The 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron assigned to

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

's 461st Air Control Wing,

461st Operations Group The 461st Operations Group is a joint Air Force/Army unit flying the Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. The group is assigned to the 461st Air Control Wing of Air Combat Command and is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It was ...

, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron previously flew the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS, providing airborne battle management, command and control, surveillance, and target acquisition with the last E-8C flight on September 8, 2022.

Mission

The 16th Squadron operated the Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS ( Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System), an advanced ground surveillance and battle management system. J-STARS detected, located, classified, tracks and targets ground movements on the battlefield, communicating real-time information through secure data links with combat command posts.

History

World War II

The squadron was first activated as the 380th Fighter Squadron, part of IV Fighter Command in early 1943. It engaged in the

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

of the San Francisco area as well as acting as a Replacement Training Unit until the end of 1943. It trained as a North American P-51 Mustang operational squadron before deploying to the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...

. In Europe it became part of IX Fighter Command in England. Operated both as a tactical fighter squadron, providing air support to Allied ground forces in France as well as an air defense squadron, attacking enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat over Europe. Azeville Airfield -363d FG P-51 Fools Paradise

Azeville Airfield -363d FG P-51 Fools Paradise

The squadron was converted to a tactical reconnaissance squadron in August 1944, when it was redesignated the 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. It engaged in hazardous reconnaissance flights over enemy-controlled territory unarmed, gathering intelligence for Allied commanders until the end of combat in Europe, May 1945. The unit advanced eastward across France using

advanced landing ground Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...

s, then into the Low Countries and Occupied Germany. The squadron remained in Germany as part of the occupation forces, returning to Langley Field, Virginia in June 1947. The unit remained assigned to

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

as a reconnaissance squadron. The squadron was inactivated in 1949.

Cold War

In 1950 the squadron was activated once again at Langley, now designated the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.The renumbering was required because the numbers 101–300 were reserved for Air National Guard units (now 101–299). AF Instruction 38-101, para. 5.3.4. When the squadron was allotted to the Air National Guard in 2002, it retained its number outside this block of numbers. It moved to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in 1958 where it re-equipped with

McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a ''p ...

reconnaissance aircraft. The squadron deployed to south Florida in 1962 during the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...

, flying hazardous overflights over Cuba gathering intelligence photos. The unit upgraded to the McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II in 1965. It also operated a flight of Martin EB-57E Canberra electronic warfare aircraft. It added Douglas EB-66 Destroyer jamming aircraft beginning in 1971 as part of the phaseout of the Destroyer at Shaw. It was the last USAF active duty B-57 squadron, retiring the aircraft in 1976 when

F-4G Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowe ...

s took over its mission. Rf-4c-67-0436-363trw-10-86

The 16th remained the single RF-4C squadron at Shaw after the 1982 realignment of its parent 363d from a tactical reconnaissance to tactical fighter wing. It continued reconnaissance training in the United States until 1989 when the RF-4Cs were transferred to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, and the squadron was inactivated.

Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System

The squadron was reactivated as the 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron in 1996 at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia as an E-8 J-STARS squadron. In 2002, the J-Stars mission was transferred to the Georgia Air National Guard and the

116th Air Control Wing The 116th Air Control Wing is a Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard/United States Air Force, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. If activated for federal service, the wing is gained by Air Combat Command. The 116th ACW is the only Ai ...

and the squadron became a Guard unit. Ten years later the mission returned to the regular Air Force, with Georgia Air National Guard associate units joining the mission.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 380th Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 11 February 1943 : Activated on March 1943 : Redesignated 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 August 1944 : Redesignated 160th Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic on 29 Ju1y 1946 : Redesignated 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic on 14 June 1948 : Inactivated on 26 April 1949 * Redesignated 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic on 8 August 1950 : Activated on 1 September 1950 : Redesignated 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic on 10 October 1950 : Redesignated 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic-Jet on 8 November 1955 : Redesignated 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet on 1 March 1965 : Redesignated 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 October 1966 : Redesignated 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron on 1 October 1979 : Redesignated 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 July 1982 : Inactivated on 15 December 1989 * Redesignated 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 15 January 1996 : Activated on 1 October 1996 * Allotted to the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

on 1 October 2002 * Withdrawn from the Air National Guard on 1 October 2012 (remained active)

Assignments

363d Fighter Group 363rd or 363d may refer to: *363d Expeditionary Operations Group, inactive United States Air Force unit *363d Bombardment Squadron or 19th Antisubmarine Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *363d Fighter Squadron or 164th Airlift Squadro ...

