In early 1953 it also was assigned nineradar squadrons in the Midwest. Several of these radarsquadrons were located in Canada as part of theMid-Canada Line. At the same time its dispersed fightersquadrons combined with colocated air base squadrons into air defense groups. The wing was redesignated as an air defense wing in 1954. It was discontinued in and its units transferred to the30th Air Division in 1956.
Thewing was organized as the4708th Defense Wing the beginning of February 1952 at Selfridge AFB,[1] Michigan as part of a major reorganization of ADC responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fightersquadrons to best advantage.[2] It assumed operational control and theair defense mission offighter squadrons formerly assigned to the inactivating56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (FIW).[3][4] The61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flyingLockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft, and the172d FIS, flyingWorld War II eraNorth American F-51 Mustang aircraft were located at Selfridge, while the63d FIS, flyingF-86 Sabre aircraft, was located atOscoda AFB. The136th FIS atNiagara Falls Municipal Airport, flying World War II eraRepublic F-47 Thunderbolt aircraft was also transferred to the wing from the101st FIW,[5] and the71st FIS atGreater Pittsburgh Airport, another F-86 unit, was transferred from the1st FIW.[6] The support elements of the 56th FIW's 56th Air Base Group and 56th Maintenance & Supply Group were replaced at Selfridge by the wing's575th Air Base Group, and air base squadrons were activated at each of the dispersed locations assigned to the wing to support the fighter squadrons at thosestations.[7] The wing's mission was to train and maintain tactical units in a state ofreadiness to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft attempting to penetrate the air defense system in the Great Lakes area.[8]
61st FIS F-94B Starfire
In July 1952, units at Oscoda AFB were transferred to the4706th Defense Wing, while in the following month, the166th FIS, atYoungstown Municipal Airport, where it flewRepublic F-84 Thunderjet aircraft was transferred from the 4706th. In November, the federalizedAir National Guard (ANG) squadrons were returned to state control. The 136th FIS was returned to the New York ANG and replaced by the47th FIS, the 166th FIS was returned to the Ohio ANG and replaced by the86th FIS, and the 172nd FIS was returned to the Michigan ANG, and replaced by the431st FIS.[9][10] Another F-51 squadron, the56th FIS, was activated at Selfridge later that month. although it converted to F-86 aircraft by the start of 1953.[11][12]
In February 1953, another major reorganization of ADC activated Air Defense Groups at ADC bases with dispersed fighter squadrons. Thesegroups were assigned to the wing and assumed direct control of theinterceptor squadrons at those bases, as well as support squadrons to carry out their role as the USAF host organizations at the bases. As a result of this reorganization, the 575th Air Base Group was redesignated the 575th Air Defense Gp and assumed control of the fighter squadrons at Selfridge, while the500th Air Defense Group at Pittsburgh and the502d Air Defense Group at Youngstown controlled the squadrons at these locations.[13] Oscoda AFB (now renamedWurtsmith AFB),[14] where the527th Air Defense Group was activated,[15] returned to the control of the wing. Although the518th Air Defense Group took over operations at Niagara Falls,[15] it was assigned to another wing.[15] The reorganization also resulted in the wing adding theradar detection, control and warning mission, and it was assigned eight Aircraft Control & Warning Squadrons (AC&W Sq) in the United States and Canada to perform this mission.[16][17][18][19][20][21] In November it added an additional AC&W Sq.[21]
In 1955, ADC implemented Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[22] As a result of this project, the 500th Air Defense Gp was replaced by the54th Fighter Group (Air Defense), the 502nd Air Def Gp was replaced by the79th Fighter Group (Air Defense), the 527th Air Def Gp was replaced by the412th Fighter Group (Air Defense), and the 575th Air Defense Gp was replaced by the1st Fighter Group (Air Defense).[23][24]
In March 1956, the4711th Air Defense Wing moved to Selfridge fromPresque Isle AFB, Maine and three of the 4708th's AC&W Sqs were assigned to it.[17][20][21] Niagara Falls briefly was assigned to the wing in this realignment.[25] The fighter groups and remaining radar detection and control squadrons of the wing were transferred to the 30th Air Division in July.[16][18][19][20][21][24] With no remaining operational mission, the wing and the 4711th Wing were discontinued in July 1956[1] They would be replaced shortly by the1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense), which was activated on 18 October 1956.[26]
^Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956), p.6
Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
United States
United States Air Force
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency