Duluth Air National Guard Base

Duluth Air National Guard Base
Part of Minnesota Air National Guard
Located at: Duluth International Airport, Minnesota
179th Fighter Squadron F-16Cs (81-783, 81-799) based at Duluth Air National Guard Base flying over the Pentagon performing air defense over the nation's capital.
Duluth ANGB Location of Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota
Coordinates	46°50′32″N 92°11′37″W / 46.84222°N 92.19361°W / 46.84222; -92.19361Coordinates: 46°50′32″N 92°11′37″W / 46.84222°N 92.19361°W / 46.84222; -92.19361
Type	Air National Guard Base
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1948
In use	1948-Present
Garrison information
Garrison	148th Fighter Wing

Duluth Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base located on the grounds of Duluth International Airport. It is home to the 148th Fighter Wing.

The City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport in 1929 from St. Louis County. The airport was constructed on 640 acres (2.6 km²) of land with two 2,650-foot (810 m) sod runways. Subsequently, in 1930, the airfield was dedicated as a public airport. The airport was called the Williamson-Johnson Municipal Airport until 1963 at which time it was renamed Duluth International Airport.

After World War II, the U.S. Air Force constructed permanent and semi-permanent facilities on land leased from the City of Duluth for use by the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. Beginning in 1948, the Minnesota Air National Guard built permanent facilities on the east end of the field. Air Defense Command (ADC) activated the 11th Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 1 December 1952 and the 515th Air Defense Squadron on 16 February 1953 under the Central Air Defense Force 31st Air Division. The 11th flew from Duluth until 1968, flying F-51H Mustangs, F-86D Sabrejets, F-89H/J Scorpions, F-102A Delta Daggers, and lastly F-106A Delta Dart interceptors. In 1968, the squadron was redesignated the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and continued to operate F-106s until 1979.

In 1966, the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, operated a Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) radar command and control center from the airport. SAGE was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD. In later versions, the system could automatically direct aircraft to an interception by sending commands directly to the aircraft's autopilot. In 1969, the SAGE facility closed and the 23d Air Division replaced it. The 23d AD which was responsible for the air defense of the upper midwest.