461st Air Control Wing
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461st Air Control Wing
| 461st Air Control Wing | |
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 461st Air Control Wing Insignia |
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| Active | 1953–1968, 2011- |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Control |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Robins AFB |
| Motto | On the Attack |
| Engagements |
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The 461st Air Control Wing (461 ACW) is a joint Air Force/Army unit flying the E-8 J-STARS aircraft. The 461 ACW is assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC), Ninth Air Force, and is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It was activated on 7 Oct 2011.
Activated as a tactical bomber unit by Tactical Air Command (TAC) in the 1950s, the wing was designated the 461st Bombardment Wing in November 1962, assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC), and stationed at Amarillo AFB, Texas. The wing flew B-52 Stratofortress heavy strategic bombers KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueing aircraft, and deployed aircraft and crews to Andersen AFB, Guam for combat operations in Southeast Asia. The wing was inactivated in March 1968 with the closure of Amarillo AFB.
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Contents
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Mission
The 461st ACW is the only active duty Air Force unit operating the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), an advanced ground surveillance and battle management system. Joint STARS detects, locates, classifies, tracks and targets ground movements on the battlefield, communicating real-time information through secure data links with U.S. Forces command posts.
History
Tactical Air Command
The unit was established as the 461st Bombardment Wing, Light under the Tactical Air Command Ninth Air Force on 11 December 1953. Unit was formed at Hill AFB, Utah and initially equipped with World War II-era B-26B Invader tactical light bombers brought out of storage depots in the southwest. The mission of the 461st Bomb Wing was to provide training in air support of ground forces and air interdiction from lessons learned during the Korean War. Modifications made to the aircraft were made by depot personnel at Hill as a result of combat in Korea meant that the Invader operated at considerably higher weights and with greater loads than had been achieved in World War II.
The Invader, however, was used as a transitory aircraft until the unit could receive the jet-powered Martin B-57 Canberra, which was still under development by Air Materiel Command. On 1 October 1955 the wing was reassigned to its permanent base at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. It was redesignated as the 461st Bombardment wing, Tactical, and began receiving production B-57B Canberras. However, a number of B-57Bs were lost in accidents, particularly during high-speed, low-level operations when aircraft suddenly and unexplainably dove into the ground. As these accidents persisted, all tactically-assigned B-57Bs were grounded in May 1956 for a period of four months while the problem was investigated. The fault was eventually traced to a faulty tailplane actuator which set the trim incorrectly. The installation of a new actuator switch cured the problem.
The USAF was not very happy with the B-57B as it was initially produced. It was still deemed to be inadequate to meet the night intruder and close support role for which it had originally been designed. The target acquisition system was inadequate, the navigational range was too short, and the radio navigation could not recover the aircraft after strikes. The armament was inadequate—the gun-bomb-rocket sight, the gun charging systems, and the external stores release mechanisms were all unreliable.
After three years of service with the B-57s in tactical bomb groups, the decision was made to phase out the B-57 in favor of supersonic aircraft. The wing turned in its aircraft to TAC for disposition and the wing inactivated on 1 April 1958.
Strategic Air Command
On 20 February 1960, Strategic Air Command established the 4128th Strategic Wing at Amarillo AFB, Texas as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 718th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Ds, and the KC-135-equipped 909th Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4128th SW was redesignated as the 461st Bombardment Wing (461st BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Fifteenth Air Force, 22d Air Division. The 718th BS was also redesignated as the 764th Bombardment Squadron, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 909th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 461st numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated.
The wing trained with B-52s maintained heavy bombardment proficiency and participated in numerous operational readiness inspections and actual and simulated exercises. It deployed B-52 aircraft and crews to Andersen AFB, Guam from 18 January, to 4 July 1967 for combat operations in Southeast Asia, however its headquarters remained at Amarillo where it served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission.
By 1968, Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina. The 461st Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 25 March 1968 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Amarillo AFB was closed.
Air Combat Command
===Lineage===
- Established as 461st Bombardment Wing, Light on 11 December 1953
- Activated on 23 December 1953
- Redesignated: 461st Bombardment Wing, Tactical on 1 October 1955
- Inactivated on 1 April 1958
- Redesignated: 461st Bombardment Wing, Heavy and activated on 15 November 1962
- Activated, on 15 November 1962 replacing 4128th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 February 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4128th Strategic Wing (inactivated)
- Organized 1 February 1963
- Discontinued and inactivated on 25 May 1968
- Redesignated 461st Air Control Wing on XX Xxx 2011
- Activated on 7 October 2011
Assignments
- Ninth Air Force, 23 December 1953 – 1 April 1958
- Strategic Air Command, 15 November 1962
- Fifteenth Air Force
- 22d Air Division, 1 February 1963
- 819th Air Division, 1 July 1964
- Second Air Force, 1 July 1965
- 19th Air Division, 2 July 1966 – 25 March 1968
- Ninth Air Force, 7 October 2011-
Components
- 764th Bombardment Squadron 1953–1968
- 909th Air Refueling Squadron 1963–1966
Stations
- Hill AFB, Utah, 23 December 1953 – 8 April 1956
- Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, 8 April 1956 – 1 April 1958
- Amarillo AFB, Texas, 1 February 1963 – 28 March 1968
- Robins AFB, Georgia, 7 October 2011 – present
Aircraft flown
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See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
External links
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