Army Air Defense Command Post AADCP

Radar Technician at AADCP

C. Carter

The Richmond facility also served as the Army Air Defense Command Post (AADCP) location for south Florida air defenses until 1979. HM- 01 was the site's designation. This location was the home of the air defense missile control computers like the Missile Master and the Birdie system, as well as master radar systems like the TSQ- 51 Missile Mentor and the ARSR- 1. HM- 01 contained the missile command infrastructure components for the entire south Florida air defense system. HM- 01 was run by the 13th Artillery group from deployment in 1962 until November 1968. At that time, control passed to the 47th Artillery Brigade Detachment until June 1971. HM- 01 and the south Florida defenses were then controlled by the 31st Artillery Brigade Detachment until the Army dismantled the defenses in 1979.

As of 2004, the Richmond facilities are still in use by a number of government agencies, including the CIA's Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), which monitors Cuba and other places. The Air Force has a facility there and the Army also uses the site. Some of the original JMWAVE buildings are still standing. The University of Miami South Campus, situated at the former home of Richmond Naval Air Station, was the site of the CIAs JMWAVE operations for most of the covert war against Cuba.

The CIA used this 1,571- acre property between Coral Reef and Eureka Drives as a site for communications operated under Army cover after leasing it from the University of Miami. Eventually, the CIA directed its entire operation in south Florida from this site, and they set up a phony corporation known as "Zenith Technical Enterprises" to hide the nature of the activities there. At the height of the Cold War, JMWAVE was the largest CIA field station in the world.

Chronology: Richmond Naval Air Station (deactivated) was a 2,000 acre area purchased by the Navy in 1942 bounded by SW 122nd Avenue and 137th Avenue, from 152nd Street (Coral Reef Drive) to 184th Street.

1910 -- Area called Pettaluna, later Tropico, then Aventina.

1942 -- Navy buys 2,000 acres for use as a blimp base

1945 -- A hurricane destroys the hangers, blimps, 366 planes and 150 cars. The remaining buildings were soon put to use, some by the University of Miami as a South Campus. Other areas of the old base were utilized by the Army, Navy and Coast Guard Communications installations, then the Air Force built a MOAD facility.

1962-1968 -- The CIA leased a few buildings from the University of Miami under the "front" name of Zenith Technological Services. This "front" company was in fact the intelligence gathering headquarters for the war on Cuba, known as JM/WAVE, aka JM WAVE aka WAVE STATION. Over 400 CIA operatives operated out of this facility. It moved from here to North Dade County.

1970 -- UM programs were ordered off the base except for the toxicology department of the UM Medical School.

1970-75 -- The County was deeded 1,000 acres, the largest part, for a new zoo and the rest for other public access.

1991 -- Fire burns two warehouses and threatens the Railroad Museum.

1992 -- Hurricane Andrew roars through the old wooden buildings causing major damage to the termite infested structures.

1994 -- GSA begins clearing the majority of the old wooden buildings leaving
Building 25 in a state of deterioration. The Perrine Primate Institute builds a concrete structure for permanent residence.

1995 -- Base considered site for SOUTHCOM