The 6007th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive

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 ...

unit. Its last was assigned to the 6007th Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was discontinued on 9 August 1957.

History

Performed highly classified missions over the Soviet Union and Communist China and reconnaissance monitoring of the Korean De-militarized Zone (DMZ) during the early years of the Cold War. In 1955, the unit was equipped with Martin RB-57A-1 Canberra aircraft. The RB-57A-1s were RB-57A modified under Project Lightweight (later Project Heartthrob) with more powerful J65 engines, crew reduced from two to one, and all items not essential for the daytime photographic mission removed. Inactivated in 1957, mission taken over by the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing Much of this unit's history remains classified as of 2012.

Lineage

* Designated as the 6007th Composite Reconnaissance Group, and organized on 11 August 1954 : Redesignated 6007th Reconnaissance Group (Composite) on 1 September 1954 : Discontinued on 9 August 1957

Assignments

* Far East Air Forces, 11 Aug 1954 * Fifth Air Force, 15 Oct 1954 *

41st Air Division The 41st Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifth Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 15 January 1968. History "The 41st Air Division was organized, administered, equipp ...

, 1 Mar 1955-9 Aug 1957.

Components

* 6021st Photographic Mapping Flight (Tactical Reconnaissance), 1 December 1953 (Attached from Fifth Air Force) : Redesignated: 6021st Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 March 1955-9 August 1957 : Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing: 1 July-9 August 1957 * 6023d Radar Evaluation Flight, 18 March 1954 – 3 July 1956 (Attached from Fifth Air Force) * 6091st Reconnaissance Flight, 1 December 1953 (Attached from Fifth Air Force) : Redesignated:

6091st Reconnaissance Squadron The 6091st Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 41st Air Division, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 1 July 1968. History The 6091st participated in overt an ...

, 20 December 1954-9 August 1957 : Attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing: 1 July-9 August 1957 * 548th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 1 July 1955 – 9 August 1957 (attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing after 1 July 1957)

Stations

Yokota AB Yokota ( ja, 横田, 與古田, etc.) may refer to: * 6656 Yokota, an asteroid * Yokota Shōkai, a Japanese film company Places * Yokota Air Base, a US Air Force Base located in Tokyo, Japan * Harima-Yokota Station * Iyo-Yokota Station * Yoko ...

, Japan, 11 August 1954 – 9 August 1957

Aircraft

6091st Reconnaissance Squadron

* RB-29 Superfortress (Photo-Recon), 1954 * RB-50B Superfortress (Photo/Weather Recon), 1954-1961 * RB-50E Superfortress (Photo-Recon), 1954-1961 * RB-50G Superfortress (ELINT/Radar Recon), 1954-1961 * RB-45C Tornado, 1954 * RB-57F Canberra, 1963-1968 *

C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...

, 1954-1968 *

C-119G Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...

, 1954-1968 *

C-130A-II Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

, 1961-1968 *

EC-97G Stratofreighter The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on 9 November 1944 (none saw combat), and the first of s ...

, 19631968

6021st Reconnaissance Squadron

RF-86F 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 ...

(Haymaker), 1953-1956 *

RF-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 ...

, 1954-1955 *

RT-33A Shooting Star The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...

, 1954-1957 *

RB-57A-1 Canberra The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric ...

(Heartthrob), 1955-1957 *

RF-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...

, 1956-1957 * RF-100A Super Sabre (Slick Chick), 1957-1957

6023d Radar Evaluation Flight

* ECM TB-29 Superfortress (Electronic Countermeasures), 1954-1956

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Further reading * Brugioni, Dino A (2010), Eyes in the Sky: Eisenhower, the CIA and Cold War Aerial Espionage, Naval Institute Press, {{ISBN, 159114082X Military units and formations established in 1950 Four digit groups of the United States Air Force Reconnaissance groups of the United States Air Force