The 49th Wing is a
remotely piloted vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
wing of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. It is assigned to
Nineteenth Air Force
The Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF) is an active Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force. During the Cold War it was a component of Tactical Air Command, with a mission of command and control over deployed USAF forces in support of Unit ...
,
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
. It is stationed at
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. Th ...
, New Mexico.
The wing has fought during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
,
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
,
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
and
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
-led
Operation Allied Force
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
over Kosovo.
The wing provides combat-ready Airmen training
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
pilots and sensor operators.
It deploys combat-ready and mission-support forces supporting Air Expeditionary Force operations, peacetime contingencies; provides host base support to over 4,600 personnel, including hosting the
54th Fighter Group
The 54th Fighter Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and assigned to the 49th Wing of Air Education and Training Command. The group was reactivated in March 2014.
The group was ...
's F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot training mission, the
96th Test Group
The 96th Test Group was a United States Air Force unit, based at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was a Geographically Separate Unit (GSU), assigned to the 96th Test Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
The Test Group's function was to ...
's high-speed test track mission, and the German Air Force Flying Training Unit.
Units
*
49th Operations Group
The 49th Operations Group (49 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 49th Wing. It is stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is a part of Air Combat Command (ACC).
During World War II, the unit's p ...
(Tail Code: HO)
: The 49th Operations Group trains MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators.
:: 49th Operations Support Squadron
::
6th Attack Squadron
The 6th Attack Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron is a formal training unit for crews learning to operate unmanned aerial vehicles.
The squadron ...
(MQ-9)
::
9th Attack Squadron
The 9th Attack Squadron in a United States Air Force squadron, assigned to the 49th Operations Group, stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron is a training unit for new pilots and sensor operators for the MQ-9 Reaper Rem ...
(MQ-9)
::
16th Training Squadron
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
(MQ-9)
::
29th Attack Squadron
The 29th Attack Squadron is a remotely piloted vehicle training unit of the United States Air Force. Assigned to the 49th Operations Group, 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Flying the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. It was activ ...
(MQ-9)
::
492nd Attack Squadron (joined the Group on 15 April 2019)
* 49th Maintenance Group
: The 49th Maintenance Group maintains aircraft, propulsion, avionics and accessory systems for the MQ-9 aircraft. The group also directs all maintenance, qualification, on-the-job and ancillary training for over 1,200 people.
* 49th Mission Support Group
: The 49th Mission Support Group provides a wide spectrum of support services for wing and tenant organizations – these include military and civilian personnel support, maintenance of facility and utility systems, security police duties, communication capabilities, and family leisure programs for Holloman AFB.
* 49th Materiel Maintenance Group
: The 49th Materiel Maintenance Group is responsible for the storage, inspection, repair, deployment and accountability of bare base assets belonging to Air Combat Command. The group's 431 authorized personnel encompass 42 Air Force specialties and are responsible for bare base assets worth over $234 million dollars.
* 49th Medical Group
: The 49th Medical Group's mission is to sustain and enhance a culture of safety, maximize combat readiness, enhance access to quality patient care, and develop our Airmen and staff.
History
: ''For additional history and lineage, see
49th Operations Group
The 49th Operations Group (49 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 49th Wing. It is stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is a part of Air Combat Command (ACC).
During World War II, the unit's p ...
''
Origins
The history of the 49th Wing begins with its activation at
Misawa Air Base
is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, in the northern part of the island of Honshū of Japan. It is located northeast of Misawa railwa ...
, Japan on 10 August 1948. With the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the United States Army 32d Engineering Construction Group under the command of Captain Davis K. Stark occupied and began rebuilding the former
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
Air Base at
Misawa, Japan
is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 39,093, and a population density of 330 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Misawa is the location of a large military base, Misawa Air Base, ...
. In January 1946, the
49th Fighter Group
The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.
Activation and training
The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 194 ...
became the first
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
unit assigned to the rebuilt base. In 1948, with the adoption of the
Hobson Plan
The Hobson Plan was an organizational structure established by the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1948, following experimental organization in 1947. Known as the "Wing-Base Organization," it replaced the organization used by the United States A ...
, the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
49th Fighter Wing was activated, with the 49th Fighter Group as its combat group.
The initial mission of the 49th Fighter Wing was the air defense of Northern
Honshu
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...
and
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
. Its
7th Fighter Squadron
The 7th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 1st Operations Group. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
Overview
The 7th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assign ...
,
8th Fighter Squadron
The 8th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force squadron, assigned to the 54th Fighter Group Air Education and Training Command, stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.
