4710th Defense Wing
4710th Air Defense Wing 
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|
|---|---|
| Active | 1952–1956 |
| Country |
 United States
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| Branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Type | Fighter Interceptor and Radar |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Brigadier General Milton H. Ashkins (1952–1956) |
The 4710th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued unit of the United States Air Force. It was last stationed at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois, where it was assigned to the 37th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC), and where it was discontinued in 1956. It was established in 1952 at New Castle AFB, Delaware as the 4710th Defense Wing in a general reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC), which replaced wings responsible for a base with wings responsible for a geographical area. It assumed control of several fighter Interceptor squadrons that had been assigned to the 113th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, which was an Air National Guard wing mobilized for the Korean War.
In early 1953 it also was assigned five radar squadrons in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey and its fighter squadron at New Castle combined with the colocated air base squadron into an air defense group. The wing was redesignated as an air defense wing in 1954. In the spring of 1956, its subordinate units were reassigned and it moved to O'Hare as ADC prepared for the implementation of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system.
The wing was organized as the 4710th Defense Wing at the beginning of February 1952 at New Castle AFB, Delaware and assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force 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. It assumed operational control and the air defense mission of fighter squadrons formerly assigned to the inactivating Air National Guard (ANG) 113th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (FIW). The 142d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) was located at New Castle with the wing headquarters, the 148th FIS was a few miles away at Dover AFB, Delaware, and the 121st FIS was stationed at Andrews AFB, Maryland. All three squadrons flew radar equipped Lockheed F-94 Starfire interceptor aircraft. The 113th FIW had been called to active duty and moved to New Castle to replace elements of the 4th FIW which had deployed to Far East Air Force because of the Korean War. The wing's mission was to train and maintain tactical flying units in state of readiness in order to defend Northeast United States. The wing's 82nd Air Base Squadron assumed base support duties at New Castle from inactivating elements of the 113th FIW. In November 1952, the 121st, 142nd, and 148th FIS were returned to the control of the ANG and replaced by the 46th FIS at Dover, the 95th FIS at Andrews, and the 96th FIS at New Castle.
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