The precursor to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, was simply known as the Aerospace Defense Command. Though normally confused with one another, the Aerospace Defense Command was created to control the air defense forces during World War II.
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During the war, the Continental United States air defense forces were under the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest Air Districts. These four air districts were created just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Not only did these commands control USAAF air defense, but they also trained Army Ground Forces, in efforts to organize assignments and missions with air defenses.
A few months after the designation to the four air districts, the districts themselves were renamed to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Air Forces. The 1st and 4th Air Forces were subsequently assigned to manage civilian the Aircraft Warning Service on West and East Coasts of the country.
During this time, the government saw it prudent to have air defense warning, which the USAAF’s Aircraft Warning Corps (AWC) was tasked to provide. These warnings came through information centers via a network of Army Radar Stations all over the coasts.
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An integral part of Aerospace Defense, the AWC worked closely with Ground Observer Corps. AWC information centers are responsible for distributing information of imminent attack to the four Air Forces. The Air Forces would then scramble interceptor aircraft to defend the sovereign airspace of the U.S.
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