The 510th Fighter Squadron is part of the
31st Operations Group at
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base ( it, Base aerea di Aviano) is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about from Pordenone.
Th ...
, Italy. It is a combat-ready
F-16CM fighter squadron prepared to deploy and fly combat sorties as tasked by
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 ...
and
US combatant commanders.
The
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
was first activated as the 625th Bombardment Squadron in 1943, changing to the 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron a few months later. After training in the United States, it moved to England in March 1944, helping prepare for
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
by attacking targets in France. Following
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
, the squadron moved to the continent, providing
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
for
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
forces. The squadron earned 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 ...
and was cited in the Order of the Day by the
Belgian Army
The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...
. After
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at the port of embarkation.
The squadron was activated again in 1952, when it replaced an
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 ...
squadron that had been
mobilized
Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...
for 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 ...
. It trained for
fighter bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
operations until inactivating in 1958. A year later, it was activated in the Philippines as the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The squadron returned to the United States in 1964, but soon deployed back to the Pacific, moving to Vietnam in 1965, and engaging in combat until inactivating in 1969 as the United States began withdrawing forces from Vietnam.
The squadron was activated with
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republ ...
s in 1978 as the
81st Fighter Wing
The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force's largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually. ...
doubled its tactical strength. It moved to Germany in 1992 and was inactivated there in 1994. A few weeks later, the squadron was reactivated in its current role.
Mission
The 510th performs strategic attack,
air interdiction
Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...
,
combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.
A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refuelin ...
,
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
, and
forward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC).
...
-airborne forces missions. The squadron employs a full range of precision ordnance.
[
]
History
World War II
The squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
was originally activated at Drew Field
Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. The ...
, Florida on 1 March 1943 as the 625th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 405th Bombardment Group
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
. It was initially equipped with Douglas A-24 Banshee
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/di ...
s and Bell P-39 Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...
s. Although retaining the same mission and equipment, in August the squadron was renamed the 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The following month, it moved to Walterboro Army Air Field
Lowcountry Regional Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) northeast of the central business district of Walterboro, a city in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. It is owned by the city and c ...
, South Carolina, where it began to fly the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
s, with which it would be equipped for the rest 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 ...
. On 14 February 1944, the 510th left its training base for 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 ...
.[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 290–291]
The squadron arrived at its first station in the theater, RAF Christchurch
Royal Air Force Christchurch or more simply RAF Christchurch is a former Royal Air Force satellite station and was located southeast of the A337/B3059 junction in Somerford, Christchurch, Dorset, England.
Christchurch Airfield was a civil airf ...
, England in early March 1944 and flew its first combat mission the following month. It dropped the "bomber" portion of its designation in May, but retained the fighter bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
mission. The 510th helped prepare for Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, the invasion of Normandy, by striking military airfield
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
s, and lines of communication
A line of communication (or communications) is the route that connects an operating military unit with its supply base. Supplies and reinforcements are transported along the line of communication. Therefore, a secure and open line of communicati ...
, particularly bridges and railroad marshalling yards. On D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
, it flew combat patrols in the vicinity of Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...
, and in the following days flew armed reconnaissance
Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding horse racing, race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse, Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was ind ...
missions over Normandy.[
Toward the end of June, the squadron moved to Picauville Airfield, France, and for the rest of the war concentrated on providing ]close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
for ground forces. It supported Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an Offensive (military), offensive launched by the United States First United States Army, First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Invasion of Norman ...
, the breakout at Saint Lo
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
in July with attacks on military vehicle
A military vehicle is any vehicle for land-based military transport and activity, including combat vehicles; both specifically designed for, or significantly used by military and armed forces. Most military vehicles require off-road capabiliti ...
s and artillery positions. The squadron engaged and destroyed a German armored column near Avranches
Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''.
History
By the end of the Roman period, t ...
, France, on 29 July 1944. After immobilizing leading and trailing elements of the 3-mile (4.8 km) long column, the rest of the tanks and trucks were systematically destroyed with multiple sorties. Its operations from D-Day through September 1944 supporting the liberation of Belgium earned the squadron a citation in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army
The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...
. The squadron 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 action on 24 September 1944 when the 4th Armored Division experienced a counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...
by enemy forces and urgently needed air support. Elements of the 405th Group attacked the enemy armor
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
despite an 800-foot ceiling that forced attacks to be made from low level in the face of intense flak
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, ...
