SAGE Air Defense Sector SPADS was established in September 1958, assuming responsibility for
air defense in
Eastern Washington,
North Idaho, and
Western Montana. The organization eventually also provided command and control over several
interceptor aircraft and
radar squadrons. On 8 September the new
Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-15) became operational. DC-15 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. However, until March 1960, SPADS did not have operational command over the radar and interceptor aircraft it directed. Instead, they were assigned to the 4700th Air Defense Wing until March 1960. The 4700th was transferred from direct assignment to 25th AD to SPADS briefly before being discontinued in July. The Sector was inactivated on 1 September 1963 and its units were assigned to the 25th AD.
4700th Air Defense Wing The Sector's only
wing was designated and organized as 4700th Air Defense Wing at
Geiger Field Washington to provide
air defense of the northwestern United States on 1 September 1958.
637th, and
823d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons at
Curlew AFS, Washington in December 1959, the
680th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at
Yaak AFS, Montana in July 1960; the
716th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Geiger Field, Washington in May 1959 and the
821st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron were also transferred, leaving the wing without an operational mission, and it was discontinued on 30 June 1960. ==Lineage==