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| 45th Space Wing | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 20 November 1940 — present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Satellite Launch |
| Part of | Air Force Space Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Patrick Air Force Base |
| Motto | Control of the battlefield begins here |
| Decorations |  AFOUA AFOEA Navy MUC |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brigadier General Edward L. "Ed" Bolton Jr.[1] |
| Notable commanders |
Donald G. Cook |
The 45th Space Wing (45 SW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, whose mission is to assure access to the high frontier and to support global operations. The 45th was established as an anti-submarine warfare unit in 1941, providing support during operations in the Atlantic during part of World War II. The Wing current operates a number of rockets and missiles, including the Delta IV and Atlas V, and provides support for the Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial manned and unmanned space programs. The Wing formerly operated the recently-discontinued Titan IV rocket.
Contents |
History
The 45th trained in anti-submarine warfare in 1941 and flew patrol and search missions off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as part of First Air Force and later the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Antisubmarine Command until inactivation in late 1942.
Later, the Joint Long Range Proving Ground was organized to maintain and operate the proving ground facilities in coordination and collaboration with other agencies of the national guided missile program. It provided static and flight testing to meet requirements of Army, Navy, and Air Force research and development programs, including operational experimentation and training. From May 1950 to May 1951 it had separate operating agency status, assigned directly to the United States Air Force. The unit has maintained and operated the Eastern Range and affiliated facilities in support of Department of Defense (DoD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), US Air Force, and other test and evaluation agencies from 1951 – 1977 and 1979 to the present. It has also operated "Down-Range" facilities at Antigua, Jonathan Dickinson Missile Tracking Annex, Ascension Island and at Cape Canaveral, Florida from 1951 - 1977 and 1979 to the present (the period between the deactivation of the Air Force Eastern Test Range organization and the founding of the Eastern Space and Missile Center is not considered part of the 45th lineage).[2] After October 1979 it launched DoD payloads into orbit and collected flight data for evaluation of ballistic missile systems launched from Eastern Launch sites for DoD, NASA, and commercial customers. It has also given support for DoD, NASA, and commercial manned and unmanned space programs while providing host-base responsibilities at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.
Operations
Previous designations
- 45th Bombardment Group (1940 – 1964)
- Joint Long Range Proving Ground (1949 – 1950)
- Long Range Proving Ground (1950 – 1951)
- Air Force Missile Test Center (1951 – 1964)
- Eastern Test Range (1964 – 1977)
- Eastern Space and Missile Center (1979 – 1991)
- 45th Space Wing (1991 – Present)
Assignments
Major Command
- Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (1941 – 1942)
- Air Force Systems Command (1951 – 1977)
- Air Force Space Command (1991 – Present)
Numbered Air Force
- First Air Force (1941 – 1942)
- Fourteenth Air Force (1993 – Present)
Subordinate Organizations
45th Operations Group (45 OG)
- 45th Space Communications Squadron (45 SCS)
- 1st Range Operations Squadron (1 ROPS)
- 45th Range Management Squadron (45 RMS)
- 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS)
- 45th Operations Support Squadron (45 OSS)
- Antigua Air Station (Det. 1, 45 OG)
- Ascension Auxiliary Air Field (Det. 2, 45 OG)
45th Launch Group (45 LCG)
- 1st Space Launch Squadron (1 SLS)
- 5th Space Launch Squadron (5 SLS)
- 45th Launch Support Squadron (45 LCSS)
45th Mission Support Group (45 MSG)
- 45th Contracting Squadron (45 CONS)
- 45th Security Forces Squadron (45 SFS)
- 45th Mission Support Squadron (45 MSS)
- 45th Civil Engineering Squadron (45 CES)
- 45th Logistics Readiness Flight (45 LRF)
- 45th Services Division
- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (Det. 1, 45 MSG)
45th Medical Group (45 MDG)
- 45th Medical Operations Squadron (45 MDOS)
- 45th Aeromedical Dental Squadron (45 ADS)
- 45th Medical Support Squadron (45 MDSS)
Bases stationed
- Savannah Air Base, Georgia (1941)
- Grenier Field, New Hampshire (1941 – 1942)
- Dover, Delaware (1942)
- Miami, Florida (1942)
- Patrick Air Force Base, Florida (1949 – Present)
Aircraft and Launch Vehicles Operated
- A-20 Havoc (1941 – 1942)
- B-18 Bolo (1941 – 1942)
- Minotaur I
- Taurus
- Pegasus
- Delta II
- Delta IV
- Atlas V
- Titan IV
- Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Fact Sheets : EVOLUTION OF THE 45TH SPACE WING". http://www.patrick.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4514. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
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