The squadron was reactivated under Air Defense Command as the 438th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, and stationed at Kinross Air Force Base, Michigan in April 1953.
 At its new base, the 438th was assigned to the 534th Air Defense Group and equipped with cannon-armed Lockheed F-94B Starfires.
 During the next seven years, it repeatedly upgraded its equipment.
 In December 1953 it transitioned into Northrop F-89D Scorpions, armed with FFAR rockets, and in the May 1957 into Convair F-102A Delta Daggers, equipped with data link for Semi-Automatic Ground Environment operations and armed with AIM-4 Falcons.
In June 1960 it received the Convair F-106 Delta Darts that would equip it for the remainder of the time it was on active duty.
In August 1955, as part of Project Arrow, the 534th Group was inactivated and the squadron became part of the 507th Fighter Group.

On 22 October 1962, before President John F. Kennedy told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to Phelps Collins Air National Guard Base at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
These planes returned to Kinchloe after the crisis.

Air defense fighter operations at Kinchloe ended on 30 September 1968 with the inactivation of the 507th Fighter Wing.
 The squadron moved to Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, where it transferred its F-106s to the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which had been flying air defense missions with McDonnell F-101 Voodoos from Griffiss since 1959, and the 438th was inactivated the same day.
The squadron was reactivated under Air Defense Command as the 438th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, and stationed at Kinross Air Force Base, Michigan in April 1953.  At its new base, the 438th was assigned to the 534th Air Defense Group and equipped with cannon-armed Lockheed F-94B Starfires.  During the next seven years, it repeatedly upgraded its equipment.  In December 1953 it transitioned into Northrop F-89D Scorpions, armed with FFAR rockets, and in the May 1957 into Convair F-102A Delta Daggers, equipped with data link for Semi-Automatic Ground Environment operations and armed with AIM-4 Falcons. In June 1960 it received the Convair F-106 Delta Darts that would equip it for the remainder of the time it was on active duty. In August 1955, as part of Project Arrow, the 534th Group was inactivated and the squadron became part of the 507th Fighter Group.
On 22 October 1962, before President John F. Kennedy told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to Phelps Collins Air National Guard Base at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. These planes returned to Kinchloe after the crisis.
Air defense fighter operations at Kinchloe ended on 30 September 1968 with the inactivation of the 507th Fighter Wing.  The squadron moved to Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, where it transferred its F-106s to the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which had been flying air defense missions with McDonnell F-101 Voodoos from Griffiss since 1959, and the 438th was inactivated the same day.
438th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron