Great Falls Air Defense Sector

Great Falls Air Defense Sector

Emblem of the Great Falls Air Defense Sector
Active 1959-1966
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Role Air Defense
Part of Air Defense Command
Map of Great Falls ADS

The Great Falls Air Defense Sector (GFADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, being stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966

History

GFADS was established in March 1959 assuming control of former ADC Central Air Defense Force units with a mission to provide air defense of central Montana. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft and radar squadrons.

On 15 February 1960 the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-20) became operational. 47°30′59″N 111°10′55″W / 47.51639°N 111.18194°W / 47.51639; -111.18194 (GFADS-SAGE DC-20) DC-20 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; 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 ADC reorganization and consolidation, the command being redesignated as the 28th Air Division.

Lineage

Inactivated on 1 April 1966; redesignated as 28th Air Division

Assignments

Stations

Components

Interceptor squadrons

Minot AFB, North Dakota, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966
Minot AFB, North Dakota, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966
Minot AFB, North Dakota, 1 July 1960-1 April 1966

Radar squadrons

Cut Bank AFS, Montana, 1 July 1960-25 June 1965
Lewistown AFS, Montana, 1 July 1960-1 April 1966
Dickinson AFS, North Dakota, 25 June 1963-25 June 1965
Kalispell AFS, Montana, 1 July 1960-1 April 1966
Harve AFS, Montana, 1 July 1960-1 April 1966

Opheim AFS, Montana, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966
Fortuna AFS, North Dakota, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966
Minot AFS, North Dakota, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966
Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 1 July 1960-1 April 1966
Miles City AFS, Montana, 25 June 1963-1 April 1966

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

    External images
    SAGE facilities
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