428th Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 428th Fighter Squadron (428 FS) is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Currently, it operates F-15SG Strike Eagle aircraft conducting formal training missions to qualify Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...

 crew in the F-15SG under the auspices of Peace Carvin V.

Overview

The 428th Fighter Squadron's mission is to provide advanced weapons and tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...

 continuation training for Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...

 F-15 pilots, weapon systems officers and maintenance personnel. RSAF aircrew and maintenance personnel are assigned to the 428th for two years, during which they receive advanced tactics training, shoot live missiles at Combat Archer, and deploy to locations throughout the United States to participate in composite operations and dissimilar air combat exercises.

World War II

Activated in August 1943 as a P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...

 fighter squadron under IV Fighter Command
IV Fighter Command
The IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...

 in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

. Trained with the fighter over the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...

, moving to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...

 (ETO), being assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....

 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 during March 1944.

Engaged in combat operations beginning in April, making low level sweeps over Occupied France, attacking enemy transportation targets and military convoys, bridges, armor formations and airfields. During D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...

, the squadron flew patrols over the invasion fleet. Remained in England after D-Day until August, moving to France and primarily provided ground-air support to the United States First Army in Northern France. Moved to Occupied Germany at the end of the war, becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...

 army of occupation during the summer of 1945.

Personnel demobilized in Europe during 1945, returned to the United States in November as an administrative unit and was inactivated without personnel or equipment.

Cold War

Reactivated in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 under Far East Air Forces, July 1952 as a result of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Replaced Federalized Georgia Air National Guard
Georgia Air National Guard
The Georgia Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is, along with the Georgia Army National Guard, an element of the Georgia National Guard...

 personnel, receiving their F-84G Thunderjets. Moved to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 in August, engaging in combat operations from Kunsan Air Base (K-8). From Kunsan the squadron bombed and strafed bridges, bunkers, troop concentrations, artillery positions, and a host of other enemy targets

Moved to Taegu Air Base (K-2) in April 1953 being attached to the 58th Fighter Bomber Wing. Flew interdiction and close air support missions in as well as attacking special strategic targets such as military schools, dams, and port facilities in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 until the June 1953 Armistice, Remained in South Korea for over a year afterward to insure Communist compliance with the cease-fire.

Returned to Clovis AFB, New Mexico in November 1954. Squadron was re-equipped with F-86H Sabre fighter-bomber aircraft, being assigned to Twelfth Air Force, Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

. Maintained proficiency in tactical fighter operations, deploying components, aircraft, and crews on a global basis in support of NATO, PACAF, AAC, and other organizations. Deployed to southeastern United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...

 of 1962.

Reassigned to Nellis AFB, Nevada in 1966, becoming one of the first General Dynamics F-111
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...

A squadrons. Deployed aircraft to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...

 in early 1968, while still in training status at Nellis. Aircraft returned and development of the F-111 continued, finally reaching operational status in 1971.

Returned to Takhli RTAFB, Thailand in early 1972 as a result of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive. Fully engaged in combat over North and South Vietnam for the balance of 1972, flying operations in good and bad weather when other squadrons were grounded. Flew approximately 4000 combat missions with excellent success rates in hitting targets even when visibility was near zero. Returned to the United States in March 1973, leaving it's assigned aircraft at Takhli.

Almost immediately upon the squadron's return to Nellis AFB, was reassigned to the 347th Fighter Wing and deployed back to Takhli RTAFB, this time being placed on permanent party status in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, taking over the aircraft it had left upon its return to the United States. For a brief two-week period the 347th flew combat operations into Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

 until 15 August, when the last wartime mission of the Vietnam Era was flown into Cambodia for final mission of Constant Guard. After the cease-fire, the wing was maintained in a combat-ready status for possible contingency

After the end of combat missions in Indochina, the squadron moved to Korat RTAFB, Thailand in 1974 after the closure of Taklhi and remained in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

 through May 1975 to undertake strike missions in the event of further contingency operations. Participated in numerous exercises and firepower demonstrations, and, during Jan–May 1975, flew sea surveillance missions. Participated in the recovery of the American merchantman SS Mayaguez
SS Mayagüez
SS Mayaguez was a U.S.-flagged container ship that attained notoriety for its 12 May 1975 seizure by Khmer Rouge forces of Cambodia, which resulted in a confrontation with the United States at the close of the Vietnam War....

 from Cambodian Communist forces in May 1975.