It currently operates the General Dynamics F-16 ...
and
9th Fighter Squadron 009 may refer to:
* OO9, gauge model railways
* O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport
* 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California
* British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent
* BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9
* ...
s were initially equipped with
P-51D Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA ...
s, later being upgraded to the new
F-80C Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
jet fighter.
Korean War
With the outbreak of the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
in June 1950, the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing was one of the first USAF units dispatched to Korea from Japan, its tactical squadrons began operations with
P-51D Mustangs. Initially under its parent wing, the 49th was reassigned to the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing during July through September, and finally the 6149th Tactical Support Wing during October and November 1950. Korean War squadrons of the 49th were the 7th, 8th and 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons.
The 49th's first task in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
was to cover the evacuation of civilians from
Kimpo
Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The cu ...
and
Suwon
Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...
. Next, it flew close air support missions to help slow the advancing
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n armies. Later, it turned to the interdiction of enemy troops, supplies and communications.
Phasing out its F-51s for
Lockheed F-80C Shooting Stars jets, the 49th FBW moved to
Taegu AB (K-2) on 1 October 1950, becoming the first jet fighter outfit to operate from bases in South Korea. It received a
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
for its combat operations during the first five months of the war.
When th
Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) Intervention Campaigngained momentum in 1950–1951, the group again concentrated on ground support missions. It converted to
Republic F-84G Thunderjets, June–September 1951, one squadron at a time, while the others continued combat operations. The 49th FBG earned another DUC for its contribution to the success of the
1st UN Counteroffensive Campaign(1951). Afterwards, it engaged primarily in air interdiction operations against the main enemy channel of transportation, the roads and railroads between
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
and
Sinuiju
Sinŭiju (''Sinŭiju-si'', ; known before 1925 in English as Yeng Byen City) is a city in North Korea which faces Dandong, Liaoning, China across the international border of the Yalu River. It is the capital of North P'yŏngan province. Part of ...
. Also, it flew close air support missions for the ground forces and attacked high-value targets, including the
Sui-ho hydroelectric plants in June 1952 and the Kumgang Political School in October 1952.
On 27 July 1953, the 49th FBG joined the 58th FBG to bomb
Sunan Airfield for the final action of F-84 fighter-bombers during the Korean War. The unit was one of the most decorated Air Force units in the war, having earned two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit citations and another eight battle honors. Such accomplishments earned the wing a niche in United States Air Force history.
The wing remained in Korea for a time after the armistice. It was reassigned to
Misawa AB
is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, in the northern part of the island of Honshū of Japan. It is located northeast of Misawa rai ...
, Japan on 2 November 1953 and provided air defense for Japan through 1957.
United States Air Forces in Europe
On 15 April 1957 the detached 49 Fighter-Bomber Group became a paper unit, and the wing assumed the fighter-bomber mission the group had been performing, continuing it to 15 September 1957, when the wing prepared to move to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. Worldwide DOD Budget restrictions during FY 1958 affected
PACAF
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF i ...
as well as
USAFE and the 49th FBW based in Japan had to be retired.
[McAuliffe, Chapter 11, Etain-Rouvres Air Base]
The 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to Etain-Rouvres Air Base,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
where it absorbed the assets of the former host unit, the 388th FBW. As the 388th was originally formed in December 1942, and the 49th was formed in November 1940, the older wing's heritage was preserved by transferring its lineage to Etain. The transfer was a strict designation change with no personnel, equipment or aircraft being transferred. All 388th FBW wing units, personnel, equipment and aircraft were redesignated to the 49th FBW and the mission of the 49th FBW was exactly the same as the 388th's. The fighter squadrons were redesignated the 7th, 8th and 9th Fighter-bomber Squadrons.
The stay of the 49th in France was short, as in 1957, the French Government decreed that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958. As a result, the F-100s of the 49th TFW had to be removed from France.
On 25 August 1959, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Spangdahlem AB from the Etain-Rouvres Air Base, France, and assumed host unit duties.
On 8 July 1958 the name of the wing was changed to the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing as a result of an Air Force wide redesignation. Its squadrons were renamed Tactical Fighter Squadrons. On 25 August 1959, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing relocated to
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier ...
, Germany and assumed host unit duties, replacing the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing which was moved to
RAF Alconbury
Royal Air Force Alconbury or more simply RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station near Huntingdon, England. The airfield is in the civil parish of The Stukeleys, close to the villages of Great Stukeley, Little Stukeley, and Alconbury. ...
England. Tactical Fighger Squadrons of the 49th TFW at Spangdahlem were the 7th, 8th and 9th.
