Boston Air Defense Sector

Boston Air Defense Sector
Emblem of the Boston Air Defense Sector
Active	1956–1966
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter-interceptor
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Defense Command
Motto(s)	Ready

Map of Boston ADS

The Boston Air Defense Sector (BADS) is an inactive United States Air Force 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^[1] pending completion of the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (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.^[1]

The mission of the BADS was to provide air defense over New England initially in an area covering southern Maine, southern New Hampshire, southern Vermont, Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and Connecticut and part of New York.^[2] The day-to-day operations of the command were to train and maintain tactical units flying jet interceptor aircraft (North American F-86 Sabre, Northrop F-89 Scorpion, Lockheed F-94 Starfire, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter) and operating radars and interceptor missiles (Boeing 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. 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).^[3]

The Otis Bomarc SAMs (26th ADMS) were directed from the Air Defense Direction Center (CC-01/DC-03) at Hancock Air Force Base, Syracuse, New York. Continental Air Defense Command, 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"^[4][5] DC-03 was operational on 1 December 1958;^[6] 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".)^[7]

The Sector was moved on paper to Hancock Field, New York and was eliminated on 1 April 1966^[8] due to a general reorganization of ADC. Most of its assigned units were reassigned to the 34th or 35th Air Divisions.

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, 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 (Air Defense)^[9]

Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 8 January - 18 August 1957

Groups

• 329th Fighter Group (Air Defense)^[10]

Stewart AFB, New York, 18 October 1956 – 1 August 1959

• 4729th Air Defense Group^[11]

Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 July 1957 – 30 April 1958

• 4735th Air Defense Group^[11]

Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 18 August 1957 – 1 September 1959

Interceptor squadrons

49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[12][13] Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts, 1 August 1958 – 1 July 1959; 4 September 1963-1 April 1966 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[13][14] Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 1 August 1959 – 1 April 1966 76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[13][15] Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 February 1961 – 1 July 1963

324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[16] Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 8 October 1956 – 8 July 1957 337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[17][18] Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 18 October 1956 – 8 July 1957, 25 June 1958-8 July 1960 465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[19] Laurence B. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts, 1 July 1959 – 15 March 1960

Missile squadron

• 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)^[20]

Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 1 March 1959 – 1 April 1966

Radar squadrons

644th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron[21] Rye Air Force Station (AFS), New Hampshire, 18 October 1956 – 30 October 1957 648th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 648th Radar Squadron (SAGE))[21] Benton AFS, Pennsylvania, 18 October 1956 – 15 August 1958; 4 September 1963 - 1 April 1966 654th Radar Squadron (SAGE)[21] Brunswick AFS, Maine, 1 August 1962 – 25 June 1965 655th Radar Squadron (SAGE)[21] Watertown AFS, New York, 4 September 1963 – 1 April 1966 656th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 656th Radar Squadron (SAGE))[21] Saratoga Springs AFS, New York, 18 October 1956 – 1 April 1966

672d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron[22] Barrington AS, Nova Scotia, 1 July 1960 – 1 June 1962 762nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 762d Radar Squadron (SAGE))[23] North Truro AFS, Massachusetts, 18 October 1956 – 1 April 1966 764th Radar Squadron (SAGE)[23] Saint Albans AFS, Vermont, 1 August 1962 – 1 April 1966 820th Radar Squadron (SAGE) (later 820th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron)[24] Fort Heath, Massachusetts, 18 October 1959 – 1 December 1962 911th Radar Squadron (SAGE)[25] 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

See also

• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
• Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
• List of MAJCOM wings
• List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons

References

Notes

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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
2. Cornett & Johnson, p. 31(Map)
3. Abstract, History of 672nd AC&W Sq, Jan 1961-Dec 1961 (accessed 4 February 2012)
4. Preface by Buss, L. H. (Director) (1 October 1958). North American Air Defense Command Historical Summary: January–June 1958 (Report). Directorate of Command History: Office of Information Services.
5. Preface by Buss, L. H. (Director) (14 April 1959). North American Air Defense Command and Continental Air Defense Command Historical Summary: July–December 1958 (Report). Directorate of Command History: Office of Information Services.
6. Condit, Kenneth W. (1992) [1971]. "Chapter 15: Continental Defense" (PDF). The Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Policy: 1955-1956 (Report). Vol. VI of History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Washington, DC: Historical Office, Joint Staff.
7. Schaffel, Kenneth (1991). Emerging Shield: The Air Force and the Evolution of Continental Air Defense 1945-1960 (45MB pdf). General Histories (Report). Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-60-9. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
8. Cornett & Johnson, p. 57
9. Ravenstein, Charles A (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 58. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
10. Cornett & Johnson, p. 79
11. Cornett & Johnson, p. 89
12. 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. 213. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
13. Cornett & Johnson, pp. 116-19
14. Maurer, p. 235
15. Maurer, p. 275
16. Maurer, p. 399
17. Maurer, p. 417
18. "Factsheet 337th Flight Test Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
19. Maurer, p. 572
20. Cornett & Johnson, p. 150
21. Cornett & Johnson, pp. 155-57
22. Cornett & Johnson, p. 98
23. Cornett & Johnson, p. 165-66
24. Cornett & Johnson, p. 102
25. Cornett & Johnson, p. 173

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
• Radomes.org Boston Air Defense Sector
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

Further Reading

• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. II, 1955–1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
• 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. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 97020912.^{[dead link‍]}

External links

• Radomes.org Photos of Boston Air Defense Sector SAGE facilities