excubitu vigilans' is taken from 500 Signals Unit's badge. On completion of the R3 in September 1954 the station became fully operational. In the autumn of 1957 RAF Boulmer was designated a Group Control Centre, with responsibility for the RAF Radar Stations at Buchan and Killard Point. By 1958, Boulmer was selected to be upgraded with the installation of the more modern-high powered Type 84 Surveillance radar. This increased the range of detection and was able to penetrate the latest Soviet jamming technology. In 1971 Border Radar was established at Boulmer: this was a joint military/civil facility providing air traffic control services to co-ordinate civil and military traffic. Although still operational until the late 1980s, the unit closed when all Area Air Traffic Services were centralised between West Drayton and Prestwick. By 1974 the Station had evolved to become both a Sector Operations Centre (SOC) and Control and Reporting Centre (CRC). In 1978 RAF Boulmer took on an additional role as a search and rescue station following the closure of RAF Acklington, a role that it fulfilled until 30 September 2015. Initially the station was equipped with Westland Whirlwind helicopters; however, in December 1978 the station was re-equipped with Westland Sea King aircraft. The next major change came in 1982 when the R3 bunker was vacated and work begun to upgrade it to an R3A. During this period the CRC was relocated to an above ground facility while the work was carried out. In 1990, Boulmer's links with Air Defence were reinforced by the arrival of the School of Fighter Control from RAF West Drayton. Following an extensive refurbishment the bunker was returned to operations in 1993. However, with the end of the Cold War the CRC was used in a standby role only with the homeland defence task being conducted from RAF Buchan and RAF Neatishead. Post Cold War In 1994, No. 1 Air Control Centre (No 1 ACC) reformed at RAF Boulmer, providing the Royal Air Force with deployable fielded air command and control capability. In 2002, the Station began a major refurbishment of the underground bunker and installation of new equipment as part of the UKADGE Capability Maintenance Programme (UCMP). Valued at £60 million, the first phase of the programme was declared operational at RAF Boulmer on 16 August 2004. In 2004 RAF Boulmer's newly refurbished NATO Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) took over all air defence