Active 1957–1966 Role Air Defense | Country United States Part of Air Defense Command | |
 | ||
Branch United States Air Force | ||
The Detroit Air Defense Sector (DEADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command (ADC) 26th Air Division at Custer Air Force Station (AFS), Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.
Contents
History
DEADS was originally designated as the 4627th Air Defense Wing, but was redesignated before being organized in January 1957 at Custer AFS, Michigan. It became operational in September 1958, but did not assume control of former ADC Central Air Defense Force units with a mission to provide air defense of lower Michigan, northeast Indiana, and most of Ohio until 1959. The organization provided command and control over several aircraft, missile and radar squadrons.
On 1 September 1959 the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-06) and Combat Center (CC-01) became operational. 42°19′18″N 085°16′00″W DC-06 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computers. The day-to-day operations of the command were to train and maintain tactical units flying jet interceptor aircraft (F-86 Sabre, F-89 Scorpion, F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger, F-104 Starfighter, F-106 Delta Dart) and operating interceptor missiles (CIM-10 Bomarc) and radar squadrons in a state of readiness with training missions and series of exercises with Strategic Air Command and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft.
The Sector was inactivated 1 April 1966 as part of ADC reorganization and consolidation and replaced at Custer AFS by the 34th Air Division. Most of its units were reassigned to 34th or the 29th Air Division.