Computer History IBM SAGE Boeing BOMARC Missile Defense System 1950's Military MIT

Back-to-back, two “Cold War” computing films that complement each other. First, IBM’s commercial for the SAGE computer system built in the 1950’s for U.S. defense. SAGE was used by NORAD and included the BOMARC missile system, which is the subject of film #2 “The Armored Sky” from 1958. (see info below)
Topics:
SAGE
IBM AN/FSQ-7
BOMARC IM-99 B weapon system
NORAD (North American Air Defense Command)
B-52 aircraft; Texas Towers (RADAR)
RC-121 in flight; four F-1O2A's in flight

{IBM film copyright © IBM. BOMARC film produced by Boeing under contract to U.S. Air Force. Courtesy of National Archives, VHS tape, USAF #31456.}

BOMARC relied on the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) computer system (MIT, IBM) used by NORAD for detecting, tracking and intercepting enemy bombers. SAGE allowed for remote launching of the BOMARC missiles, which were housed in 14 individual launch shelters in remote areas of the U.S. and two in Canada. Boeing built over 570 BOMARC missiles.

There were over 25 individual SAGE building sites called Direction Centers, each one with two SAGE AN/FSQ-7 computers installed. SAGE was the world’s largest computer, with 60,000 vacuum tubes, 13,000 transistors and 175,000 diodes.

Pieces of the SAGE can be seen in various old TV shows, such as “Time Tunnel”, “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” and many others.

IBM Archives online
http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history

SAGE/BOMARC Air Defense Weapons (60 pg manual, 1958)
ftp://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/ibm/sage/SAGE_BOMARC_Defense_System_1958.pdf

http://ed-thelen.org/index.html#history

https://scottlocklin.wordpress.com/20...

Click to visit our other Computer History videos:
   / @computerhistoryarchivesproject