Westinghouse AN/GPA-35 Ground Environment explained

The Westinghouse AN/GPA-35 Ground Environment (GPA-35 colloq.) was a United States Air Force surface-to-air missile weapons direction system. It was used for launch and steering during CIM-10 Bomarc tests during the Cold War.^[1] The command guidance system manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Corporation used Bendix AN/FPS-20 Radar data to track the missile. Lincoln Laboratory Division 6 had an AN/GPA-35 Study Group for integrating the AN/GPA-35 into the SAGE System.^[2] Notable launches with GPA-35 guidance included:

1956 October — Six launches were used to test the AN/GPA-35 capability to command BOMARC intercept of QB-17 drones.
1957 October — A BOMARC test with "live high-explosive warhead" failed when the GPA-35 commanded "faulty mid-course guidance".
1958 May 1 - The "GPA-35 could not control the missile beyond 130 miles."
1958 August 7 - A GPA-35 took control of an airborne BOMARC from the Experimental SAGE Sector, and the missile malfunctioned and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
1959 March 6 - A straying BOMARC was self-destructed near the western boundary of the Eglin Gulf Test Range after a GPA-35 had transmitted the wrong commands.
1959 April 13 — The GPA-35 lost control of the missile 100 seconds after launch.
1959 April 24 — GPA-35 control was used for simultaneous guidance of two BOMARCS.

References

Web site: SAGE System Meeting. https://web.archive.org/web/20151029044506/http://dome.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.3/40636/MC665_r16_M-4316.pdf?sequence=1 . 2015-10-29 . 1956-04-23.
Web site: Biweekly Report For Period Ending 18 May 1956. https://web.archive.org/web/20151026185848/http://dome.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.3/46017/MC665_r14_6M-4347.pdf?sequence=1. 2015-10-26.

McMullen . R. F. . 15 February 1980 . History of Air Defense Weapons 1946–1962 . ADC Historical Study No. 14 . Historical Division, Office of information, HQ ADC .
Rice . Helen . History of Ogden Air Material Area… 1934 - 1960 . 2017 . Scribd image . 2013-07-22 . 204 . On 17 May 1957 the Boeing Airplane Co., the prime contractor, received its initial contract for a $135 million to produce IM-99 Bomarcs. …Boeing subcontracted to…Westinghouse Electric for the AN/GPA-35, ground-to-air guidance system used on the Bomarc until SAGE was fully operational.