The Detroit Air Defense Sector (DEADS) is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

organization. Its last assignment was with the

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inac ...

(ADC)

26th Air Division The 26th Air Division (26th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inactiv ...

at Custer Air Force Station (AFS), Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.

History

DEADS was originally designated as the 4627th Air Defense Wing, but was redesignated before being organized in January 1957 at Custer AFS, Michigan. It became operational in September 1958, but did not assume control of former ADC Central Air Defense Force units with a mission to provide

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...

of lower Michigan, northeast Indiana, and most of Ohio until 1959. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft, missile and

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...

squadrons. On 1 September 1959 the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-06) and Combat Center (CC-01) became operational. DC-06 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 An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are ...

( F-86 Sabre, F-89 Scorpion, F-101 Voodoo,

F-102 Delta Dagger The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair. Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpo ...

F-104 Starfighter The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the " Century Series" of ...

, F-106 Delta Dart) and operating interceptor missiles (

CIM-10 Bomarc The Boeing CIM-10 BOMARC (Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center) (IM-99 Weapon System prior to September 1962) was a supersonic ramjet powered long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) used during the Cold War for the air defense of Nort ...

) and

squadrons in a state of readiness with training missions and series of exercises with

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft. The Sector was inactivated 1 April 1966 as part of ADC reorganization and consolidation and replaced at Custer AFS by the 34th Air Division. Most of its units were reassigned to 34th or the 29th Air Division.

Lineage

* Designated as 4627th Air Defense Wing, SAGE : Redesignated as Detroit Air Defense Sector on 8 January 1957 and organized : Discontinued and inactivated on 1 April 1966.

Assignments

* 30th Air Division, 8 January 1957 * 26th Air Division, 4 September 1963 – 1 April 1966

Stations

* Custer AFS, Michigan, 8 January 1957 – 1 April 1966

Components

Wing

1st Fighter Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its 1 ...

(Air Defense) : Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1 April 1959 - 1 April 1966

Group

* 79th Fighter Group (Air Defense) : Youngstown Airport, Ohio, 1 April 1959 - 1 March 1960

Interceptor Squadrons

* 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :

Wright-Patterson AFB Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur W ...

, Ohio, 1 April 1959 - 1 March 1960 * 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :

Lockbourne AFB Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation located near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of ...

, Ohio, 1 April 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :

Bunker Hill AFB Grissom Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base, located about north of Kokomo in Cass and Miami counties in Indiana. The facility was established as a U.S. Navy installation, Naval Air Station Bunker Hill, in 1942 and was an active ...

, Indiana, 1 April 1959 - 1 March 1960 * 445th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :

Wurtsmith AFB Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan. It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. On January 18, 1994 it was listed as a Superfund due to extensive groundwater contaminatio ...

, Michigan, 15 July 1963 - 1 April 1966

Missile Squadron

* 35th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)Cornett & Johnson, p. 150 : Niagara Falls Air Force Missile Site, New York, 4 September 1963 - 1 April 1966

Radar Squadrons

* 661st Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later

661st Radar Squadron The 661st Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 23d Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 July 1974. The unit was a Gene ...

(SAGE))Cornett & Johnson, p. 158 : Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1 April 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 662nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later

662d Radar Squadron 66 may refer to: * 66 (number) * One of the years 66 BC, AD 66, 1966, 2066 * "66" (song), a song by Lil Yachty featuring Trippie Redd *66, a song by The Afghan Whigs, from the album 1965 *Sixty-Six (card game), a German card game * ''Sixty Six'' (f ...

(SAGE)) : Oakdale Army Installation, Pennsylvania, 1 November 1959 - 15 June 1960; 4 September 1963 - 1 April 1966 * 664th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 664th Radar Squadron (SAGE)) :

Bellefontaine AFS Bellefontaine Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-73, NORAD ID: Z-73) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east-northeast of Bellefontaine, Ohio. It was closed in 1969. History Bellefontaine Air Fo ...

, Ohio, 1 April 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 752d Radar Squadron (SAGE)Cornett & Johnson, pp. 163-165 :

Empire AFS Empire Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) long range radar site located south-southeast of Empire, Michigan, in Empire Township. It was closed in 1978 by the Air Force, and turned over to ...

, Michigan, 15 July 1963 - 1 April 1966 * 754th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 754th Radar Squadron (SAGE)) : Port Austin AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 763d Radar Squadron (SAGE) : Lockport AFS, New York, 4 September 1963 - 1 April 1966 * 781st Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 781st Radar Squadron (SAGE))Cornett & Johnson, p. 168 : Custer AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1959 - 25 June 1965 * 783rd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 783d Radar Squadron (SAGE)) : Guthrie AFS, West Virginia, 1 July 1961 - 1 April 1966 * 784th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 784th Radar Squadron (SAGE)) :

Snow Mountain AFS Snow Mountain Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-82, NORAD ID: Z-82) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located west-southwest of Godman Army Airfield, Kentucky. It was closed in 1968. History Snow Mounta ...

, Kentucky, 1 August 1961 - 25 May 1962

Weapons Systems

* F-86D, 1959-1960 * F-86L, 1959-1960 * F-89J, 1959-1960 * F-101B, 1960-1966 * F-102A, 1959-1960 * F-104A, 1959-1960 * F-106A, 1960-1966 * CIM-10 Bomarc, 1963-1966

Notes

References

* * *
Radomes.org Detroit Air Defense Sector
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=autocollapse 1957 establishments in Michigan Air defense sectors of the United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1957 Military units and formations in Michigan 1966 disestablishments in Michigan