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The USAF Interceptor Weapons School (IWS) trained weapons instructors for Air Defense units
of the USAF, ANG, Canadian and foreign exchange students in all Air Defense weapon systems including pilots, navigators and ground environment radar controllers and technicians. The F-106 flight
of the IWS was inaugurated in the early 1960s and the F-106 was the last
aircraft flown by the school. The graduates were the equivalent of graduates from the US Navy Top Gun School and the USAF Fighter Weapons School.
The IWS was the executive agency for Air Defense Command that set up, ran and judged the competition for all William Tell
Weapons Meets from the mid 1950s until the school was closed in 1984. IWS conducted advanced training for F-106 weapons instructors and weapons controllers in fighter vs. fighter tactics in addition to standard Air Defense tactics.
The IWS was the first USAF unit to deploy the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) range and set it up in the Gulf of Mexico.
They had many reciprocal training events with F-106 units, USN and USMC operational units both at Tyndall
AFB and at the USN/USMC bases that were set up and run by IWS. IWS F-106 Instructors also led F-106 deployments to the USN Top Gun School at Miramar NAS, CA in the 1970s and 1980s.
The IWS closed in 1984. [Provided by Mark Foxwell, USAF, Col (ret), Last Commander of the
IWS]
 LtCol Mark Foxwell with his wife and two of their 7 children, early 80's [Col Mark Foxwell collection] |
 A IWS Graduating Class, date unknown [Col Mark Foxwell collection] |
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 Col Mark Foxwell (Ret) in front of 59-0145 on static display, Tyndall AFB, FL |
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8 Previous USAF IWS Commanders
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