. A second group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
element was unable to locate the tank battle because of the adverse weather, but located a reinforcing column of armor and trucks, causing major damage. A third element attacked warehouses and other buildings in the vicinity that were being used by the enemy.[Both Maurer and Rust identify the 405th Group's three attacks as being made by one of the group's three squadrons. However, neither identifies which squadron was involved in which action. All three of the group's squadrons were awarded a DUC for the day's attacks. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 290–291; Rust, p. 122.]
The squadron flew its last combat mission of the war on 8 May 1945. It was credited with the destruction of 30 enemy aircraft.[The Aviano Air Base Fact Sheet for the squadron claims 39 aircraft were destroyed by the squadron.] It briefly served in the occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
forces at AAF Station Straubing
AAF may refer to:
Aviation
* Aigle Azur (ICAO code), a French airline
* Apalachicola Regional Airport (IATA code), in Apalachicola, Florida
Corporations
* American Air Filter, today a part of HVAC-equipment-maker Daikin
Military
* Albanian A ...
, but by 8 July was mostly a paper unit. Its remaining personnel returned to the United States in October and the squadron was inactivated upon arrival at the port of embarkation.[
]
Reactivation as a fighter bomber unit
The squadron returned to its designation as the 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and was activated at Godman Air Force Base
Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located on the Fort Knox United States Army post in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It has four runways and is used entirely by the United States Army Aviation Branch.
UFOs: Mantell Incident
...
, Kentucky on 1 December 1952, when it assumed the mission, personnel and F-47 Thunderbolt aircraft of the 149th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, a Virginia Air National Guard
The Virginia Air National Guard (VA ANG) is the aerial militia of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America. It is, along with the Virginia Army National Guard, an element of the Virginia National Guard.
As commonwealth militia uni ...
unit that had been called to active duty for 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 ...
. However, Godman was not suitable for jet fighter operations, and in April 1953, the squadron moved to Langley Air Force Base
Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News, Virginia, Newport News. It was one of List of airfields of the Training Section of the United States Army Air Service, thirty-two ...
, Virginia[ as the Air Force prepared to transfer Godman to the Army. After arriving at Langley, the squadron was able to upgrade to ]Republic F-84 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 Thu ...
s, and later to North American 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 ...
s. The squadron became non-operational on 15 April 1958 and was inactivated with the rest of the 405th Wing in July 1958.[Ravenstein, pp. 217–219]
In 2014, a description of Stu Roosa's time as an astronaut described how the 510th had been charged to deploy to bases in West Germany to deliver nuclear weapons onto Soviet targets, eject, as fuel aboard their F-100s was not sufficient, and to escape and evade back to the West.
Vietnam War
The squadron was redesignated the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated in April 1959, when the 405th Fighter Wing
The 405th Air Expeditionary Wing (405 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Currently, it is believed that the 405 AEW is inactive.
History
: ''Fo ...
replaced the 6200th Air Base Wing at Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located west of Angeles City, about northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was previously a United States military facility, operated by the U.S. Air Forc ...
, Philippines. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel and F-100 Super Sabres of the 72d Tactical Fighter Squadron,[ which was simultaneously inactivated. In 1959, the squadron deployed twice to ]Chiayi Air Base
Chiayi Air Base () is an air base of the Republic of China Air Force that is co-located with Chiayi Airport in Chiayi County, Taiwan. A number of US Air Force units have been stationed at Chiayi Air Base, including the 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadro ...
in Taiwan, and deployed a detachment to Tainan Air Base from December 1959 to November 1965, and in spring 1962, to 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 ...
as part of Joint Task Force 116. The squadron left Clark in March 1964 for England Air Force Base
England Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Louisiana, located northwest of Alexandria and about northwest of New Orleans. Originally known as Alexandria Army Air Base, on 23 June 1955 the facility was renamed England Ai ...
, Louisiana, where the 3d Wing
The 3rd Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
The Wing is the largest and principal unit within 11th Air For ...
was reforming as a tactical fighter unit.
The squadron was not long at England before it returned to Clark, deploying there from May through August 1965, attached to its old headquarters, the 405th Fighter Wing. It was back in Louisiana for less than four months, for, in November it moved to Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnamese: ''Sân bay Biên Hòa'') is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about from Ho Chi Minh City, across the Dong Nai river in the northern ward of Tân Phon ...