The 49 TFW flew F-100s until 1961 when it converted to the
Republic F-105D/F Thunderchief, commonly known as the "Thud". The 49th TFW was only the third USAF unit to operate the F-105. The 49th received two
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...
s for F-105 operations at Spangdahlem. On 9 March 1967, the Wing began receiving the
McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twinjet, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic aircraft, supersonic jet interceptor aircraft, interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed ...
.
In the late 1960s, the Defense Budget began to be squeezed by the costs of the ongoing Vietnam War. Secretary of Defense
Robert MacNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the lo ...
decided to reduce costs in Europe by "Dual Basing" United States military units in Europe by returning them permanently to the United States, and conducting annual deployment exercises in Europe, giving the units a NATO commitment for deployment to bases in Europe if tensions with the Soviet Union warranted an immediate military buildup. The 49th Tactical Fighter Wing was returned to the United States under this policy, being reassigned on 1 July 1968 to
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. Th ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, to serve as the US Air Force’s first dual-based, NATO-committed wing.
Holloman Air Force Base
![McDonnell F-4D-31-MC Phantom 66-7745](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/McDonnell_F-4D-31-MC_Phantom_66-7745.jpg)
At Holloman, the wing continued participation in tactical exercises and firepower demonstrations to maintain combat readiness. It had base host responsibility 1 January 1971 – 1 August 1977 and 15 November 1991 to the present. In the autumn of 1971 the wing's four tactical squadrons deployed in Europe.
In 1969, the wing participated in its first dual-basing exercise, Crested Cap I, deploying 2,000 personnel and 72 aircraft to NATO bases in Europe. Also in 1969, the 49th earned the coveted MacKay Trophy for the "most meritorious flight of the year," for the redeployment from Germany to Holloman after Crested Cap II. The MacKay Trophy recognized the 49th for the fastest non-stop deployment of jet aircraft accomplished by a wing's entire fleet.
Operation Constant Guard III
On 4 May 1972, after
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
invaded
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, the entire wing, except for a rear echelon that remained to run Holloman, deployed at
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility in central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province.
Units
Takhli is the home of the Royal Tha ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Operation Constant Guard III, ordered in response to the North Vietnamese invasion, was the largest movement that the Tactical Air Command (TAC) had ever performed. In nine days, the 49th TFW deployed 72 F-4D Phantom IIs from Holloman to Takhli. The move included more than 3,000 personnel and 1,600 tons of cargo. Airmen arriving reported that Takhli was a mess, with missing or broken plumbing fixtures, no hot water, and no drinking water – that had to be trucked in from
Korat
The Korat cat ( th, โคราช, มาเลศ, สีสวาด, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired breed of domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually hea ...
every day. Bed frames had been thrown out of the hootches into the high snake-infested grass, and mattresses or bedding consisted of sleeping bags at best.
The 49th flew combat sorties in South Vietnam,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, and
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
from 1 July – 24 September 1972 during
Operation Linebacker
Operation Linebacker was the codename of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against North Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War.
Its purpose was to halt or slow the ...
, the bombardment campaign in North Vietnam. During this deployment, Operation Constant Guard, the 49th flew more than 21,000 combat hours over just about every battle zone from
An Lộc to vital installations in the
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
vicinity. During five months of combat, the wing did not lose any aircraft or personnel. The unit officially closed out its Southwest Asia duty 6 October 1972, receiving an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device for its participation.
The wing returned to Holloman Air Force Base in early October 1972, and continued rotating tactical components to Europe to support NATO through September 1977. It also provided USAF fighter lead-in training from February 1974 – December 1976.
F-15 Eagle era
![McDonnell Douglas F-15A-19-MC Eagle 77-0110](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15A-19-MC_Eagle_77-0110.jpg)
In October 1977, the wing ended its "dual-base" commitment to NATO and changed to an
air superiority
Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of c ...
mission with the wing beginning a conversion from the F-4D Phantom II to the F-15A Eagle; the 49th being the second USAF operational wing to receive the F-15A. Capt Thomas Vanderheyden was the initial pilot to start F-15 conversion. The transition was completed 4 June 1978.
Due to the change in equipment, the annual NATO deployments were taken over by the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, in 1978, however they resumed (although not on an annual basis) in 1981 when the 49th deployed to Ålborg AB, Denmark in August. NATO deployments to various bases in Western Europe ended in 1990. Training was refocused on dissimilar air combat tactics for multi-theater operations.
History was made during February 1980, when two pilots from the 49th each flew their F-15s, in just over 14 hours, establishing a record for the longest flight of a single-seat fighter aircraft. Major "Stormy" Summers and Capt "Vmax" Vanderheyden had six aerial refuelings, proving the global power of the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing. In July 1980, the wing acquired the commitment of a primary Rapid Deployment Force unit. This tasking, which lasted for a year, required the wing to be ready to deploy its aircraft, crews, and support personnel on short notice. The wing served with the Rapid Deployment Force until July 1981, when the tasking was transferred to the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
The 49th won the 1988
William Tell
William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland.
According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...
air-to-air meet. The wing outdistanced the nearest competitor by more than 2,000 points. The 49th won a variety of awards, including the coveted "Top Gun" for best fighter pilot. It deployed aircraft and personnel to
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Anat ...
to fly combat air patrol for coalition operations from 20 June – 19 December 1991.
With the introduction of the F-15C Eagle in the mid-1980s, the upgraded Eagle began replacing the F-15A/Bs in service with all of the USAF units that had previously been operating the Eagle with the exception of the 49th TFW. By the time of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the F-15A Eagles at Holloman had been relegated to a training role; combat deployments of the Eagle were the purview of F-15C units.
F-117 Nighthawk era
![McDonnell Douglas F-4F-59-MC Phantom 72-1261](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4F-59-MC_Phantom_72-1261.jpg)
In 1992, the 49th underwent a number of transitions. As a result of the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, reduced defense budgets were the order of the day. In reviewing its tactical bases and the costs of maintaining them, the Air Force wanted to retire the F-15As at Holloman, most of which were manufactured in the mid 1970s and were costing more and more to operate.
Also as part of the review of all of its bases, the Air Force wanted to move its
F-117A Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational ai ...
stealth fighters of the
37th Fighter Wing
The 37th Training Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the 2nd Air Force and the Air Education and Training Command. As the host unit to Lackland Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, the 37th TRW is the predominan ...
out
Tonopah Test Range Airport
Tonopah Test Range Airport , at the Tonopah Test Range (Senior Trend project site PS-66) is southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime i ...
, Nevada, due to the high operating costs of operating the base in its remote location. As a result, Holloman AFB was chosen to be the new home of the F-117A and to retire the F-15A Eagles. Plans were put in place to construct suitable facilities for the F-117A at Holloman.
There was also debate about which unit designation would be adopted at Holloman. The 37th FW was a senior organization to the 49th FW, and initially it was announced that the 49th FW would be inactivated and the 37th would become the new host unit at Holloman. This was changed when General
Merrill McPeak
Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak (born January 9, 1936) is a retired 4-star general in the United States Air Force whose final assignment before retirement was as the 14th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from 1990 to 1994.
In 1993, McPeak served a ...
, USAF Chief of Staff, determined that the 49th had a more notable history than the 37th, and would remain active while the 37th FW would be inactivated.
As a result, the last F-15A Eagle departed Holloman 5 June 1992, ending 14 years of Eagle operations. On 9 May 1992, four F-117A stealth fighters from Tonopah arrived at Holloman with the 49th Fighter Wing taking over as the only stealth fighter wing in the world. Also,
German Air Force
The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War a ...
F-4F Phantom IIs training was transferred to Holloman, from the closing George AFB, California, the mission being assigned to the
9th Fighter Squadron 009 may refer to:
* OO9, gauge model railways
* O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport
* 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California
* British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent
* BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9
* ...
, in May 1992 (the 9th became an F-117A squadron in July 1993, GAF training being assigned to the re-activated
20th Fighter Squadron
The 20th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) squadron. It was most recently part of the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it operated the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II aircraft, conducting tra ...
).
After conversion to the F-117A in May 1992, The 49th deployed fighters and their crews to Southwest Asia during the 1990s as part of
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003.
United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...
to support
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
weapons inspectors in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, to enforce the
no-fly zone
A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone (NFZ), or air exclusion zone (AEZ), is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power's te ...
over the southern part of that country, and for shows of force.
=Operation Allied Force
=
![F-117 Operation Allied Force](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/F-117_Operation_Allied_Force.jpg)
In early 1999, the wing deployed F-117 and their crews to Aviano Air Base, Italy and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany from 21 February – 1 July 1999, in support of Operation Allied Force, the NATO attempt to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo in the former nation of Yugoslavia. In the opening phase of the operation, aimed primarily at Yugoslavia's integrated air defense system, NATO air forces conducted more than 400 sorties. During the first two night attacks, allied air forces struck 90 targets throughout Yugoslavia and in Kosovo. F-117 Nighthawks from the 8th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron participated in air strikes against targets in the Balkans during NATO operations bravely trusting in their aircraft's low observable technology struck some of the most valuable and highly guarded targets in Serbia. The F-117s successfully penetrated the heavily defended areas, which conventional aircraft could not reach.
