Sioux City Air Defense Sector
Encyclopedia
The Sioux City Air Defense Sector (SCADS) is an inactive United States Air Force
organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, being stationed at Sioux City Air Force Station , Iowa
.
units in western Iowa
, most of Nebraska
along with southern South Dakota
. Also provided air defense over parts of Minnesota
, Colorado
and Wyoming
. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft and radar
squadrons.
On 1 December 1961, the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment
(SAGE) Direction Center (DC-22) became operational. 42°23′51"N 096°22′25"W DC-22 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computer
s. 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
; 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.
The Sector was inactivated on 1 April 1966 as part of an ADC consolidation and reorganization; and its units were reassigned to the 30th Air Division.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, being stationed at Sioux City Air Force Station , Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
History
SCADS was established in October 1958 assuming control of former ADC Central Air Defense ForceCentral Air Defense Force
The Central Air Defense Force 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 deactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
units in western Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, most of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
along with southern South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. Also provided air defense over parts of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft and radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
squadrons.
On 1 December 1961, the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) Direction Center (DC-22) became operational. 42°23′51"N 096°22′25"W DC-22 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computer
AN/FSQ-7
The AN/FSQ-7 was a computer model developed and built in the 1950s by IBM in partnership with the US Air Force. Fifty-two were built and used for command and control functions for the Semi Automatic Ground Environment air-defense system...
s. The day-to-day operations of the command was to train and maintain tactical flying units flying jet interceptor aircraft (F-94 Starfire
F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
; F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
; F-106 Delta Dart
F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
) in a state of readiness with training missions and series of exercises with SAC and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft.
The Sector was inactivated on 1 April 1966 as part of an ADC consolidation and reorganization; and its units were reassigned to the 30th Air Division.
Lineage
- Established as Sioux City Air Defense Sector on 1 October 1959
- Inactivated on 1 April 1966
Assignments
- 20th Air Division, 1 October 1959
- 33d Air Division, 1 January 1960
- 29th Air Division, 1 July 1961 – 1 April 1966
Wing
- 328th Fighter Wing (Air Defense)
- Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri, 1 July 1961-1 April 1966
Radar Squadrons
- 625th Radar Squadron
- Hastings AFS, Nebraska, 1 January 1962-1 April 1966
- 695th Radar Squadron
- Pickstown AFS, South Dakota, 16 April 1961-1 April 1966
- 731st Radar Squadron
- Sundance AFS, Wyoming, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966
- 738th Radar Squadron738th Radar SquadronThe 738th Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 30th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Olathe Air Force Station, Kansas...
- 738th Radar Squadron
- Olathe AFS, Kansas, 1 July 1961-1 April 1966
- 787th Radar Squadron
- Chandler AFS, Minnesota, 4 September 1963-1 April 1966
- 789th Radar Squadron
- Omaha AFS, Nebraska, 1 July 1961-1 April 1966
- 793d Radar Squadron793d Radar SquadronThe 793d Radar Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 30th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Hutchinson Air Force Station, Kansas...
- 793d Radar Squadron
- Hutchinson AFS, Kansas, 1 July 1961-1 April 1966
- 903d Radar Squadron
- Gettysburg AFS, South Dakota, 4 September 1963-1 April 1966
See also
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
- Aerospace Defense Command Fighter SquadronsAerospace Defense Command Fighter SquadronsThe second iteration of Aerospace Defense Command was established on 21 March 1946 as a component of the United States Army Air Forces, with the mission of planning for and executing the air defense of the United States...