The Boston Air Defense Sector (BADS) is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, 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 ...

Air Defense Command (ADC) organization. Its last assignment was with the ADC 26th Air Division at Hancock Field, New York.

History

BADS was established in 1956 at Stewart Air Force Base (AFB), New York as the 4622nd Air Defense Wing pending completion of the new

Semi Automatic Ground Environment The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of large computers and associated networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image of the airspace over a wide area. SA ...

(SAGE) Direction Center (DC-02) and Combat Center (CC-04) which became operational 15 September 1958. DC-02 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computers. Early in 1957, the wing was redesignated as the Boston Air Defense Sector. The mission of the BADS was to provide air defense over

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

initially in an area covering southern Maine, southern New Hampshire, southern Vermont, Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and Connecticut and part of New York. 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 c ...

(

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...

Northrop F-89 Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed for that role from the outset to enter service. Though its straight wings limited its per ...

Lockheed F-94 Starfire The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet powered all-weather, day/night interceptor of the United States Air Force. A twin-seat craft, it was developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer in the late 1940s. It reached o ...

Convair 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 purpos ...

Lockheed 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 fi ...

) and operating

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, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

s and interceptor missiles ( Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc) in a state of readiness with training missions and series of

exercises Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic s ...

with Strategic Air Command and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft. From 1960 to 1962, BADS was also responsible for a squadron in Nova Scotia that controlled interceptors "manually" (by voice instructions rather than by

data link A data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a recei ...

). The Otis Bomarc SAMs (26th ADMS) were directed from the

Air Defense Direction Center An Air Defense Direction Center (ADDC) was a type of United States command post for assessing Cold War radar tracks, assigning height requests to available height-finder radars, and for "Weapons Direction": coordinating command guidance of aircra ...

(CC-01/DC-03) at Hancock Air Force Base, Syracuse, New York.

Continental Air Defense Command Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense, tasked with air defense for the Continental United States. It comprised Army, Air Force, and Navy components. It included Army P ...

, in setting up the air defence command and control system in the area, had designated the Boston Air Defense Sector as 1 of 4 sectors in the 26th Air Division "effective April 1, 1958" DC-03 was operational on December 1, 1958; and the division was the 1st operational in the SAGE Air Defense Network — 1 January 1959 (CC-01 was the "first SAGE regional battle post", beginning operations "in early 1959".) The Sector was moved on paper to Hancock Field, New York and was eliminated on 1 April 1966 due to a general reorganization of ADC. Most of its assigned units were reassigned to the 34th or

35th Air Division The 35th Air Division (35th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force, at Hancock Field, New York. It was inactivated on 19 November 1969. History ...

Lineage

* Designated as the 4622d Air Defense Wing, SAGE on 1 April 1956 and organized : Redesignated as Boston Air Defense Sector on 8 January 1957 : Discontinued and inactivated on 1 April 1966

Assignments

Eastern Air Defense Force The Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960. History EADF was ...

, 1 April 1956 - 18 October 1956 * 26th Air Division, 18 October 1956 - 1 October 1966

Stations

* Stewart AFB, New York, 1 April 1956 - 1 April 1966 * Hancock Field, New York, 1 April 1966 - 1 April 1966

Components

Wings

33d Fighter Wing The 33rd Fighter Wing, sometimes written 33d Fighter Wing, (33 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant un ...

(Air Defense) :

Otis AFB Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...

, Massachusetts, 8 January - 18 August 1957

Groups

329th Fighter Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

(Air Defense) : Stewart AFB, New York, 18 October 1956 - 1 August 1959 *

4729th Air Defense Group The 4729th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Boston Air Defense Sector at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was discontinued in 1958. The group was formed t ...

Cornett & Johnson, p. 89 : Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 July 1957 - 30 April 1958 *

4735th Air Defense Group The 4735th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to the Boston Air Defense Sector at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was last active in 1959. The 4735th was formed in 1957 to pro ...

: Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 18 August 1957 - 1 September 1959

Interceptor squadrons

49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 49th Fighter Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-38 Talon aircraft conducting flight training. The squadron was first activated as the 49th Pursuit Squadro ...