One F-117 fighter was lost over Yugoslavia on 27 March 1999, apparently struck by a salvo of SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missiles. Unknown to NATO, Yugoslav air defenses operators had found they could detect F-117s with their "obsolete" Soviet radars after some modifications that could detect the aircraft when their wheels were down or bomb bay doors were open. A US search and rescue team picked up the pilot several hours after the F-117 went down outside Belgrade. This was the first and so far the only F-117 to have been lost in action. On 1 April 1999, Defense Secretary William Cohen directed 12 more F-117 stealth fighters to join NATO Operation Allied Force, to join the total of 24 F-117s that were participating in NATO Operation Allied Force.
=Operation Iraqi Freedom
=
People, airplanes, and equipment of the 49th Fighter Wing played a key role in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. The wing's F-117s played a major role, dropping the first bombs against an Iraqi leadership target in Baghdad on 19 March 2003.
Deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on the opening night of the invasion, fresh intelligence was received that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was staying at a specific bunker for the night. USAF planners had a rare opportunity to kill the elusive Iraqi leader. It was reasoned that might bring down his regime without war. The F-117s would carry the new GPS-guided EGBU-27 precision guided bomb. The problem was it had never been used in combat and the weapons had arrived at Al Udeid a mere 24 hours earlier.
![F-15s and F-117 taking off from Al Udeid Air Base](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/F-15s_and_F-117_taking_off_from_Al_Udeid_Air_Base.jpg)
Combat preparation of the fighters began immediately. The plan called for the F-117s to take off as soon as possible. Two stealth fighters roared northward into the nighttime sky at 3:38 a.m. After refueling over the Gulf near Kuwait City, the stealth fighters split up and took separate routes over Iraq to the target area. The sun was starting to come up by the time the pilots reached Baghdad, however on that morning Baghdad was obscured under low-level clouds. Each of the two F-117s released two bombs, which plummeted toward the bunker in which Saddam Hussein was believed to be sleeping. Release came at 5:30 a.m., 13 minutes after dawn but only five hours after the pilots first heard that such a mission might be in the offing. The strike caught Iraqi defenses completely off guard. Defensive anti-aircraft fire did not begin until the aircraft had completed the attack and were racing out of the Baghdad area.
Although the strike did not kill Saddam Hussein, what it did accomplish was to allow the coalition to seize the initiative. Also the EGBU-27 immediately became the F-117’s premier weapon. According to Air Force data, 98 of them were delivered during the conflict, compared to only 11 of the traditional, predominantly laser versions.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, F-117 pilots flew more than 80 missions and dropped nearly 100 enhanced guided bomb units against key targets. Approximately 300 people deployed with the air package and provided direct support to the F-117 mission.
=Hurricane Katrina
=
![F-117 over Holloman AFB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/F-117_over_Holloman_AFB.jpg)
The 49th continued to demonstrated its versatility, when on 3 September 2005, the wing answered a humanitarian call from the gulf coast area of the United States. Responding to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the wing deployed fifty-nine Airmen from the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group as part of Joint Task Force Katrina. The BEAR Base team sent 120 short tons of cargo and built a tent city and housekeeping facilities for workers providing Hurricane Katrina relief operations.
In 2006, the Air Force announced that Holloman would cease to be the home of the F-117A Nighthawk, coinciding with the announcement that the aircraft was set to be retired from service by 2008. Shortly thereafter, it was announced Holloman was one of the preferred bases to receive the F-22A Raptor.
In the meantime, preparation for the F-117A retirement and the arrival of the F-22 ensued and the base partook in a well-known sideline project. It came about in May 2006, when the 49th Fighter Wing commander, Air Force Public Affairs and Department of Defense representatives announced the filming of the motion picture film, "Transformers," at Holloman. The 49th Fighter Wing's F-117s were pictured prominently in the movie, both as static backgrounds and as taxiing aircraft. The aircraft's big motion picture debut came in June 2007 when the film was released in theaters worldwide. Members of the 49th FW were treated to a special pre-release screen where director, Michael Bay, presented Holloman with an "Oscar" for the base's role.
Raptor operations
![Lockheed Martin F-22A Block 20 Raptor 04-4072](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Lockheed_Martin_F-22A_Block_20_Raptor_04-4072.jpg)
The next year brought major changes to the 49th Fighter Wing. On 2 June 2008, the first two F-22s were flown to Holloman, marking the day as an important date in the wing's history. The 5th generation fighter aircraft was officially welcomed during a Total Force Integration Announcement Ceremony, 6 June 2008, attended by then-Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. T. Michael Moseley.
