Washington Air Defense Sector

	Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap
	Download coordinates as: KML

Washington Air Defense Sector
Washington Air Defense Sector
	Emblem of the Washington Air Defense Sector
Active	1956–1966
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Defense Command

482d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Convair F-102A-90-CO Delta Dagger 57-823, Washington Air Defense Sector, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, October 1962, Deployed at Homestead AFB, Florida during Cuban Missile Crisis

Map of Washington D.C. ADS

The Washington Air Defense Sector (WaADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command (ADC) 26th Air Division, being stationed at Fort Lee Air Force Station (AFS), Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.

History[]

WaADS was established in December 1956 as the 4625th Air Defense Wing.^[1] It was not assigned any units until 1958 when it assumed control of former ADC Eastern Air Defense Force units primarily in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.^[2] Units of the 32d Air Division in North and South Carolina were transferred to WaADS in 1961 as the 26th Air Division area of responsibility expanded southward.^[3] The organization provided command and control over several aircraft, missile and radar squadrons.

On 1 February 1959 the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-04) became operational.

37°15′09″N 077°19′21″W / 37.25250°N 77.32250°W DC-04 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computers. The day-to-day operations of the command were to train and maintain tactical units flying jet interceptor aircraft (F-101 Voodoo; F-102 Delta Dagger; F-106 Delta Dart) or interceptor missiles (CIM-10 Bomarc) in a state of readiness with training missions and series of exercises with Strategic Air Command and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft.

The sector was eliminated on 1 April 1966 due to a general reorganization of Air Defense Command, most of its assigned units being reassigned to the 33d Air Division

Lineage[]

Designated as 4625th Air Defense Wing, SAGE and organized on 1 December 1956

Redesignated Washington Air Defense Sector on 8 January 1957

Discontinued and inactivated on 1 April 1966

Assignments[]

85th Air Division, 1 December 1956
26th Air Division, 1 September 1958 – 1 April 1966

Stations[]

Fort Lee AFS, Virginia, 1 December 1956 – 1 April 1966

Components[]

Interceptor squadrons[]

48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron^[4]^[5]

Langley Air Force Base (AFB), Virginia, 1 September 1958 - 1 April 1966

95th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron^[6]^[7]

Andrews AFB, Maryland, 1 September 1958 - 1 July 1963

444th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron^[8]^[9]

Charleston AFB, South Carolina, 1 July 1961 - 1 April 1966

482d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron^[10]^[11]

Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, 1 July 1961 - 1 October 1965

Missile squadron[]

22d Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)^[12]

Langley AFB, Virginia, 1 September 1959 - 1 April 1966

Radar squadrons[]

614th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 614th Radar Squadron(SAGE))^[13]

Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, North Carolina, 1 July 1961 - 1 August 1963

632nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 632d Radar Squadron (SAGE))^[13]

Roanoke Rapids AFS, North Carolina, 1 September 1958 - 1 April 1966

647th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 647th Radar Squadron SAGE))^[14]

Manassas AFS, Virginia, 1 September 1958 - 25 June 1965

649th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 649th Radar Squadron (SAGE))^[14]

Bedford AFS, Virginia, 1 September 1958 - 1 April 1966

701st Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 701st Radar Squadron (SAGE))^[15]

Fort Fisher AFS, North Carolina, 1 July 1961 - 1 April 1966

770th Radar Squadron (SAGE)^[16]

Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, 1 October 1961 - 1 April 1966

771st Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 771st Radar Squadron (SAGE))^[16]

Cape Charles AFS, Virginia, 1 September 1958 - 1 April 1966

792nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 792d Radar Squadron (SAGE))^[17]

North Charleston AFS, South Carolina, 1 July 1961 - 1 April 1966

810th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 810th Radar Squadron (SAGE))^[17]

Winston-Salem AFS, North Carolina, 1 July 1961 - 1 April 1966

Weapons Systems[]

F-101B 1961-1966
F-102A, 1958-1965
F-106A, 1959-1966
IM-99 (later CIM-10), 1959-1966

Notes[]

^ Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946-1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 65.
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 31 (Map)
^ Abstract, History of 26th Air Div, Jan-Jun 1961 (accessed 6 Feb 2012)
^ Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 209. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 116
^ Maurer, p. 318
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 121
^ Maurer, p. 550
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 128
^ Maurer, p. 580
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 129
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 150
^ ^a ^b Cornett & Johnson, p. 154
^ ^a ^b Cornett & Johnson, p. 157
^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 162
^ ^a ^b Cornett & Johnson, p. 166
^ ^a ^b Cornett & Johnson, p. 170

References[]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol II, 1955–1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 9781437921311. |volume= has extra text (help)
Redmond, Kent C.; Smith, Thomas M. (2000). From Whirlwind to MITRE: The R&D Story of The SAGE Air Defense Computer. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-18201-0.
Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program (PDF). Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 97020912.
Photos of Washington Air Defense Sector SAGE facilities

External links[]

Radomes.org Washington Air Defense Sector

[1] Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946-1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 65.

[2] Cornett & Johnson, p. 31 (Map)

[3] Abstract, History of 26th Air Div, Jan-Jun 1961 (accessed 6 Feb 2012)

[4] Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 209. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.

[5] Cornett & Johnson, p. 116

[6] Maurer, p. 318

[7] Cornett & Johnson, p. 121

[8] Maurer, p. 550

[9] Cornett & Johnson, p. 128

[10] Maurer, p. 580

[11] Cornett & Johnson, p. 129

[12] Cornett & Johnson, p. 150

[cj154-13] Cornett & Johnson, p. 154

[cj157-14] Cornett & Johnson, p. 157

[15] Cornett & Johnson, p. 162

[cj166-16] Cornett & Johnson, p. 166

[cj170-17] Cornett & Johnson, p. 170

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]