Chicago Air Defense Sector Explained

Unit Name:	Chicago Air Defense Sector
Dates:	1957–1966
Country:	United States
Role:	Air defense
Command Structure:	Air Defense Command

The Chicago Air Defense Sector (CADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command (ADC) 30th Air Division 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^[1] with a mission to provide air defense of Illinois, Indiana, most of Iowa and northern Missouri, but did not assume control of former ADC Central Air Defense Force units until 1959.^[2] The organization provided command and control over one interceptor and several radar squadrons.

On 1 October 1959, the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (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 (F-102 Delta Dagger, F-106 Delta Dart) and radar squadrons 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.

The Sector was inactivated 1 April 1966^[1] as part of ADC reorganization and consolidation, the command being replaced at Truax Field by the 20th Air Division,^[3] and its units in Indiana were reassigned to the 34th Air Division.

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, 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)^[4]

Truax Field, Wisconsin, 1 June 1959 – 1 April 1966

Interceptor Squadron

• 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron^[5]

Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, 1 July 1960 – 1 February 1963

Radar Squadrons

• 676th Radar Squadron^[6]

Antigo AFS, Wisconsin, 1 June 1964 – 1 April 1966

• 725th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 725th Radar Squadron)^[7]

Walnut Ridge AFS, Arkansas, 1 July 1961 – 1 August 1963

• 755th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 755th Radar Squadron)^[8]

Williams Bay AFS, 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)^[9]

Rockville AFS, Indiana, 1 June 1959 – 1 April 1966

• 784th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 784th Radar Squadron)^[9]

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)^[9]

Waverly AFS, Iowa, 1 June 1959 – 1 April 1966

• 790th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 790th Radar Squadron)^[9]

Kirksville AFS, Missouri, 1 June 1959 – 1 April 1966

• 791st Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 791st Radar Squadron)^[9]

Hanna City AFS, Illinois, 1 June 1959 – 1 April 1966

• 798th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 798th Radar Squadron)^[9]

Belleville AFS, Illinois, 1 July 1961 – 1 April 1966

Aircraft

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

See also

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

References

• Book: Leonard, Barry. History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense. II, 1955-1972. 2009. Center for Military History. Fort McNair, DC. 978-1-4379-2131-1. 2012-10-08. 2019-12-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20191216135402/https://history.army.mil/html/books/bmd/BMDV2.pdf. dead.
• Book: Redmond, Kent C.. Smith, Thomas M.. From Whirlwind to MITRE: The R&D Story of The SAGE Air Defense Computer. 2000. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA. 978-0-262-18201-0.
• Book: Winkler, David F.. Webster, Julie L. Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. 1997. US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. Champaign, IL. 97020912.
• Radomes.org Chicago Air Defense Sector

External links

• Photos of the Chicago Air Defense Sector

Notes and References

1. Book: Cornett, Lloyd H. Johnson, Mildred W. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946-1980. 1980. Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Peterson AFB, CO. 57. 2012-02-08. 2016-02-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20160213173347/http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf. dead.
2. Cornett & Johnson, p. 37 (Map)
3. Cornett & Johnson, p. 36
4. Cornett & Johnson, p. 79
5. Book: Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. 1969. reprint. 1982. Office of Air Force History. Washington, DC. 0-405-12194-6. 391.
6. Cornett & Johnson, p. 159
7. Cornett & Johnson, p. 162
8. Cornett & Johnson, p. 164
9. Cornett & Johnson, pp. 168-170