1950- Radar ( Radio Detection And Ranging) was still pretty 'gee-whiz' stuff. Fighter aircraft, that would be sent out to intercept Russian bombers, had no on-board radar of their own. They relied on ground stations like this one to help them find their targets in the vast ocean of the sky. Similar Russian systems could even fly the aircraft from the ground.Until the advent of ground launched guided missiles in the late 50's shooting down high flying enemy bombers was literally a 'hit or miss' proposition.
