53d Wing
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53d Wing
| 53d Wing | |
|---|---|
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| Active | November 20, 1940 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Operational Test and Evaluation |
| Size | 2100 |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Eglin Air Force Base |
| Decorations |  AFOUA AFOEA |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Michael Gantt |
| Notable commanders |
Paul V. Hester Ronald Keys |
The 53d Wing (53 WG) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
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Contents
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Mission
The 53d Wing serves as the focal point for the Combat Air Forces in electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance, and aircrew training devices. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, a Direct Reporting Unit to Headquarters Air Combat Command. The wing is also responsible for Operational Testing and Evaluation (OT&E) of new equipment and systems proposed for use by these forces. Current wing initiatives include advanced self-protection systems for combat aircraft, aircrew life support systems, aerial reconnaissance improvements, new armament and weapons delivery systems, and improved maintenance equipment and logistics support. The 53d Wing, which consists of four groups, numbers almost 2,000 military and civilians at 17 various locations throughout the United States.
Units
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History
Operational History
World War II
The group was activated as the 53d Pursuit Group and trained fighter pilots with P-35 and P-40 aircraft its activation until December 1941.[1][2] After the United States entered World War II the group moved to the Canal Zone to fly patrols in defense of the Panama Canal.[1] In conjuction with the move, the group coverted to P-39 Aircraft.[2] There it was redesignated as the 53d Fighter Group.[3] The group returned to Florida in November 1942, where it trained replacement fighter pilots, using P-39s until June 1943 and P-47s thereafter,[2] until was disbanded in 1944.[1]
Cold War Air Defense
The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 53d Fighter Group (Air Defense) and activated[3] to replace the 521st Air Defense Group[4] at Sioux City Municipal Airport as part of Air Defense Command's Project Arrow to bring back on the active list fighter units that had achieved memorable records in the two World Wars.[5] The 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) transferred from the 521st, while the 13th FIS moved to Sioux City to replace the 519th FIS.[6] Both squadrons flew radar equipped F-86D Sabres.[7] Between August 1955 and April 1960 the 53d served as an air defense unit, participating in NORAD exercises and testing automated air defense systems.[1] It also was the host organization for the USAF and was assigned several support units to carry out this function.[8] In 1985, the group was redesignated as the 53d Tactical Fighter Group, but it was never active under that designation.[1]
Test and Evaluation
The USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center was activated in 1963 to improve use of USAF tactical aviation in support of ground forces by operationally testing weapon systems and tactics for the joint U.S. Strike Command. It employed a cross-section of tactical aircraft from Tactical Air Command bases across the country.[1] During the Vietnam War it tested tactical weapons systems and tactics for use in Southeast Asia.[1] After the war it continued operational testing of new tactical aviation weapon systems. In 1977 the center began an annual series of Air Force-wide exercises to improve command, control, communications, and intelligence (C3I) techniques.[1] Around the same time it embarked on the electronic warfare evaluation program, and continued OT&E of aviation weapon systems for Tactical Air Command and later Air Combat Command, the Department of Defense, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.[1] From 1983 to present, responsible for the OT&E of all Air Force aircraft/weapons systems, and providing range control for live-firing missile programs on the Gulf range and aerial targets, using full scale and subscale drones.[1] In September 1995, the 53rd Tactical Fighter Group and USAF Air Warfare Center were consolidated and the consolidated unit was redesignated as the 53d Wing the following month.[1]
Lineage
Group
- Constituted as the 53d Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
- Activated on 15 January 1941
- Redesignated as the 53d Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
- Disbanded on 1 May 1944
- Reconstituted and redesignated as the 53d Fighter Group (Air Defense), on 20 June 1955
- Activated on 18 August 1955
- Discontinued on 1 April 1960
- Redesignated as the 53d Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 31 1985
- Consolidated with the USAF Air Warfare Center on 25 September 1995 (consolidated unit designated the USAF Air Warfare Center)
Center
- Designated and organized as the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center on 1 November 1963
- Redesignated as the USAF Air Warfare Center on 1 October 1991
- Consolidated with the 53d Tactical Fighter Group on 25 September 1995
Consolidated Wing
- Redesignated as the 53d Wing on October 1, 1995.
Assignments
- 22d Pursuit Wing, January 15, 1941
- 3d Interceptor (later III Fighter) Command, October 2, 1941
- Caribbean (later, Sixth) Air Force, January 1, 1942
- XXVI Interceptor (later, XXVI Fighter) Command, March 6, 1942
- III Fighter Command, November 26, 1942 – May 1, 1944
- 31st Air Division, August 18, 1955
- 20th Air Division, March 1, 1956
- Kansas City Air Defense Sector, January 1 – April 1, 1960
- Tactical Air Command, November 1, 1963
- Air Combat Command, June 1, 1992
- United States Air Force Warfare Center, October 1, 1985 – present
Stations
- MacDill Field, Florida (1941)
- Tallahassee, Florida (1941)
- Howard Field, Canal Zone, Panama (1942)
- Dale Mabry Field, Florida (1942–1943)
- Drew Field, Florida (1943)
- Fort Myers Army Air Field, Florida (1943–1944)
- Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa (1955–1960)
- Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (1963 – present)
Components
Wing
- 4485th Test: 16 March 1964-30 June 1965
Groups
- 53d Test Management: 1 October 2002–present
- 57th Test: 1 October 1996-1 August 1997
- 68th Electronic Combat (later, 53d Electronic Warfare): 15 April 1993-Wing
- 475th (later, 53d) Weapons Evaluation: 23 January 1991–present
- 4441st Tactical Training (Blue Flag) [later, 41st Training]: 1 March 1977-15 April 1993
- 4442nd Tactical Control (later, 505th Air Control; 505th Command and Control Evaluation) Group: 1 March 1980-1 October 1997
- 4443rd (later, 79th; 53d) Test and Evaluation: 1 July 1988–present
Squadrons
- 13th Pursuit (later, 13th Fighter; 13th Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron: 15 January 1941-1 May 1944; 18 August 1955-1 July 1957.
- 14th Pursuit (later, 14th Fighter; 14th Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron: 15 January 1941-1 May 1944; 18 August 1955-1 April 1960.
- 15th Pursuit (later, 15th Fighter) Squadron: 15 January 1941-1 May 1944
- 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron: 1 June 1992-15 April 1993
- 49th Test: 1 June 1992-15 April 1993
- 438th Fighter Squadron: 20 February 1943-1 May 1944
- 513th Test: 1 June 1992-15 April 1993
- 727th Tactical Control (Test): 1 October 1979-1 March 1980
- 3907th Systems Evaluation: 1 June 1992-15 April 1993
- 4484th Fighter Weapons: 1 October 1978-1 June 1984
- 4484th Test: 15 October 1983-1 August 1988
- 4485th Test: 12 April 1971-1 August 1988
- 4486th Fighter Weapons: 1 October 1985-1 August 1988
- 4487th (later, 87th) Electronic Warfare Aggressor: 1 October 1990-15 April 1993
Aircraft flown
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References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k AFRHA 53d Wing Factsheet
- ^ a b c Abstract, History of 53d Fighter Group 1941-1944 (accessed 4 May 2012)
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Units, p. 115
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 82
- ^ Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p. 6
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 114
- ^ These were the 53d USAF Infirmary (later 53d USAF Dispensary), 53d Air Base Squadron, 53d Materiel Squadron, and 53d Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. See [1] [2] [3] [4] (all accessed 4 May 2012)
- Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1956.
- Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
- AFRHA 53d Wing Factsheet
External links
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