The ceremony served a dual purpose: to welcome the new airframe and to announce that the Air Force Reserve's 301st Fighter Squadron from Luke AFB, Ariz., would come to Holloman to form a classic association with the 7th and 8th Fighter Squadrons. The Total Force Integration between active-duty and reserve Airmen would later be official with the stand up of the 44th Fighter Group, 44th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 301st Fighter Squadron on 9 April 2010.
An Air Force announcement in July 2009 brought another vital mission to the wing. Holloman was selected as a new location for an additional Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Formal Training Unit, allowing the base to once again move to the forefront of unmanned aerial vehicle technology as it had in the past. The 49th Fighter Wing FTU would become the Air Force's second MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper Formal Training Unit. On 26 Oct. 2009, three RPA squadrons officially stood up under the 49th Fighter Wing—the 29th Attack Squadron, 6th Reconnaissance Squadron and 16th Training Squadron—along with the 849th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, charged with maintaining Holloman's RPAs.
![138th Attack Squadron - MQ-9A Reaper](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/138th_Attack_Squadron_-_MQ-9A_Reaper.jpg)
In early 2010, the 49th Fighter Wing again exemplified its ability to respond in a moment's notice when a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country of Haiti, leaving thousands dead and many more homeless. Units from across the base were tasked to prepare personnel and assets to deploy in the relief effort, later known as Operation United Response. The 49th Materiel Maintenance Group, 49th Civil Engineer Squadron and 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron worked around-the-clock to prepare potable water and equipment to send to the country.
Additionally, the 849th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron was asked to provide two RQ-1 aircraft and a team of crew chiefs and avionics personnel to support the ongoing relief effort. Because it was primarily an RPA training squadron, this was the first time the 849th was tasked with a real-world mission. The contingent from Holloman teamed up with members from the 432nd Maintenance Group at Creech AFB, Nev., to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to the troops on the ground assisting the Haitians.
Even amongst ongoing Haiti relief operations, the 49th FW continued to support the war efforts down range. On 26 Feb. 2010, the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group began the movement of approximately 150 truckloads of assets, which were used to directly support joint and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Holloman's BEAR Base supplied 480,000 square feet of AM-2 matting that was used to expand the expeditionary aircraft operations throughout Afghanistan. The AM-2 matting provided was the equivalent of eight football fields and was valued at more than $15 million.
Logisticians and engineers with the 49th also provided expeditionary base facilities and equipment to establish three 550-person encampments, valued at $10 million, for joint service forces in the area of responsibility.
Also in February 2010, the 49th Fighter Wing was the host unit of Red Flag 10-3, an advanced aerial combat exercise where air crews from the U.S. and other allied nations trained in realistic aerial war scenarios at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
With the 49th Fighter Wing now supporting multiple unique missions, it was announced in early 2010 that the wing's name would change to the 49th Wing to more accurately portray the diverse wing. The designation from a fighter wing to a wing became official 25 June 2010, during a change of command ceremony where Col. David "Kooler" Krumm became the first 49th Wing commander.
Transfer From F-22 Operations
The first five F-22 Raptors left Holloman for Tyndall Air Force Base Florida, 6 Jan. with the final four-ship tactical sortie being flown on 20 Feb. Holloman bid farewell to its final Raptor when it depart for Tyndall on 8 April 201
Lineage
* Established as the 49th Fighter Wing on 10 August 1948
: Activated on 18 August 1948
: Redesignated 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 1 February 1950
: Redesignated 49th Tactical Fighter Wing on 8 July 1958
: Redesignated 49th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1991
: Redesignated 49th Wing on 30 June 2010
[
]
Assignments
* 314th Air Division
The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It became inactive in September 1986.
The unit's origins lie with the World War II 314th Bombardm ...
, 18 August 1948
* Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...
, 1 March 1950 (attached to 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing after 16 March 1953)
* Japan Air Defense Force, 1 April 1953 (attached to Fifth Air Force until 7 November 1953, then to 39th Air Division
The 39th Air Division (39th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Fifth Air Force at Misawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 15 January 1968.
History
"Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the 3 ...
)
* Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...
, 1 September 1954 (remained attached to 39th Air Division)
* 39th Air Division, 1 March 1955
* Fifth Air Force, 15 April 1957
* United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
, 10 December 1957
* Seventeenth Air Force
The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and AFAFRICA, United Sta ...
