Southwest Air Defense Sector
Encyclopedia
The Southwest Air Defense Sector (SWADS) is an inactive United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 organization. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force
First Air Force
The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

, being stationed at March Air Force Base, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It was deactivated on 31 December 1994.

Cold War

The origins of the Southwest Air Defense Sector (SWADS) begin in February 1959 with the formation of its predecessor organization, the Los Angeles Air Defense Sector (LAADS) by Air Defense Command (ADC). It was established with a mission to train and maintain tactical flying units in state of readiness in order to defend the Southwestern United States, assuming control of former ADC Western Air Defense Force
Western Air Defense Force
The Western Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.- History :...

 units. Its original region consisted of ADC atmospheric forces (fighter-interceptor and radar units) located in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 north to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...

 and the southern Central Valley. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft and RADAR squadrons. It operated a Manual Air Direction Center (MDC) at Norton AFB, California.

On 1 April 1966, LAADS was inactivated, as did the other 22 sectors in the country. Most of its assets were assumed by the 27th Air Division.

Modern era

On 1 July 1987, the Los Angeles Air Defense Sector (LAADS) was reactivated being re-designated the Southwest Air Defense Sector (SWADS). It was a subordinate unit and was co-located with the 26th Air Division at March AFB, California. On 30 September 1990, the 26th Air Division was inactivated and all atmospheric defense assets of the Division were transferred to the SWADS.

SWADS was responsible for the atmospheric defense of approximately one-fourth of the Continental United States. Its eastern border was at the intersection of the 36th parallel north
36th parallel north
The 36th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 36 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean....

 and 97th meridian west
97th meridian west
The 97th meridian west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....

 south to the Gulf of Mexico at the 28th parallel north
28th parallel north
The 28th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 28 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean....

. Its region extended west to include the region south of the 36th parallel north to the Pacific Ocean at the 122nd meridian west. It came under the Continental NORAD Region
Continental NORAD Region
The Continental NORAD Region is a component of the North American Aerospace Defense Command that provides airspace surveillance and control and directs air sovereignty activities for the continental United States ....

 (CONR) Headquarters at Tyndall AFB, Florida.

It operated a Sector Operations Control Center (SOCC) at March AFB, part of the Joint Surveillance System
Joint Surveillance System
The Joint Surveillance System is a joint United States Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration system for the atmospheric air defense of North America...

 (JSS) which had replaced SAGE in 1983. This system, using the latest advances in computerized airspace control, relied on digitized radar inputs from Air Route Surveillance Radar
Air Route Surveillance Radar
The Air Route Surveillance Radar is used by the United States Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration to control airspace within and around the borders of the United States....

 (ARSR) sites jointly operated by the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...

 and the Air Force, and tethered aerostat radar balloons.

On 1 January 1995, the SWADS consolidated with the Northwest Air Defense Sector, headquartered at McChord AFB, Washington and the combined command was designated as the Western Air Defense Sector
Western Air Defense Sector
The Western Air Defense Sector is a United States Air Force unit and a component of the Washington Air National Guard. It is stationed at McChord Field, Washington-Overview:...

 (WADS).

Units

Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

 units aligned under 1AF (AFNORTH)
First Air Force
The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

 formerly with an air defense mission under SWADS were:
  • 144th Fighter Wing
    144th Fighter Wing
    The United States Air Force's 144th Fighter Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, operationally gained by the Air Combat Command and located at Fresno Air National Guard Base / Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, California....

     (F-16), California ANG, Fresno ANGB, California
  • 150th Fighter Wing
    150th Fighter Wing
    The 150th Fighter Wing provides air interdiction support to the Twelfth Air Force and Air Combat Command with worldwide deployment capability. In addition, the wing maintains a Defense Systems Evaluation tasking and conducts testing of different domestic and foreign surface-to-air missile systems...

     (F-16), New Mexico ANG, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
  • 138th Fighter Wing
    138th Fighter Wing
    The United States Air Force's 138th Fighter Wing is a fighter unit located at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma. An Air National Guard unit operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command , the wing flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter.-Mission:The federal mission of the...

     (F-16), Oklaholma ANG, Tulsa, Oklaholma
  • 149th Fighter Wing
    149th Fighter Wing
    The United States Air Force's 149th Fighter Wing is a Texas Air National Guard unit located at Kelly Field Annex, Lackland AFB, in San Antonio, Texas.-Mission:...

     (F-16), Texas ANG, Lackland AFB, Texas

Lineage

  • Established as Los Angeles Air Defense Sector on 1 February 1959 by redesignation of 27th Air Division
Inactivated on 1 April 1966; redesignated as 27th Air Division
  • Redesignated as Southwest Air Defense Sector (SWADS) and activated, 1 July 1987
Inactivated on 31 December 1994, assets reassigned to Northwest Air Defense Sector

Assignments

  • 28th Air Division, 1 October 1959 – 1 April 1966
  • 26th Air Division, 1 July 1987
  • First Air Force
    First Air Force
    The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

    , 1 October 1990 – 31 December 1994

Stations

  • Norton AFB, California
    California
    California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

    , 1 October 1959 – 1 April 1966
  • March AFB, California
    California
    California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

    , 1 July 1987 – 30 September 1990

Group

  • 414th Fighter Group
    414th Fighter Group
    The 414th Fighter Group is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Air Force Reserve Command, being activated at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina 2010.-Overview:...

     (Air Defense)
Oxnard AFB, California, 1 October 1959 – 1 April 1966

Interceptor squadrons

  • 15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    The 15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command Phoenix Air Defense Sector stationed at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona...

Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1 January 1960 – 1 May 1961
  • 329th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    329th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    The 329th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command Los Angeles Air Defense Sector stationed at George AFB, California...

George AFB, California, 1 October 1959 – 1 April 1966
  • 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    The 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command San Francisco Air Defense Sector stationed at Oxnard AFB, California. It was inactivated on July 18, 1968.-History:...

Castle AFB, California, 1 August 1963-1 April 1966

Radar squadrons

  • 612th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Ajo AFS, Arizona, 1 January 1960-1 May 1961
  • 669th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Santa Rosa Island AFS, California, 1 October 1959
Lompoc AFS, California, 1 April 1963-1 April 1966
  • 774th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Madera AFS, California, 1 August 1963-1 April 1966
  • 864th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
    864th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
    The 864th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Phoenix Air Defense Sector, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Yuma Air Force Station, Arizona...

Vincent AFB, Arizona, 1 October 1959-1 May 1961

See also


  • Western Air Defense Sector
    Western Air Defense Sector
    The Western Air Defense Sector is a United States Air Force unit and a component of the Washington Air National Guard. It is stationed at McChord Field, Washington-Overview:...

  • Eastern Air Defense Sector
    Eastern Air Defense Sector
    The Eastern Air Defense Sector is a United States Air Force unit and a component of the New York Air National Guard. It is stationed at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York.-Overview:...

  • Southeast Air Defense Sector
    Southeast Air Defense Sector
    The Southeast Air Defense Sector , was a unit of the US Air Force located at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida. It provided air defense and surveillance of the southeastern region of the US...


External links

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