Editing Grand Forks Air Force Base (section)

===Air Defense Command===
Due 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. The site was chosen in 1954 and the land was paid for by the citizens of Grand Forks, the site was located {{convert|15|mi}} west of the city. The beginning of the {{convert|5400|acre|km2|adj=on}} air base started in 1956 with the construction of a {{convert|12300|ft|-1|adj=on}} runway.

On 18 February 1957, the [[478th Fighter Group]] (Defense) was activated at Grand Forks. The [[18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]] was moved from [[Wurtsmith Air Force Base|Wurtsmith AFB]], Michigan on 1 May 1960, and flew the [[McDonnell F-101 Voodoo|F-101B Voodoo]] until 15 April 1971, when it was inactivated and the Voodoos were retired. It was replaced by the [[460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron|460th FIS]], moved from [[Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base|Kingsley Field]] at [[Klamath Falls, Oregon]]. The 460th FIS flew [[Convair F-106 Delta Dart|F-106 Delta Dart]]s until it also was inactivated on 15 July 1974.

[[File:Grand-forks-afb-main-gate.jpg|thumb|left|Main gate at Grand Forks AFB]]

In addition to the interceptor squadrons, a [[Semi Automatic Ground Environment]] (SAGE) Data Center (DC-11) was established at Grand Forks in 1958. 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. DC-11 was operated by the [[Grand Forks Air Defense Sector]] (GFADS), activated on 8 December 1957 under the [[31st Air Division]] at [[Fort Snelling|Snelling AFS]], Minnesota. On 1 January 1959, GFADS was transferred to the operational control of the [[29th Air Division]] at [[Malmstrom Air Force Base|Malmstrom AFB]] at [[Great Falls, Montana]].

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 Air Force Base|Minot AFB]] to the west. With the inactivation of DC-11, Grand Forks AFB was reassigned from the Air Defense mission to [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC).

In 1971, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated and the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron replaced the unit. Although the 460th FIS won first place at the [[William Tell (aerial gunnery competition)|William Tell air-to-air competition]] at [[Tyndall Air Force Base|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.

The DC-11 SAGE blockhouse was later the headquarters of the SAC [[321st Strategic Missile Wing]]. Following the end of [[LGM-30 Minuteman#Minuteman-III (LGM-30G)|Minuteman III]] missile operations in 1998, the large SAGE blockhouse was torn down five years later, in June 2003.