The Spokane Air Defense Sector (SPADS) 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 Signal ...

organization. Its last assignment was with the

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), 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 est ...

25th Air Division The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord Air ...

(25th AD) at Larson Air Force Base in Grant County, Washington

History

SAGE Air Defense Sector

SPADS was established in September 1958, assuming responsibility for

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, ...

in Eastern Washington,

North Idaho The Idaho Panhandle—locally known as North Idaho—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and S ...

, and

Western Montana Western Montana is the western region of the U.S. state of Montana. The most restrictive definition limits western Montana only to the parts of the state west of the Continental Divide. Other common definitions add in the mountainous areas east o ...

. The organization eventually also provided command and control over several

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 cap ...

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

squadrons. On 8 September the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-15) became operational. DC-15 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computers. The day-to-day operations of the command was to train and maintain tactical flying units flying jet interceptor aircraft ( F-94 Starfire;

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 ...

; F-106 Delta Dart) in a state of readiness with training missions and series of exercises with SAC and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft. However, until March 1960, SPADS did not have operational command over the radar and interceptor aircraft it directed. Instead, they were assigned to the 4700th Air Defense Wing until March 1960. The 4700th was transferred from direct assignment to 25th AD to SPADS briefly before being discontinued in July. The Sector was inactivated on 1 September 1963 and its units were assigned to the 25th AD.

4700th Air Defense Wing

The Sector's only

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

was designated and organized as 4700th Air Defense Wing at Geiger Field Washington to provide

of the northwestern United States on 1 September 1958. It was assigned two fighter

groups A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

flying fighter

(

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 F-106 Delta Dart) and ten

squadrons to accomplish its mission. When its

498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1968. History World War ...

(part of the 84th Fighter Group) converted to F-106As, it became the first combat ready

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

flying Delta Darts. In May 1959, the wing's

4721st Air Defense Group The 4721st Air Defense Group is a discontinued group of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the 4700th Air Defense Wing at Larson Air Force Base, Washington, where it was last active in 1959. The group was formed to provide ...

at Larson was discontinued and its

538th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 538th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is a discontinued unit of the United States Air Force. It was last assigned to the Spokane Air Defense Sector at Larson Air Force Base, Washington, in mid-1960. The squadron was first activated during World ...

transferred directly to the wing On 15 March 1960, the wing's 636th,Cornett & Johnson, p. 155 637th, 822dCornett & Johnson, p. 171 and 823d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons and

were transferred to SPADS. Other radar units assigned to the wing, however, were transferred to other ADC organizations. The 634th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Burns AFS, Oregon, in May 1960; the 638th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at

Curlew AFS Curlew Air Force Station (ADC ID: LP-6, P-6) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located north of Republic, Washington. It was closed in 1959. History Curlew Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight s ...

, Washington in December 1959, the

680th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron The 680th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Palermo Air Force Station, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 30 May 1970. The unit was a ...

at Yaak AFS, Montana in July 1960; the 716th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Geiger Field, Washington in May 1959 and the 821st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at

Baker AFS A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grain ...

, Oregon in May 1960. In May, the wing and its

84th Fighter Group Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003. When in Port Harcourt or Ahoa ...

Cornett & Johnson, p. 74 were also transferred, leaving the wing without an operational mission, and it was discontinued on 30 June 1960.

Lineage

* Established as Spokane Air Defense Sector on 8 September 1958 : Inactivated on 1 September 1963

Assignments

, 8 September 1958 – 1 September 1963

Stations

Larson AFB Larson Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Moses Lake, in Grant County, Washington. After its closure in 1966, the airport facility became G ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, 8 September 1958 – 1 September 1963

Components

Wing

4700th Air Defense Wing The Spokane Air Defense Sector (SPADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 25th Air Division (25th AD) at Larson Air Force Base in Grant County, Washington History SAGE Air D ...

: Geiger Field, Washington, 15 May 1960 – 1 July 1960

Group

(Air Defense) : Geiger Field, Washington, 1 July 1960 – 15 July 1963

Interceptor squadron

, Washington, 15 May 1960 – 1 July 1960

Radar squadrons

* 636th Radar Squadron :

Condon AFS Condon Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located west of Condon, Oregon. It was closed in 1970. History Condon AFS was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second seg ...

, Oregon, 15 March 1960 – 1 June 1963 *

637th Radar Squadron The 637th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 25th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Othello Air Force Station, Washington. History The squadron was originally activated at L ...

Othello AFS Othello Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-40, NORAD ID: Z-40) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located south of Othello, Washington. It was the home station of the 637th Aircraft Control and Warning Squa ...

, Washington, 15 March 1960 – 1 June 1963 *

760th 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, entert ...

Colville AFS Colville Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east-northeast of Colville, Washington. It was closed in 1961. History Colville Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight station ...

, Washington, 15 March 1960 – 1 June 1961 *

822d Radar Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

Cottonwood AFS Cottonwood may refer to: Plants * ''Celtis conferta'' subsp. ''amblyphylla'', a tree in the hemp and hackberry family * ''Hibiscus tiliaceus'', a flowering shrub or tree in the mallow family * In the genus ''Populus'', a number of difficult-to- ...

, Idaho, 1 June 1963 – 25 June 1965 *

823d Radar Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

Mica Peak AFS Mica Peak Air Force Station (ADC ID: SM-151, NORAD ID: Z-141) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located atop Mica Peak, east-northeast of Mica, Washington. It was closed in 1975 by the Air Force, a ...

, Washington, 15 March 1960 – 1 June 1963 *

825th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron The 825th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Spokane Air Defense Sector, Air Defense Command, stationed at Kamloops Air Station, British Columbia, Canada. It was inactivat ...

: Kamloops AS, British Columbia, 15 March 1960 – 1 April 1962 * 919th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron :

Saskatoon Mountain AS Canadian Forces Station Beaverlodge (ADC ID: C-21) is a closed General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east-northeast of Beaverlodge, Alberta. It was closed in 1988. It was operated as part of the Pinetree Line network controlled ...

, Alberta, 15 March 1960 – 1 April 1963

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * Further Reading * * *
Radomes.org Spokane Air Defense Sector
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed Spok 1958 establishments in Washington (state) Military units and formations in Washington (state) 1963 disestablishments in Washington (state) Military units and formations established in 1958