Q&A · 1:09:35-1:35:47

Why did the Navy rely on Army radar in Hawaii?

Army responsibility for radar did not remove the Navy's interest in protecting its own Hawaiian airfields and aircraft.

Question

Why did the US Navy not have a radar station to defend Hawaii in the same way the US Army did?

Short answer

The Army was supposed to provide radar coverage, though the Navy also had airfields and aircraft to protect.

Notes

The Army was responsible for providing radar coverage in Hawaii. The Navy nevertheless operated its own airfields and aircraft on Oahu, so it also had a direct stake in air defence. A division of responsibility did not remove the need to prepare for a carrier attack. American exercises had already demonstrated the vulnerability of the forces based there.