, South Vietnam as the 3d Wing replaced the 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing there.[ During its time at Bien Hoa, it frequently came under attack by ]Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
rocket and mortar attacks. The squadron supported numerous ground operations with strike missions against enemy fortifications, supply areas, lines of communication and personnel, in addition to suppressing fire in landing areas.[ Along with the other F-100 squadrons at Bien Hoa, the squadron was frequently tasked with providing cover for ]Operation Ranch Hand
Operation Ranch Hand was a U.S. military operation during the Vietnam War, lasting from 1962 until 1971. Largely inspired by the British use of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D ( Agent Orange) during the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s, it was part of the ov ...
missions flying from the base.
The squadron was deployed to Tainan Air Base, Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
from November 1965 to August 1967.
The 510th flew over 27,200 combat missions in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
.[ In November 1969, the unit inactivated and its aircraft were distributed to other units in Vietnam.][
]
Fighter operations in Europe
A-10 "Warthog" operations
The squadron was activated at RAF Bentwaters
Royal Air Force Bentwaters or more simply RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about northeast of London and east-northeast of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England. Its name was taken fro ...
, England in October 1978 as the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing
The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force's largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually. ...
changed its mission to close air support and air interdiction
Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...
, equipped with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republ ...
s, and expanded from three to six operational squadrons. The squadron participated in joint and combined exercises with American and British ground forces and periodically deployed to designated wartime operating bases.[ The squadron deployed aircraft and personnel to ]Incirlik Air Base
Incirlik Air Base ( tr, İncirlik Hava Üssü) is a Turkish air base of slightly more than 3320 ac (1335 ha), located in the İncirlik quarter of the city of Adana, Turkey. The base is within an urban area of 1.7 million people, east of t ...
, Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...
to support Kurdish relief in Northern Iraq from 6 September to 10 December 1991, 8 April to 10 June 1992, and from 6 August to 30 October 1992.[
In the middle of this last deployment, on 1 October 1992, the squadron was reassigned to the ]52d Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
Overview
The 52d Operat ...
at 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. In January 1993, it moved to Spangdahlem and joined its parent group.[ During 1993 and 1994, the 510th flew more than 1,700 combat sorties from ]Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base ( it, Base aerea di Aviano) is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about from Pordenone.
Th ...
, Italy, in support of Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the mis ...
.[ The squadron continued its attack mission until inactivating in March 1994.][
]
F-16 "Viper" operations
The 510th was reactivated at Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base ( it, Base aerea di Aviano) is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about from Pordenone.
Th ...
, Italy on 1 July 1994 as the 510th Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
s made available from the 512th Fighter Squadron
The 512th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Fighter Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated September 1994.
The squadron was first activated as the 628th B ...
at Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Germany, which was inactivating as the 86th Fighter Wing
Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003.
When in Port Harcourt or Ahoa ...
became an airlift
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distanc ...
unit. The 510th, during Operation Deliberate Force
Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in concert with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the ...
, the 1995 NATO intervention in Bosnia, was the first F-16 Block 40 squadron to drop a laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly p ...
. It also made the first combat use of night vision goggles
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
in an F-16 during Operation Deliberate Guard
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
, a follow up operation. It was also one of the first F-16 units to become Forward Air Control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC).
...
lers (Airborne), and were the first controllers to employ the F-16 in combat.[
In October 1998, the squadron deployed its F-16s to ]Incirlik Air Base
Incirlik Air Base ( tr, İncirlik Hava Üssü) is a Turkish air base of slightly more than 3320 ac (1335 ha), located in the İncirlik quarter of the city of Adana, Turkey. The base is within an urban area of 1.7 million people, east of t ...
, Turkey to fly in support of Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997.
The coalition partners ...
. In 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 ...
, the air war over Serbia, the 510th flew more combat missions than any other F-16 squadron. Subsequently, the squadron was the first Aviano fighter squadron to deploy to 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 ...
in June 2000. During those deployments the squadron engaged in combat operations over Iraq in both surface attack and combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.
A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refuelin ...
