# Searching the Skies: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program

Compiled by [Robin Monks](https://coldwar.tech/about), a Cold War archival expert.

*David F. Winkler's 1997 study for USAF Air Combat Command - the standard one-volume history of the American air defense radar network, from Lashup through SAGE to PAVE PAWS.*

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Document Type | report |
| Creator | David F. Winkler / USAF Air Combat Command |
| Date | 1997 |
| Classification | UNCLASSIFIED |
| Document ID | DTIC ADA331231 |
| Original Language | english |

Winkler’s 1997 study for Air Combat Command is the standard single-volume history of the American side of the radar story this site keeps telling: the permanent network, the mobile programs, SAGE, the [Pinetree Line](https://coldwar.tech/systems/pinetree-line) as seen from Washington (p. 43 carries the two-thirds funding figure I cite), the [DEW Line](https://coldwar.tech/systems/dew-line), and on through [PAVE PAWS](https://coldwar.tech/systems/pave-paws), including the SAGE direction centre and radar history of [Beale AFB](https://coldwar.tech/places/beale-pave-paws). The DTIC copy (accession ADA331231) is reproduced here as a working mirror.

## Related

- [The Pinetree Line](https://coldwar.tech/systems/pinetree-line) (Systems)
- [PAVE PAWS (AN/FPS-115)](https://coldwar.tech/systems/pave-paws) (Systems)
- [The DEW Line](https://coldwar.tech/systems/dew-line) (Systems)
- [Beale AFB PAVE PAWS](https://coldwar.tech/places/beale-pave-paws) (Places)

Tags: radar, USAF, SAGE, Pinetree Line, PAVE PAWS, Cold War

---
Canonical URL: https://coldwar.tech/archive/documents/searching-the-skies
Last updated: 2026-07-15