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 ...
's 66th Weapons Squadron is a
United States Air Force Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
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 ...
instructional flying unit, at
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
, Nevada.
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 in the build up of the American military prior to its entry into
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 ...
as the 66th Pursuit Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to North Africa in 1942, and participated in combat in the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...
. The squadron moved forward through Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia with
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, moving to Italy in 1943. The 66th earned three
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 ...
s for its combat actions before returning to the United States for inactivation in 1945.
The following year, the squadron was activated for the
air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
of Alaska. It served in this role, and briefly in the air defense of California, before inactivating in 1958. It was reactivated in 1969 as the 66th Fighter Weapons Squadron, an advanced training unit for
Wild Weasel
Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
tactics until inactivating in 1981.
Overview
Active since 2003, the 66th Weapons Squadron teaches graduate-level instructor courses that provide training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces and mobility air forces. The 66th focuses on the
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 Republic ...
, with the climax of the course being the mission employment phase, a two-week staged battle over the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Upon graduation, the new weapons officers return to the field to serve as unit weapons and tactics officers, providing advanced instruction and technical advice to their commanders, operations officers, and personnel.
History
World War II
![P-40Fs 66th FS take off in North Africa c1942](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/P-40Fs_66th_FS_take_off_in_North_Africa_c1942.jpg)
Formed as a
P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector (later
I Fighter Command
I Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces intermediate command responsible for command and control of the fighter operations within the First Air Force during World War II. It was initially established in June 1941 as the 1st Inte ...
) at
Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York. Trained in New England and provided air defense of the northeast after the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
.
Was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, becoming part of
IX Fighter Command
The IX Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany, wheret was inactivated on 16 November 1945.
IX Fighter Command was the primary tactical fighter ...
. Took part in the British
Western Desert campaign, engaged in combat during the
Battle of El Alamein
There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in North Africa, in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein.
* First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 July 1942
* Secon ...
and, as part of
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
, supported the Commonwealth
Eighth Army's drive across
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, escorting
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
s and flying
strafing
Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.
Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...
and
dive-bombing missions against
airfield
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
s, communications, and troop concentrations until
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
defeat in
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
in May 1943. The unit participated in the reduction of
Pantelleria
Pantelleria (; Sicilian: ''Pantiddirìa'', Maltese: ''Pantellerija'' or ''Qawsra''), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunis ...
(May–June 1943) and the conquest of
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
(July–August 1943).
The squadron supported the British Eighth Army's landing at
Termoli
Termoli (Neapolitan language, Molisano: ''Térmëlë'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly af ...
and subsequent operations in Italy, being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943. It flew dive-bombing, strafing, patrol, and escort missions.
In 1944, converted to
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 ...
aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. They moved to
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separate
task force. It flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and
motor vehicle
A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on Track (rail transport), rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of pe ...
s behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day.
Participated in the French campaign against
Elba
Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...
in June 1944 and in the
invasion
An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
of Southern France in August. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945.
The 66th flew its last combat mission on 2 May 1945. Remained in northern Italy after the end of the European War, demobilizing throughout the summer of 1945. It was reassigned to the United States in August 1945 without personnel or equipment and was inactivated at the end of August.
Cold War
![66th Fighter Weapons Squadron - McDonnell Douglas F-4E-38-MC Phantom 68-0400](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/66th_Fighter_Weapons_Squadron_-_McDonnell_Douglas_F-4E-38-MC_Phantom_68-0400.jpg)
Reactivated in August 1946 as part of
Eleventh Air Force
The Eleventh Air Force (11 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska.This unit is not related to the Eleventh Air Force headquarte ...
(Later
Alaskan Air Command
Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct ...
) as part of the air defense forces in the northwest Pacific. Squadron began training new P-51 pilots at
Elmendorf Field Elmendorf may refer to:
People with the surname
*Dave Elmendorf, former NFL player
*Douglas Elmendorf, 2009-2015 director of the Congressional Budget Office
*Lucas Conrad Elmendorf, a United States Representative from New York
*Steven Elmendorf, lo ...
, Alaska. Later, it was equipped with F-80Bs in March–April 1948, F-80Cs in October–December 1948, F-94Bs in the summer of 1951, and F-89Cs in September 1953. With these aircraft, the squadron provided fighter aircraft defense in support of the Alaska Area until late in the 1950s.
