The DC-11 SAGE blockhouse was later the headquarters of the SAC 321st Strategic Missile Wing. Although the 460th FIS won first place at the William Tell air-to-air competition at Tyndall AFB, Florida, it was inactivated in 1974 due to the restructuring of the air defense system, and ended the activities of ADCOM at Grand Forks. In 1971, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated and the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron replaced the unit. With the inactivation of DC-11, Grand Forks AFB was reassigned from the Air Defense mission to Strategic Air Command (SAC). SAGE operations were extremely expansive and GFADS was inactivated on 1 December 1963, when it was merged with the Minot Air Defense Sector at Minot AFB to the west. On 1 January 1959, GFADS was transferred to the operational control of the 29th Air Division at Malmstrom AFB at Great Falls, Montana. DC-11 was operated by the Grand Forks Air Defense Sector (GFADS), activated on 8 December 1957 under the 31st Air Division at Snelling AFS, Minnesota. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. In addition to the interceptor squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-11) was established at Grand Forks in 1958. ![]() The 460th FIS flew F-106 Delta Darts until it also was inactivated on 15 July 1974. It was replaced by the 460th FIS, moved from Kingsley Field at Klamath Falls, Oregon. The 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was moved from Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan on, and flew the F-101B Voodoo until 15 April 1971, when it was inactivated and the Voodoos were retired. On 18 February 1957, the 478th Fighter Group (Defense) was activated at Grand Forks. ![]() The beginning of the 5,400-acre (22 km 2) air base started in 1956 with the construction of a 12,300-foot (3,750 m) runway. The site was chosen in 1954 and the land was paid for by the citizens of Grand Forks, the site was located 15 miles (24 km) west of the city. It was occupied for use on 28 January 1957, and was named after the neighboring city of Grand Forks.ĭue to the continuance of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, GFAFB was originally an Air Defense Command (ADC) fighter-interceptor air base. Grand Forks Air Force Base was established on 1 December 1955, with construction beginning in the fall of that year. ![]() ![]() During the Cold War, GFAFB was a major installation of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles. The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC) operating E/RQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role. Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) ( IATA: RDR, ICAO: KRDR, FAA LID: RDR) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and 16 miles (26 km) west of Grand Forks. IATA: RDR, ICAO: KRDR, FAA LID: RDR, WMO: 727575
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