. From September to December 2002, the Buzzards returned to Operation Southern Watch and dropped 136,508 pounds of ordnance over Iraq to include the first use of the GBU-31A Joint Direct Attack Munition
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions. JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Pos ...
in F-16CG combat.[
]
Lineage
* Constituted as the 625th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 4 February 1943
: Activated on 1 March 1943
: Redesignated: 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
: Redesignated: 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943
: Redesignated: 510th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944
: Inactivated on 27 October 1945
* Redesignated 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 October 1952
: Activated on 1 December 1952
: Inactivated on 1 July 1958
* Redesignated 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 11 March 1959
: Activated on 9 April 1959
: Inactivated on 15 November 1969
* Activated on 1 October 1978
: Inactivated on 1 February 1994
* Redesignated 510th Fighter Squadron on 23 March 1994
: Activated on 1 July 1994[
]
Assignments
* 405th Bombardment Group (later 405th Fighter-Bomber Group, 405th Fighter Group), 1 March 1943 – 27 October 1945
* 405th Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 December 1952
* 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 8 October 1957 – 1 July 1958
* 405th Fighter Wing, 9 April 1959 (attached to Joint Task Force 116 16 May–8 June 1962)
* 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 March 1964 – 15 November 1969 (attached to 405th Fighter Wing c. 8 May–17 August 1965)
* 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1978
* 52d Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
Overview
The 52d Operat ...
, 1 October 1992 – 1 February 1994
* 31st Operations Group, 1 July 1994 – present[
]
Stations
* Drew Field, Florida, 1 March 1943 (1943)
* Walterboro Army Air Field, South Carolina, 13 September 1943 – 14 February 1944
* RAF Christchurch (AAF-416),[Station number in Anderson.] England, 6 March–22 June 1944
* Picauville Airfield, (A-8),[Station number in Johnson.] France, 30 June 1944
* Saint-Dizier Airfield
Saint-Dizier () is a subprefecture Of the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.
It has a population of 23,382 (2018 figure) and is a subprefecture of the department. Although Saint-Dizier is marginally the most populous commune in Haut ...
(A-64),[ France, 11 September 1944
* ]Ophoven Airfield
Ophoven Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located west of Opglabbeek (Limburg); approximately northeast of Brussels.
History
The airfield was built by the United States Army Air Forces IX Engineer Command, 820th E ...
(Y-32),[ Belgium, 6 February 1945
* Kitzingen Airfield (R-6),][ Germany, 23 April 1945
* AAF Station Straubing (R-68),][ Germany, 14 May–2 July 1945
* ]Camp Kilmer
Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...
, New Jersey, 25–27 October 1945
* Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, 1 December 1952
* Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 17 April 1953 – 1 July 1958
* Clark Air Base, Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
, Philippines, 9 April 1959 – 14 March 1964 (deployed to Chiayi Air Base, Taiwan 1–8 July, 2–12 November 1959; Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand 11 May–8 June 1962)
* England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 16 March 1964 – 7 November 1965 (deployed to Clark Air Base, Philippines 8 May–20 August 1965)
* Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnamese: ''Sân bay Biên Hòa'') is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about from Ho Chi Minh City, across the Dong Nai river in the northern ward of Tân Phon ...
, South Vietnam, 8 November 1965 – 15 November 1969
* RAF Bentwaters, England, 1 October 1978
* Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, 4 January 1993 – 1 February 1994
* Aviano Air Base, Italy, 1 July 1994 – present[
]
Aircraft
* Douglas A-24 Banshee (1943)
* Bell P-39 Airacobra (1943)
* Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1943–1945)
* Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (1953–1956)
* North American F-100 Super Sabre (1959–1969)
* Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (1979–1994)
* General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (1994 – present)[
]
Awards and campaigns
See also
* List of United States Air Force fighter squadrons
This is a list of United States Air Force fighter squadrons. It covers units considered to be part of the Combat Air Force (CAF) such as fighter squadrons and serves as a break out of the comprehensive List of United States Air Force squadrons. ...
* List of F-100 units of the United States Air Force
This is a List of F-100 Units of the United States Air Force by wing, squadron, location, tailcode, features, variant, and service dates. During the 1960s, squadrons were transferred regularly to different wings and bases temporarily, and someti ...
* General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators
The United States Air Force (USAF), four of its NATO partners, and Pakistan, a major non-NATO US ally, are the primary operators of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. With the evolution of sales under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contracts, ...
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
510th Fighter Squadron
{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II
510
__NOTOC__
Year 510 ( DX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severinus without colleague (or, less frequently ...
Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces