| 4620th Air Defense Wing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1955–1961 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Experimental & training |
The4620th Air Defense Wing is a discontinuedwing of theUnited States Air Force. Its last assignment was withAir Defense Command atSanta Monica, California, where it was discontinued in 1961. The wing was organized in 1955 to ensure that theSemi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE)air defense system, was compatible with ADC's operational requirements. It also performed operational testing and training on SAGE and earlier systems. Once SAGE started to become operational, the need for the wing no longer existed and it was discontinued, although one of its subordinategroups continued the SAGE training mission until 1962.
The4620th Air Defense Wing was established to implement theSemi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE)air defense system,[1] a system ofanalog computer-equipped direction centers that could process information from groundradars,picket ships and ground observers onto a generatedradar scope to create a composite picture of the emerging airbattle.[2] The wing was responsible to ensure thatSAGE computer systems were based on approved operational concepts for air defense and provided guidance to operational units concerning the implementation, installation, testing, and utilization of SAGEcomputer programs.[1] Until December 1958, the wing also provided training on the existing manualair defense control systems that were being replaced by SAGE.[1]
The 4620th was originally located withMIT'sLincoln Laboratories, which had developed the SAGE system,[3] to permit close coordination with the organization developing SAGE.[4] In 1957, the 4620th Air Defense Group was organized atRichards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri to manageprogramming andtraining for the SAGE system and was assigned to the wing.[5] The wing moved to Santa Monica, California in 1958.[6] Anticipating the wing move to Santa Monica, the 4620thGroup was reassigned directly to ADC.[5] On 15 September, the 4620th group was renumbered as the 4606th Air Defense Group, and continued with that designation until discontinued on 25 June 1962.[5] The wing prepared the operational employment plan for integration ofIM-99 Bomarcsurface-to-air missiles into the SAGE system.[7]
Preceded by extensive planning and testing of almost three years, the first SAGE air defense sector (New York) became operational on 26 June 1958.[8] The first SAGE division (New York) became operational on 1 January 1959.[9] As the SAGE system was becoming fully operational in 1961,[10] the 4620th Wing had completed its mission and was discontinued.[4]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
