| 4729th Air Defense Group | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1957–1958 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Fighter interceptor |
| Role | Air defense |
The4729th Air Defense Group is a discontinuedUnited States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with theBoston Air Defense Sector atWestover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was discontinued in 1958.
The group was formed to provide a single command and support organization for the twofighter interceptor squadrons ofAir Defense Command, that were tenants at Westover, aStrategic Air Command (SAC) base. It was also assigned a maintenance squadron to perform aircraft maintenance. It was discontinued after the324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron moved in 1958, leaving only a single fightersquadron at Westover.
The4729th Air Defense Group was established to provide aheadquarters for the twoAir Defense Command (ADC) fighter-interceptor squadrons stationed atWestover Air Force Base, Massachusetts,[1] aStrategic Air Command (SAC) base. SAC's 814th Air Base Group acted as host organization for the base.[2]
Thegroup was assigned the324th and337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons, flyingradar equipped andFolding-Fin Aerial Rocket armedNorth American F-86D Sabre aircraft[3][4] as its operational components,[5][6] to provide air defense of New England. These squadrons were already stationed at Westover and had been assigned to the Boston Air Defense Sector.[5][6] In August, maintenance for the two fightersquadrons was combined in the 603rd Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (CAMS), which was activated at Westover.[7] The 324th and 337th upgraded to newer model F-86L Sabres withdata link for interception control through theSemi-Automatic Ground Environment system in the fall of 1957.[3][4] In the spring of 1958, the 337th converted toLockheed F-104 Starfighter aircraft.[3]
The group was discontinued when the 324th departed for Morocco, leaving only a single operational ADC squadron at Westover.[1][5] The 603rd CAMS was also inactivated, while the 337th was then assigned directly to theBoston Air Defense Sector.[6][7]
