The Chicago Air Defense Sector (CADS) 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 ...

(ADC)

30th Air Division The 30th Air Division (30th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on ...

at Truax Field Wisconsin. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.

History

CADS was established by redesignation of the never active 4628th Air Defense Wing at Truax Field, Wisconsin in March 1957 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, ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, most of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

and northern

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, but did not assume control of former ADC

Central Air Defense Force The Central Air Defense Force (CADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960. History C ...

units until 1959. The organization provided command and control over one interceptor and several

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 1 October 1959, 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. S ...

(SAGE) Direction Center (DC-07) and a Combat Center (CC-02) became operational. DC-07 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computers. The day-to-day operations of the command were to train and maintain tactical flying 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 cap ...

(

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 The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor i ...

) and radar squadrons 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 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, the command being replaced at Truax Field by the

20th Air Division The 20th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida where it was inactivated on 1 March 1983. During most of the division's history it ...

, and its units in Indiana were reassigned to the

34th Air Division The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969. History Assigned to Air Def ...

Lineage

* Designated as 4628th Air Defense Wing, SAGE in 1956 : Redesignated as Chicago Air Defense Sector and activated on 8 March 1957 : Discontinued and inactivated on 1 April 1966

Assignments

37th Air Division The 37th Air Division (37th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Goose Air Force Base, Labrador, Canada It was inactivated on 30 June 1970. History Strategic Air Command Es ...

, 8 March 1957 * 30th Air Division, 1 April 1959 - 1 April 1966

Stations

* Truax Field, Wisconsin, 8 March 1957 - 1 April 1966

Components

Group

* 327th Fighter Group (Air Defense) : Truax Field, Wisconsin, 1 June 1959 - 1 April 1966

Interceptor Squadron

* 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron : Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, 1 July 1960 - 1 February 1963

Radar Squadrons

* 676th Radar Squadron : Antigo AFS, Wisconsin, 1 June 1964 - 1 April 1966 * 725th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 725th Radar Squadron) : Walnut Ridge AFS, Arkansas, 1 July 1961 - 1 August 1963 * 755th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 755th Radar Squadron)Cornett & Johnson, p. 164 :

Williams Bay AFS Williams Bay Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-31) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located north of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, in the Town of Geneva, Wisconsin. It was closed in 1960. History In late 195 ...

, Wisconsin, 1 June 1959 - 1 April 1960 : Arlington Heights AFS, Illinois, 1 April 1960 - 1 April 1966 * 782nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 782d Radar Squadron)Cornett & Johnson, pp. 168-170 : Rockville AFS, Indiana, 1 June 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 784th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 784th Radar Squadron) : Snow Mountain AFS, Kentucky, 1 June 1961 - 1 August 1961; 25 May 1962 - 1 April 1966 * 788th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 788th Radar Squadron) :

Waverly AFS Waverly may refer to: Education ;United States * Waverly Community Schools, a school district located in Lansing, Michigan * Waverly School District 145, Nebraska * Waverly Central School District, New York * Waverly High School (disambiguati ...

, Iowa, 1 June 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 790th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 790th Radar Squadron) :

Kirksville AFS Kirksville Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-64, NORAD ID: Z-64) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located north of Kirksville, Missouri. It was closed by the Air Force in 1968. Today the radar site ...

, Missouri, 1 June 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 791st Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 791st Radar Squadron) :

Hanna City AFS Hanna City Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-63, NORAD ID: Z-63) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located west-northwest of Hanna City, Illinois. It was closed in 1968. It is still in use by the Federa ...

, Illinois, 1 June 1959 - 1 April 1966 * 798th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 798th Radar Squadron) :

Belleville AFS Belleville Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located southeast of Belleville, Illinois. It was closed in 1968. History Belleville AFS was one of twenty-eight stations built as p ...

, Illinois, 1 July 1961 - 1 April 1966

Aircraft

* F-102A, 1959-1966 * F-106A, 1960-1963

Notes

References

* * *
Radomes.org Chicago Air Defense Sector

External links

Photos of the Chicago Air Defense Sector
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed 1957 establishments in Wisconsin 1966 disestablishments in the United States

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, ...

Military units and formations established in 1957 Military units and formations in Wisconsin