Boston Air Defense Sector

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.

Boston Air Defense Sector
Emblem of the Boston Air Defense Sector
Active1956-1966
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
TypeFighter Interceptor
RoleAir Defense
Part ofAir Defense Command
Motto(s)Ready
Map of Boston ADS

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 December 1, 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

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

Wings
Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 8 January - 18 August 1957

Groups
Stewart AFB, New York, 18 October 1956 - 1 August 1959
Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 July 1957 - 30 April 1958
Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 18 August 1957 - 1 September 1959

Interceptor squadrons

Missile squadron
Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 1 March 1959 - 1 April 1966

Radar squadrons

Weapons Systems

See also

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.
  2. Cornett & Johnson, p. 31(Map)
  3. |Abstract, History of 672nd AC&W Sq, Jan 1961-Dec 1961 (accessed Feb 4, 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". The Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Policy: 1955-1956 (PDF) (Report). Volume 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 2011-09-26.
  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. April 7, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 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 website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Further Reading

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