Duluth Air Defense Sector

External image
External image
	SAGE facilities

Duluth Air Defense Sector
Duluth Air Defense Sector
	1958 Duluth Air Defense Sector Area of Responsibility
Active	1957–1966
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air defense
Insignia
Duluth Air Defense Sector emblem

Last updated February 18, 2025

The Duluth Air Defense Sector (DUADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, being stationed at Duluth Airport, Minnesota. It was inactivated on 1 April 1969.

History

Established in October 1957 assuming control of former ADC Central Air Defense Force units with a mission to provide air defense of most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft and radar squadrons.

In November 1959, the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-10) became operational. 46°50′10″N092°12′26″W / 46.83611°N 92.20722°W / 46.83611; -92.20722 (DUADS-SAGE DC-10) DC-10 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.

In October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a guard at the Direction Center mistakenly identified a bear trying to climb the security fence as a saboteur and rang the alarm, which automatically triggered similar alarms at other bases in the region. A faulty alarm system at Volk Field in Wisconsin led to nuclear-armed interceptor aircraft nearly being launched.^[1]

Inactivated April 1966 as part of ADC reorganization and consolidation, the command being redesignated as the 29th Air Division. The SAGE building was remodeled and, in 1985, given to the University of Minnesota Duluth to house the Natural Resources Research Institute signed into legislation to address the struggling economy during the early 1980s recession.

Lineage

Established as Duluth Air Defense Sector on 1 October 1957, Inactivated on 1 April 1966

Assignments

37th Air Division, 1 October 1957
31st Air Division, 20 December 1957
37th Air Division, 1 January 1959
30th Air Division, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1966

Stations

Duluth Airport, Minnesota, 1 October 1957 – 1 April 1966

Components

Wings

56th Fighter Wing (Air Defense): K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan, 1 October 1963 – 1 January 1964
507th Fighter Wing (Air Defense): Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, 1 October 1963 – 1 April 1966

Group

343d Fighter Group (Air Defense): Duluth Airport, Minnesota, 15 November 1959 – 1 April 1966

Interceptor squadrons

18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, 4 September 1963 – 1 April 1966
62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan, 16 December 1963 – 1 April 1966

Missile squadrons

37th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC): Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, 1 October 1963 – 1 April 1966
74th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC): Duluth AF Missile Site, Minnesota, 1 April 1960 – 1 April 1966

Radar squadrons

665th Radar Squadron: Calumet AFS, Michigan, 1 October 1963 – 1 April 1966
674th Radar Squadron: Osceola AFS, Wisconsin, 1 July 1959 – 1 April 1966
676th Radar Squadron: Antigo AFS, Wisconsin, 1 October 1963 – 1 June 1964
692d Radar Squadron: Baudette AFS, Minnesota, 1 July 1959 – 1 April 1966
707th Radar Squadron: Grand Rapids AFS, Minnesota, 1 July 1959 – 1 August 1963
739th Radar Squadron: Wadena AFS, Minnesota, 4 September 1963 – 1 April 1966

753d Radar Squadron: Sault Sainte Marie AFS, Michigan, 1 October 1963 – 1 April 1966
756th Radar Squadron: Finland AFS, Minnesota, 1 July 1959 – 1 April 1966
785th Radar Squadron: Finley AFS, North Dakota, 4 September 1963 – 1 April 1966
914th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: Armstrong AS, Ontario, 15 November 1959 – 1 November 1962
915th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: Sioux Lookout AS, Ontario, 15 November 1959 – 1 October 1962

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

↑ Approved 7 October 1960. Description: Light blue, in dexter chief three stylized aircraft fesswise in bend Or, each emitting a vapor trail to sinister base Azure and Argent, surmounted by in base an arched mound, with land masses brown, and water area of the third [color mentioned], bearing in dexter base two evergreen trees silhouetted of the last [color mentioned], along the edge of the mound and before a building in perspective of the like [color], a cloud mass of the fourth [color mentioned]; in sinister chief the Dipper constellation of seven mullets of the last [color mentioned] and all within a diminished border of the second [color mentioned]. Significance: The emblem is symbolic of the sector and its mission. Above a segment of the globe, representing Lake Superior and the Duluth area, the SAGE building rises out of a cloud formation. Above the building three stylized flight vehicles which represent both aircraft and missiles are streaking upward across the sky to symbolize the Duluth striking force. The constellation, Big Dipper, long a navigational aid, points the way to the North Star. The emblem bears the Air Force colors, ultramarine blue and golden yellow.

Citations

↑ Sagan, Scott D. (1993). The Limits of Safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons. Princeton University Press. pp. 3, 99–100. ISBN 978-0-691-21306-4.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Radomes.org Duluth Air Defense Sector

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[1] Approved 7 October 1960. Description: Light blue, in dexter chief three stylized aircraft fesswise in bend Or, each emitting a vapor trail to sinister base Azure and Argent, surmounted by in base an arched mound, with land masses brown, and water area of the third [color mentioned], bearing in dexter base two evergreen trees silhouetted of the last [color mentioned], along the edge of the mound and before a building in perspective of the like [color], a cloud mass of the fourth [color mentioned]; in sinister chief the Dipper constellation of seven mullets of the last [color mentioned] and all within a diminished border of the second [color mentioned]. Significance: The emblem is symbolic of the sector and its mission. Above a segment of the globe, representing Lake Superior and the Duluth area, the SAGE building rises out of a cloud formation. Above the building three stylized flight vehicles which represent both aircraft and missiles are streaking upward across the sky to symbolize the Duluth striking force. The constellation, Big Dipper, long a navigational aid, points the way to the North Star. The emblem bears the Air Force colors, ultramarine blue and golden yellow.

[Sagan-2] Sagan, Scott D. (1993). The Limits of Safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons. Princeton University Press. pp. 3, 99–100. ISBN 978-0-691-21306-4.

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