263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (Previously 263rd ADA Brigade)

The 263rd Air Defense Artillery Brigade's wartime mission is to provide command and control of three patriot battalions and one short-range air defense battalion. This command was scheduled to deactivate in 1997, but was reorganize into a Theater Level Air Missile Command. On 01 May 2000 the 263d Army Air and Missile Defense Command was activated.

This force structure provides South Carolina the highest visibility of any air defense unit in the United States. In 1996, one of its battalions (1st Bn, 263d ADA) did deactivate and was scheduled to reactivate in 1999. The other air defense battalion (2d Bn, 263d ADA) is in the process of full modernization with the Avenger Air Defense System - the Army's state of the art short range air defense system.

An attack helicopter battalion (one of three in the Army National Guard equipped with the state of the art Apache), an aviation lift company (Blackhawk), and an aviation maintenance detachment are attached to this Brigade for peacetime command and control.

DEFINITION FROM GLOBAL SECURITY.ORG

OFFICIAL WEBPAGE OF THE 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command