to follow the commands sent by the SAGE computer. That meant that the controller at the radar scope was actually controlling the interceptor's speed, heading, and altitude while the pilot operated the aircraft's radar and weapons system. This silent means of control was called data link.

[TilTuli]

csula74

Thank you for your valuable comment.

Did the SAGE also integrated the information from the Interceptor's Radar into it's computer database and display?

[masteralexstocks]

@TilTuli

Hi, I was SAGE Weapons controller, Air Surveillance Officer, and RICMO for 10 years. In answer to your question, no, the SAGE system did not receive information from the fighter. Data Link was uplink only to the F-106 interceptor. In addition there are a couple of errors in the presentiation. There was not a sweep going around on the scope face. The picture updated in flashes every 15.7 seconds under normal operation.

[TilTuli]

@masteralexstocks Thanks for your answer.

I assume that the main Up-link design requirement was to enable the SAGE Weapons controllers on the ground to either enable or disable the activation of the Nuclear based weapons such as the Genie and Falcon from the F-106 and the Canadian CF-101 interceptors.

[bcyaden]

Good video and pretty good comentary. My first assignment as an AF 2nd Lt was at 26th Air Division SAGE in Oregon as an Intercept Director (Scope Dope). A minor error by the narrator was "watching a line go around the screen" SAGE Scopes did NOT have a sweep (line). The screen "blinked" since it was computer data from MANY radar sites. The light gun was cranky and many time we beat it on the desk so it would work, HA! BCY Lt Col retired

[constructivist6]

see 2:28 for the built-in ashtray!

[DodgeMan360]

@swizzletik Yeah for sure, certainly a leap in technology

[swizzletik]

@DodgeMan360 The technology shown here dates from the late 1950s - early 60s. It was pretty sophisticated for its time.

[swizzletik]

I was a Weapon Controller at the 21st NORAD Region at Hancock Field, NY. Interesting to see that the equipment I used is all now in museums! As others have remarked, the SAGE display to the controller has no radar "sweep". It is a digital presentation of raw radar data that the SAGE computer processes. The screen would update every 15 or so seconds (annoyingly slow!), and "blink" to let you know when it did. The "light gun" used by the controllers to input commands was temperamental a lot.

[badbobbyhughes]

gotta love SAGE, you can't get more transistorpunk than this

[sayrith]

In the museum, can they activate these computers? I dont see why not, except the problem of some moving parts.

[teedot]

SO cool!

[DodgeMan360]

amazing how fast we're advancing, this was only a few decades ago!