Cornett & Johnson, pp. 116-19 : Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts, 1 August 1958 - 1 July 1959; 4 September 1963-1 April 1966 *

60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 60th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit that is part of the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; It is tasked with training pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. History World War II Activated in ...

: Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 1 August 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron : Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 February 1961 - 1 July 1963 *

324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Air Division, stationed at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. It was inactivated on 8 March 1960. History World War II A ...

: Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 8 October 1956 - 8 July 1957 *

337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 337th may refer to: * 337th Aeronautical Systems Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 337th Air Control Squadron, part of the 33d Fighter Wing, an AETC unit, based at the USAF Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida * 337th Airlift Squadron, part ...

: Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 18 October 1956 - 8 July 1957, 25 June 1958-8 July 1960 *

465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 465th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 507th Operations Group, 507th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The squadron operates the KC-135R aircraft condu ...

: Laurence B. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts, 1 July 1959 - 15 March 1960

Missile squadron

26th Air Defense Missile Squadron 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

(BOMARC) :

, Massachusetts, 1 March 1959 - 1 April 1966

Radar squadrons

* 644th Aircraft Control and Warning SquadronCornett & Johnson, pp. 155-57 : Rye Air Force Station (AFS), New Hampshire, 18 October 1956 - 30 October 1957 * 648th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 648th Radar Squadron (SAGE)) : Benton AFS, Pennsylvania, 18 October 1956 - 15 August 1958; 4 September 1963 - 1 April 1966 * 654th Radar Squadron (SAGE) :

Brunswick AFS Brunswick Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east-southeast of Brunswick, Maine. It was closed in 1965. Brunswick AFS was one of the first of twenty-four stations of the 1 ...

, Maine, 1 August 1962 - 25 June 1965 * 655th Radar Squadron (SAGE) : Watertown AFS, New York, 4 September 1963 - 1 April 1966 * 656th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 656th Radar Squadron (SAGE)) :

Saratoga Springs AFS Saratoga Springs (Also known as Schuylerville) Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-50, NORAD ID: Z-50) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located southeast of Saratoga Springs, New York. It was closed by t ...

, New York, 18 October 1956 - 1 April 1966 *

672d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron The 672d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Boston Air Defense Sector, Air Defense Command, stationed at Barrington Air Force Station, Nova Scotia. It was inactivated on ...

: Barrington AS, Nova Scotia, 1 July 1960 - 1 June 1962 * 762nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later

762d Radar Squadron 76 or Seventy-Six may refer to: Common uses * 76 (number) * One of the years 76 BC, AD 76, 1776, 1876, 1976, 2076 Places * Seventy Six, Kentucky * Seventy-Six, Missouri * Seventy-Six Township, Iowa (disambiguation), several places Arts, enter ...

(SAGE))Cornett & Johnson, p. 165-66 :

North Truro AFS North Truro Air Force Station (AFS) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east of North Truro, Massachusetts. Most of the site was inactivated by 1994 and turned over to the National Park Servic ...

, Massachusetts, 18 October 1956 - 1 April 1966 * 764th Radar Squadron (SAGE) : Saint Albans AFS, Vermont, 1 August 1962 - 1 April 1966 * 820th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (later 820th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron) : Fort Heath, Massachusetts, 18 October 1959 - 1 December 1962 * 911th Radar Squadron (SAGE)Cornett & Johnson, p. 173 : Lyndonville AFS, Vermont, 1 August 1962 - 1 August 1963

Weapons Systems

* F-86D, 1957-1957 * F-86L, 1957-1960 * F-89H, 1957-1960 * F-89J, 1957-1961 * F-94C, 1957-1959 * F-101B, 1959-1966 * F-102A, 1961-1963 * F-104A, 1958-1960 * IM-99 (later CIM-10), 1959-1966

References

Notes

Bibliography

*
Radomes.org Boston Air Defense Sector
* Further Reading * * *

External links

Radomes.org Photos of Boston Air Defense Sector SAGE facilities
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=autocollapse 1956 establishments in New York (state) 1966 disestablishments in New York (state) Aerospace Defense Command units Air Defense Military units and formations established in 1956 Military units and formations in New York (state)