(later 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 1 March 1943 : Air echelon attached to

10th Photographic Group The 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany. It was inactivated on 8 December 1957. Hist ...

, 24 December 1944 – 6 February 1945 *

10th Reconnaissance Group 010 may refer to: * 10 (number) * 8 (number) in octal numeral notation * Motorola 68010, a microprocessor released by Motorola in 1982 * 010, the telephone area code of Beijing * 010, the Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the R ...

, 15 November 1945 * Tactical Air Command, 25 June 1947 * 363d Reconnaissance Group (later 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 24 July 1947 – 26 April 1949 * 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 September 1950 *

363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The group is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The mission ...

(later 363d Tactical Fighter) Wing), 8 February 1958 – 13 December 1989 * 93d Operations Group, 1 October 1996 *

116th Operations Group The 116th Operations Group is a Georgia Air National Guard unit assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing. The unit is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft ...

, 1 October 2002 *

, 1 October 2012 – present

Stations

* Hamilton Field, California, March 1943 * Santa Rosa Army Air Field, California, 23 August 1943 * Oakland Municipal Airport, California, 8 October-2 December 1943 * RAF Keevil (AAF-471),Station number in Anderson. England, 23 December 1943 *

RAF Rivenhall Royal Air Force Rivenhall or more simply RAF Rivenhall is a former Royal Air Force station located in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southeast of Braintree, Essex, England. Opened in 1942, it was used by both ...

(AAF-168), England, c. 3 February 1944 * RAF Staplehurst (AAF-413), England, 14 April 1944 * Maupertu Airfield (A-15),Station number in Johnson. France, c. 5 July 1944 *

Azeville Airfield Azeville/Fontenay (Azeville) Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Azeville in the Normandy region of northern France. Located just outside Azeville, the United States Army Air Forc ...

(A-7), France, c. 22 August 1944 *

Montreuil Airfield Montreuil Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of La Bazoge in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France. Located just outside Montreuil (probably to the north of the town), the United S ...

(A-38), France, 9 September 1944 * Sandweiler Airfield (A-97), Luxembourg, 11 October 1944 * Le Culot Airfield (A-89), Belgium, 29 October 1944 : Operated from Conflans Airfield (A-94), France, 24 December 1944 – 6 February 1945 * Venlo Airfield (Y-55), Netherlands, 11 March 1945 * Gutersloh Airfield (R-85), Germany, 16 April 1945 * Brunswick/Waggum Airfield (R-37), Germany, 26 April 1945 * AAF Station Wiesbaden, Germany, 20 May 1945 * AAF Station Eschwege, Germany, 12 July 1945 * AAF Station Darmstadt/Griesheim, Germany, 22 September 1945 * AAF Station Fürth, Germany, 24 November 1945 * Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany, 2 March 1947 *

Bad Kissingen Air Base Bad Kissingen Airfield is an airfield in Germany, located about 1 mile north of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria. It supports general aviation and light aircraft up to by planes of up to 3,000 kg. History Bad Kissingen had two different aerodro ...

, Germany, 14 June 1947 * Langley Field (later Langley Air Force Base), Virginia, 25 June 1947 – 26 April 1949 * Langley Ai Force Base, Virginia, 1 September 1950 * Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 8 February 1958 – 31 December 1989 : Operated from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 22 October-30 November 1962 * Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 October 1996 – presentStation information in Dollman, except as noted.

Aircraft

* Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943 * North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945, 1946–1947 * North American F-6 Mustang, 1944–1945, 1946–1947 * Lockheed FP-80 Shooting Star (later Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star), 1947–1949 * Douglas RB-26 Invader, 1950–1955 * Martin RB-57 Canberra, 1954–1956 * Douglas RB-66 Destroyer, 1956–1965 *

, 1958–1965 * McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, 1965–1989 * Martin EB-57E Canberra, 1971–1976 * Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS (1996–September 2022)

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * World Airpower Journal. (1992).'' US Air Force Air Power Directory''. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. * {{Navboxes , list = {{USAF Air Combat Command {{Tactical Air Command {{USAAF 9th Air Force UK Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state)

016 HV-016 is a former military unit of Norway, that was a part of the Home Guard. It was established after 1985 to "stop terror- or sabotage actions that could weaken or paralyze Norway's ability to mobilize its military and its ability to resist". ...

Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard Command and control squadrons of the United States Air Force