, 15 November 1969
* 832d Air Division, 1 July 1968 (attached to Seventeenth Air Force, 15 January-4 April 1969)
* 835th Air Division
The 835th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) organization. Its last assignment was to Twelfth Air Force of Tactical Air Command (TAC) at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971.
The di ...
, 1 February 1970 (attached to Seventeenth Air Force, 14 September-7 October 1970)
* Twelfth Air Force
The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The command is the air component to U ...
, 30 June 1971 (attached to Thirteenth Air Force
The Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (13 AF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It was last headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stat ...
, 5 May – 2 October 1972)
* Tactical Training, Holloman, 1 August 1977
* 833d Air Division
The 833d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command (TAC), assigned to Twelfth Air Force at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 15 November ...
, 1 December 1980
* Twelfth Air Force (later Twelfth Air Force ir Forces Southern, 15 November 1991 – 30 September 2018[
* Nineteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 2018 – present
]
Components
;; Groups
* 49th Fighter Group
The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.
Activation and training
The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 194 ...
(later 49th Fighter-Bomber Group, 49th Operations Group): 18 August 1948 – 10 December 1957, 15 November 1991 – present
: Detached 9 July-30 November 1950, 16–31 March 1953, 2 November 1953 – 15 April 1957
* 543d Tactical Support Group: attached 1 December 1950 – 26 January 1951[
;; Battalions
* 76th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion: attached 5-c. 25 January 1951
* 753d Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion: attached c. September-c. November 1950
* 865th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion: attached c. September-c. 30 November 1950][
;; Squadrons
* ]4th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
: attached 10 August 1954 – 15 April 1957
* 7th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
(later 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 7th Fighter Squadron): attached 9 July-17 Aug 1950 and 7 August 1956 – 15 April 1957, assigned 10 December 1957 – 15 November 1991 (detached 10 September-6 October 1971, 2 March-4 April 1973, 2 April-3 May 1974, 4 October-6 November 1975, 23 August-25 September 1976)
* 8th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
(later 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Squadron): attached 15 April-15 October 1957, assigned 10 December 1957 – 15 November 1991 (detached c. 12 September-c. 11 October 1970, 10 September-6 October 1971, 3 March-5 April 1973, 5 September-6 October 1975, 21 September-20 October 1976, 22 August-22 September 1977, 10 September-15 November 1991)
* 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (later 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 9th Fighter Squadron): attached 17 August-c. 6 September 1950 and 15 April-9 December 1957, assigned 10 December 1957 – 15 November 1991 (detached c. 12 September-c. 11 October 1970, 9 September-7 October 1971, 4 February-15 March 1973, 6 September-7 October 1975, 22 September-21 October 1977, 10 September-10 October 1977 ic 20 June-15 November 1991)
* 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 14–20 July 1954
* 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 27 December 1950 – 24 February 1951
* 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 24 February-1 March 1951
* 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (later 336th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 336th Fighter-Day Squadron): attached 18 November 1954 – 6 August 1956
* 339th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 339th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is part of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, with a mission to certify aircraft as worthy to return to service. The squadron ...
: attached 20 July-18 November 1954
* 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron
The 356th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force fighter squadron. It is assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing, being stationed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. It was reactivated in 2019 to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Li ...
: attached 12 October-9 November 1959
* 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15 November 1970 – 30 April 1977 (detached 9 September-2 October 1971, 3 February-14 March 1973, 5 March-5 April 1974, 3 October-5 November 1975, 24 August-26 September 1976)
* 421st Air Refueling Squadron
The 421st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 41st Air Division at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 18 February 1965.
In 1985 the squadron was consolidated with th ...
: 15 February 1954 – 1 October 1957 (detached)
* 434th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 12 August-6 October 1972
* 465th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron: 1 August 1973 – 1 January 1977
* 4449th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 12 July-10 October 1972[
;; Batteries
* Battery A, 76th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion: attached 1–25 Jan 1951
* Battery A, 933d AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion: attached 18 Dec 1950 – 5 Jan 1951
;; Flights
* Unnumbered (of 41st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): attached 6 Sep – 30 November 1950
* Unnumbered (of ]339th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 339th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is part of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, with a mission to certify aircraft as worthy to return to service. The squadron ...
): attached c. October-c. 30 November 1950
* 6113th Air Weather Flight: assigned 18 August 1948 – 26 January 1949, attached 27 January-10 April 1949.[
]
Stations
* Misawa AB
is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, in the northern part of the island of Honshū of Japan. It is located northeast of Misawa rai ...
