4709th Air Defense Wing

The wing was organized as the 4709th Defense Wing at the beginning of February 1952 at McGuire AFB, New Jersey[1] as part of a major reorganization of ADC responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[2] It assumed operational control and the air defense mission of fighter squadrons formerly assigned to the inactivating 52d Fighter-Interceptor Wing (FIW).[3][4][5] The 2d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) and the 5th FIS, flying F-94 Starfire interceptor aircraft,[6] were located at McGuire. The federalized 105th FIS was located at Berry Field, Nashville, Tennessee and was flying World War II era F-47 Thunderbolt aircraft.[7] The wing also was assigned another federalized Air National Guard (ANG) squadron, the 118th FIS at Suffolk County AFB, New York, also flying Thunderbolts, which was reassigned from the inactivating 103d FIW.[8] The support elements of the 52d FIW's 52d Air Base Group (ABG) and 52d Maintenance & Supply Group were replaced at McGuire by the wing's 568th ABG[9][10] and air base squadrons were activated at each of the dispersed bases assigned to the wing to support the fighter squadrons at those stations. The wing's mission was to train and maintain tactical units in a state of readiness to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft attempting to penetrate the air defense system in the Northeastern United States.[11]

The stay of the 105th FIS with the wing was brief. In July 1952, it moved to McGhee Tyson Municipal Airport, Knoxville, Tennessee, and the next month as areas of responsibility for air defense were realigned, transferred to the 35th Air Division.[7] In November, the 118th FIS was returned to the Connecticut ANG and its personnel and equipment handed over to the newly activating 45th FIS.[12] A second fighter squadron, the 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying Sabres, moved to Suffolk County from Presque Isle AFB, Maine in October and was assigned to the wing,[13] while at Sewart AFB, New York, the 330th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying F-80 Shooting Star aircraft,[14] was activated and assigned to the wing.[15]

F-94 Starfire being armed with Mighty Mouse rockets

In February 1953, another major reorganization of ADC activated Air Defense Groups (Air Def Gp) at ADC bases with dispersed fighter squadrons. These groups were assigned to the wing and assumed direct control of the fighter 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 568th ABG was redesignated the 568th Air Def Gp[10] and assumed control of the fighter squadrons at McGuire.,[4][5] and the 4700th Air Base Group at Sewart was redesignated the 4700th Air Defense Group and was assigned the 330 FIS.[15][16] A new unit, the 519th Air Defense Group, activated to command the squadrons at Suffolk County.[12][13][17] The reorganization also resulted in the wing adding the radar detection, control and warning mission, and it was assigned two Aircraft Control & Warning Squadrons (AC&W Sq) to perform this mission.[18][19]

In July 1954, McGuire AFB transferred from ADC to Military Air Transport Service and its 1611th Air Transport Wing, which assumed base support functions from the inactivating 568th Air Def Gp.[20] As a result of the group's inactivation, the 2nd FIS and 5th FIS once again reported directly to the wing.[4][5][10]

Northrop F-89 Scorpion, flown by the 4709th Air Defense Wing in 1956

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.[21] As a result of Project Arrow, the 52d Fighter Group (Air Defense)[22] replaced the 518th Air Def Gp at Suffolk County and the 329th Fighter Group (Air Defense)[23] replaced the 4700th Air Def Gp. Because Project Arrow called for fighter squadrons to be assigned to their traditional group headquarters, the 2nd and 5th FIS at McGuire AFB moved to Suffolk County AFB and were replaced at McGuire by the 332d FIS[24] and the 539th FIS, which moved from other ADC bases and took over their personnel and aircraft.[25][26]

In preparation for the implementation of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system, the 4621st Air Defense Wing (SAGE) was organized at McGuire in the Spring of 1956 and assigned to the 26th Air Division.[27] It was initially attached to the 4709th Air Defense Wing and two squadrons programmed for the SAGE system were assigned to the 4709th as well,[19][28] until the 4621st Wing assumed the mission of the 4709th wing in October,[13][18][24][25][28][29] and the 4709th was discontinued shortly thereafter.[1] Because areas of responsibility were changing with the implementation of SAGE, Dover AFB, Delaware's 46th FIS, flying Starfires had been transferred to the wing from the 4710th Air Defense Wing in March,[29][30] as was a second squadron activated at Dover later that month, the 98th FIS, flying F-89 Scorpion aircraft.[7][31]

• Designated as the 4709th Defense Wing and organized on 1 February 1952

Redesignated as the 4709th Air Defense Wing on 1 September 1954

Discontinued on 18 October 1956

• List of MAJCOM wings
• List of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons
• List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons

• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. I. 1945–1955. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. II, 1955–1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
• Redmond, Kent C.; Smith, Thomas M. (2000). From Whirlwind to MITRE: The R&D Story of The SAGE Air Defense Computer. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-18201-0.
• Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 97020912.