Duluth Air National Guard Base 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 . History . The City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport in 1929 from St . Louis County . The airport was constructed on of land with two 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 . Note : The U . S . Air Force occupied the largest portion of the airport ( designating its area " Duluth Air Force Base " ) until its mission termination in the 1980s . Air Defense Command . 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 179th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron built permanent facilities on the northeastern corner of the field while the U . S . Air Force continued to retain and develop most all of the Southern half of the property into an " active - duty " Air Force Base . Air Defense Command ( ADC ) Federalized the guardsmen at Duluth Airport ( Designated 176th Fighter Squadron , S . E ) on 10 February 1951 during the Korean War . The Air National Guardsmen flew P - 51D Mustang Aircraft . The base was placed under the jurisdiction of the 31st Air Division , regular Air Force . The Air Guardsmen were returned to state control and to their facilities ( Northeaster corner of the field ) and the 11th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was activated on 1 December 1952 and the 515th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953 under the 31st Air Division , Central Air Defense Force . The 11th FIS flew from Duluth until 1968 , flying F - 51H Mustangs , F - 86 D Sabrejets , F - 89 H / J Scorpions , F - 102 A Delta Daggers , and lastly F - 106 A Delta Dart interceptors . The 515th ADG was re - designated as the 343d Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) on 18 August 1955 under the " Project Arrow " notable unit redesignation program . The United States Air Force continued to improve its infrastructure at Duluth Air Force Base ( the greater portion of the airport ) to provide facilities for its aircraft and personnel over the years . The Air Force provided Fire Fighting services for the entire airport as well as runway extensions and runway improvements to allow for larger and faster aircraft . The civilian terminal was built on the southeastern corner of the Air Force Base , below the National Guard Facilities . On 1 October 1957 , the Duluth Air Defense Sector ( DuADS ) was established at the station under the 31st AD , assuming control of former ADC Central Air Defense Force units with a mission to provide air defense of most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin . On 1 January 1959 DuADS was reassigned to the 37th Air Division On 1 April 1959 a Semi Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) Data Center ( DC - 10 ) was established at Duluth under the 37th AD . 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 . Both the DuADS and the DC - 10 SAGE center were placed under the 30th Air Division . DC - 10 became operational on 15 November . In 1960 , ADC deployed CIM - 10 Bomarc surface - to - air missiles to Duluth . The Bomarc was the only surface - to - air missile ever deployed by the United States Air Force . All other U . S . land - based SAMs were and are under the control of the United States Army . The Bomarc site was located 10 miles NE of the station at , and was manned by the 74th Air Defense Missile Squadron . The 74th ADMS was activated on 1 April 1960 , putting 28 IM - 99B Bomarcs on operational status , being networked into the SAGE DC - 10 and equipped with W40 nuclear warheads . The squadron remained on alert until standing down on 30 April 1972 and inactivating . The DuADS was inactivated on 1 April 1966 as part of an ADC reorganization , being re - designated as the 29th Air Division , being assigned to Duluth from Richards - Gebaur AFB , Missouri . The SAGE DC with its AN / FSQ - 7 computer remained operational under the 29th AD until it was inactivated on 19 November 1969 and re - designated as the 23d Air Division and being placed under First Air Force , although the 29th AD was then further reassigned to Headquarters Aerospace Defense Command on 1 December . On 30 March 1983 , DC - 10 was inactivated when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down many SAGE Data Centers . In 1971 , the 11th FIS was re - designated as the 87th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron and continued to operate F - 106s until 1979 . Minnesota Air National Guard . The USAF phased out its Air Defense facilities in 1983 with the shutdown of the DC - 10 SAGE Data Center , but the Minnesota ANG continues to operate from its expanding facilities on the northeastern corner and from areas inherited from the departing U . S . Air Force . Along with its commercial airport usage , the Minnesota Air National Guard ' s 148th Fighter Wing ( 148 FW ) , an Air Combat Command ( ACC ) - gained unit , is located at the airport . The air national guard base occupies on the northeast corner of the airport . Additionally , the munitions storage area ( physically separated from the main base ) occupies north of Runway 09 / 27 . The base has a total of 37 buildings ; 18 industrial and 19 administrative . Normal base population is 320 personnel but surges to 1100 at least once each month during unit training assembly ( UTA ) drill sessions for the entire wing . The 148th previously flew the F - 16A ADF and currently flies the F - 16C Fighting Falcon .