, Japan, 18 Aug 1948
* Taegu AB
Daegu International Airport (Hangul: ; Hanja: ; Revised Romanization: ''Daegu Gukje Gonghang''; McCune-Reischauer: ''Taegu Kukche Konghang'') is the international airport serving the city of Daegu and the surrounding area in the southeast of ...
(K-2), South Korea, 1 Dec 1950
* Tsuki AB, Japan, 26 Jan 1951
* Taegu AB
Daegu International Airport (Hangul: ; Hanja: ; Revised Romanization: ''Daegu Gukje Gonghang''; McCune-Reischauer: ''Taegu Kukche Konghang'') is the international airport serving the city of Daegu and the surrounding area in the southeast of ...
(K-2), South Korea, 24 Feb 1951
* Kunsan AB
Kunsan K-8 Air Base is a United States Air Force base located at Gunsan Airport, on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is located in the town of Gunsan (also romanized as Kunsan), about south of Seoul.
...
(K-8), South Korea, 1 Apr 1953
* Misawa AB
is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, in the northern part of the island of Honshū of Japan. It is located northeast of Misawa rai ...
, Japan, 7 Nov 1953 – 10 Dec 1957
* Étain-Rouvres AB, France, 10 Dec 1957
: Operated from Chalons-Vatry AB, France, 1 Sep – 30 Nov 1958
* Spangdahlem AB
Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trie ...
, West Germany, 25 Aug 1959 – 30 Jun 1968
* Holloman AFB
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. Th ...
, New Mexico, 1 Jul 1968 – Present[
;; Coronet Exercises
: During the 1980s and 1990s the 49 TFW made several "Coronet" deployments to Collocated Operating Bases (COB) in the ]Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
;[ (in Dutch)]
* In May and June 1986, 7 TFS deployed with twelve F-15A/B Eagles as part of ''Coronet Mescalero'' to Gilze-Rijen air base
Gilze-Rijen Air Base ( nl, Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen, ) is a military airbase in the south of Netherlands. It is located between the cities of Breda and Tilburg, which are both in North Brabant. The airport is mainly, but not exclusively used as a ...
, while 9 TFS deployed to Soesterberg air base ( Camp New Amsterdam) at the same time;
* In May and June 1987, 8 TFS deployed with the F-15A Eagle as part of ''Coronet Scout'' to Gilze-Rijen AB;
* In June and July 1990, 7 TFS deployed with twelve F-15A/B Eagles as part of ''Coronet Bullet'' to Gilze-Rijen AB;
* In June and July 1990, 8 TFS deployed with twelve F-15A/B Eagles as part of ''Coronet Shooter ''to Gilze-Rijen AB;
* In June and July 1993, 415 FS, part of the renamed 49 Fighter Wing, deployed with eight F-117A Nighthawks as part of ''Coronet Havoc'' to Gilze-Rijen AB. This was the first time the F-117A Nighthawk deployed for an exercise to the European theater, and only the second time the Stealth jet deployed for an exercise outside the United States.
Aircraft
* P (later, F)-51 Mustang, 1948–1950
* F-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed specifically as a night fight ...
, 1948–1949
* F-80C Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
, 1948–1951
* F-82 Twin Mustang
The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is the last American piston-engined fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the North American P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter ...
, 1950
* RF-80 Shooting Star, 1950–1951
* F/RF-51 Mustang, 1950–1951
* RB-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...
, 1950–1951
* F-84G Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...
, 1951–1953, 1953, 1957
* F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing So ...
, 1951, 1954–1957
* F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
, 1957–1962
* F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...
, 1961–1967
* F-4 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 Bow ...
, 1967–1971, 1971–1978, 1992–2004
* T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first, and the most produced, supersonic trainer. The T-38 remains in service in several air forces.
The United States Air Force (USAF) operates the most ...
, 1973–1976, 1993–Present
* F-15A/B Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
, 1977–1992
* AT-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first, and the most produced, supersonic trainer. The T-38 remains in service in several air forces.
The United States Air Force (USAF) operates the most ...
, 1977–1997
* F-117A Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational ai ...
, 1992–2008
* HH-60 Pave Hawk
The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic system ...
, 1993–1999
* F-22A Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As the result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, ...
, 2008–2014
* MQ-1 Predator
The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ( ...
, 2009–2018
* MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
, 2009–Present[
]
References
; Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Site of the 9th SQ, 49th FG
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20121009043438/http://home.st.net.au/~pdunn/49fg.htm 49th in Australia during WW2
Holloman AFB Home Page
{{USAF Korea
Military units and formations in New Mexico
049
Military units and formations established in 1948
1948 establishments in Japan