Was reassigned to Oxnard AFB, California in 1957, but was never equipped or manned due to budgetary constraints, inactivated by Air Defense command, January 1958.
Reactivated by
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
at
Nellis AFB
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military Op ...
, Nevada in October 1969 Assumed the
F-105C/D Thunderchief assets of the provisional 4537th Fighter Weapons Squadron, tail coded "WC". Mission was to perform "Wild Weasel" training for USAF pilots and electronic warfare officers to be deployed to combat missions in Southeast Asia. Squadron aircraft carried tail code "WA" by October 1971, black/yellow checkered tail stripes. Squadron also assumed
F-4C 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 ...
assets, tail coded "WD" until October 1971, then changed to same "WA" as the F-105s. Trained with the F-4s and F-105s until July 1975 when Wild Weasel training and aircraft reassigned to
George AFB
George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California.
Established by the United States Army Air Co ...
, California.
Remained in non-operational status until October 1977 when reorganized as an A-10 Squadron, tail coded "WA", black/yellow checkered tail stripes. Performed fighter weapons training with the A-10 until the end of 1981, when inactivated and squadron was reassigned to the
USAF Fighter Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
, being re-designated as "A-10 Division".
Modern era
Reactivated in February 2003 as 66th Weapons Squadron (66 WPS), replacing
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
A-10 division. Provides USAF Weapons School syllabus support, priority test mission support and road shows that visit various units throughout the CONUS to ACC units for training.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 66th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
: Activated on 15 January 1941
: Redesignated 66th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 January 1942
: Redesignated 66th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
: Redesignated 66th Fighter Squadron on 1 June 1942
: Redesignated 66th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine' on 21 August 1944
: Inactivated on 7 November 1945
* Activated on 15 August 1946
: Redesignated 66th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 20 July 1948
: Redesignated 66th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950
: Inactivated on 8 January 1958
* Redesignated 66th Fighter Weapons Squadron on 22 August 1969
: Activated on 15 October 1969
: Inactivated on 30 Dec 1981
* Redesignated 66th Weapons Squadron on 24 January 2003
: Activated and organized on 3 February 2003
[
]
Assignments
* 57th Pursuit Group (later 57th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 – 7 November 1945
* 57th Fighter Group (later 57th Fighter-Interceptor Group), 15 August 1946
* 10th Air Division
"The 10th Air Division assumed responsibility for the air defense of Alaska south of the Alaskan Range on 1 November 1950. Subordinate units flew numerous interception and training missions. Between June 1957 and March 1960, the division operated ...
, 13 April 1953
* 414th Fighter Group
The 414th Fighter Group is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 944th Fighter Wing of Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
The g ...
, 1 December 1957 – 8 January 1958
* 57th Fighter Weapons Wing (later 57th Tactical Training Wing, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing), 15 October 1969 – 30 December 1981
* USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
, 3 February 2003 – present[
]
Stations
* Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, 15 January 1941
* Bradley Field, Connecticut, 18 August 1941
* Farmingdale Army Air Field
Republic Airport is a regional airport in East Farmingdale, New York,
located one mile east of Farmingdale village limits.
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation ''reliever airpo ...
, New York, 14 December 1941
* Quonset Point Naval Air Station
Quonset Point Air National Guard Station is the home base of the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143d Airlift Wing. Naval Air Station (NAS) Quonset Point was a United States Navy, United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was de ...
, Rhode Island, 27 February 1942
* Hillsgrove Army Air Field
Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Is ...
, Rhode Island, 8 June – 5 July 1942
* RAF Beit Daras , Palestine, 19 August 1942
* Egypt, 16 September 1942
* RAF Gambut
RAF Gambut (or RAF Kambut) is a complex of six abandoned military airfields in Libya, located about north-northeast of the village of Kambut, and east-south-east of Tobruk. During World War II, the complex was an important facility, used by ...
, Libya, 13 November 1942
* El Gazala Airfield, Libya, 15 November 1942
* Belandah Airfield, Libya, 11 December 1942
* Hamraiet Airfield, Libya, 12 January 1943
* Darragh Airfield, Libya, 18 January 1943
* Zuara Airfield, Libya, 24 February 1943
* Nefatia Airfield, Tunisia, 5 March 1943
* Ben Gardane Airfield, Tunisia, 7 March 1943
* Soltane Airfield, Tunisia, 20 March 1943
* Medenine Airfield, Tunisia, 4 April 1943
* Chekira Airfield, Tunisia, 11 April 1943
* El Djem Airfield, Tunisia, 14 April 1943
* El Hani Airfield, Tunisia, 21 April 1943
* Bou Grara Airfield
Bou Grara Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located near Golfe de Bou Grara (Madanin); about 360 km south-southeast of Tunis.
It was a temporary airfield built by the United States Army Corps of ...
, Tunisia, 20 May 1943
* Takali Airfield, Malta, 27 June 1943
* Pachino Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 19 July 1943
* Scordia Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 30 July 1943
* Gioia del Colle, Italy, c. 25 September 1943
* Foggia Airfield
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the str ...
, Italy, c. 1 October 1943
* Amendola Airfield
Amendola Air Base (ICAO: LIBA) is a military airfield of the Italian Air Force ( Aeronautica Militare). It is the home of 32nd Wing.
Overview
Amendola Air Base was primarily a training base for pilots of the AMX International AMX ground atta ...
, Italy, 27 October 1943
* Cercola Airfield
Cercola Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located approximately 2 km north of Cercola in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania.
It was an all-weather temporary field built by the United State ...
, Italy, c. 1 March 1944
* Alto Airfield, Corsica, 28 March 1944
* Ombrone Airfield, Italy, 11 September 1944
* Grosseto Airfield
Grosseto Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Grosseto) is an airport in central Italy, located west of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany.
Although it is classified as a "joint use" facility, Grosseto Airport is primarily an Italian Air Force (A ...
, Italy, 25 September 1944
* Villafranca di Verona Airfield, Italy, 29 April 1945
* Grosseto Airfield
Grosseto Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Grosseto) is an airport in central Italy, located west of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany.
Although it is classified as a "joint use" facility, Grosseto Airport is primarily an Italian Air Force (A ...
, Italy, 8 May 1945
* Bagnoli Airfield
Bagnoli Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in northeast Italy, which is located approximately 4 km south of Conselve in the Province of Padua in the Italian region of Veneto.
It was an all-weather temporary field built ...
, Italy, 15 July – 5 August 1945
* Drew Field, Florida, 23 August – 7 November 1945
* Shemya Army Air Field
Eareckson Air Station , formerly Shemya Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
The airport was closed as an active Air Force Station on 1 July 1994. Howev ...
, Aleutian Islands, 15 August 1946
* Elmendorf Field Elmendorf may refer to:
People with the surname
*Dave Elmendorf, former NFL player
*Douglas Elmendorf, 2009-2015 director of the Congressional Budget Office
*Lucas Conrad Elmendorf, a United States Representative from New York
*Steven Elmendorf, lo ...
(later Elmendorf Air Force Base), Alaska, c. 30 May 1947 – 1 December 1957
* Oxnard Air Force Base
Oxnard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, located in the city of Camarillo, California.
History
Camarillo Airport was originally established in 1942 when the California State Highway Department constructed an auxiliary la ...
, California, 1 December 1957 – 8 January 1958
* Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
, Nevada, 15 October 1969 – 30 December 1981
* Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 3 February 2003 – present[
]
Aircraft
* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
, 1941–1944
* 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 ...
, 1944–1945
* Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
, 1946
* North American P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...
, 1946–1948
* Lockheed F-80 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
* Lockheed F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet powered all-weather, day/night interceptor of the United States Air Force. A twin-seat craft, it was developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer in the late 1940s. It reached o ...
, 1951–1953
* Northrop F-89 Scorpion
The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed for that role from the outset to enter service. Though its straight wings limited its per ...
, 1953–1957
* Republic 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 Vie ...
, 1969–1975
* McDonnell 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 ...
, c. 1971-1975
* Fairchild 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 ...
, 1977–1981, 2003 – present[
]
References
Notes
Bibliography
; Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
{{Navboxes
, list =
{{Aerospace Defense Command
{{USAAF 15th Air Force World War II
{{USAAF 9th Air Force UK
{{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II
Military units and formations in Nevada
Weapons 0066