Upon return to the United States, reassigned back to the 474th TFW, sending F-111s to 366th TFW at Mountain Home AFB, and changing equipment to the F-4D Phantom II during "Operation Ready Switch". Received new Block 1/5 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon aircraft in November 1980 after protractive development period in the 1970s. Conducted routine Tactical Air Command training and deployments from Nellis with the F-16s, upgrading to Block 10/15 models in the early 1980s. Inactivated September 1989 when aircraft were considered no longer front-line combat capable.

Modern era

Reactivated at Cannon AFB, New Mexico on 2 April 1990 as an F-111G Formal Training Unit (FTU) squadron for the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing. Reassigned to the 27th Operations Group in 1991 when the wing implemented the USAF Objective Wing organization.
Received F-111Fs in June 1992 as a result of the retirement of the F-111s from USAFE, the aircraft being transferred to Cannon from RAF Lakenheath, England, upgrading the 27th Fighter Wing. Inactivated in October 1995 as part of the phaseout of the F-111 from the inventory.

Reactivated in September 1998 as an F-16C/D training squadron for the PEACE CARVIN III initiative. When reactivated the 428th was a hybrid US Air Force/Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 Fighter Squadron manned by highly experienced USAF instructor pilots, maintenance and support personnel. The squadron operated 12 RSAF-owned Block 52, F-16C/Ds. With approximately 25 USAF personnel and 140 RSAF personnel, the unit was responsible for continuation training of Singapore personnel in rapid deployment and tactical employment of the F-16 throughout a wide spectrum of missions including air-to-air, joint maritime and precision air-to-ground weapons delivery. Inactivated on 5 Jul 2005 with the phaseout of the F-16 at Cannon, and the base being transferred to Air Force Special Operations Command.

Reactivated in May 2009 at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho as a F-15SG Strike Eagle fighter training squadron, part of the Peace Carvin V program for the RSAF.

Lineage

  • Constituted 428th Fighter Squadron on 26 May 1943
Activated on 1 Aug 1943
Inactivated on 7 Dec 1945.
  • Re-designated 428th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 25 Jun 1952
Activated on 10 Jul 1952
Re-designated 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958
Inactivated 15 November 1966
Re-activated 15 September 1968
Inactivated on 30 Jun 1989
  • Re-designated 428th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 20 Mar 1990
Activated on 2 Apr 1990
Re-designated 428th Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991
Inactivated on 12 Oct 1995
  • Activated on 15 Sept 1998
Inactivated on 5 Jul 2005
  • Activated on 18 May 2009.

Assignments

  • 474th Fighter Group, 1 Aug 1943-7 Dec 1945
  • 474th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 Jul 1952-22 November 1954
Attached to 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Apr 1953-22 Nov 1954
  • 474th Fighter-Bomber Group, 13 Dec 1954 – 1 Jul 1958
Attached to 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing 8 Oct 1957-1 Jul 1958
  • 474th Fighter-Bomber (later Tactical Fighter) Wing
    474th Tactical Fighter Wing
    The 474th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time....

    , 1 Jul 1958–15 Nov 1966; 15 Sep 1968—30 July 1973
  • 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Jul 1973-21 Jun 1975
  • 474th Tactical Fighter Wing
    474th Tactical Fighter Wing
    The 474th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time....

    , 21 Jun 1975-30 Jun 1989
  • 27th Tactical Fighter (later, 27th Fighter) Wing
    27th Fighter Wing
    The 27th Special Operations Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command...

    , 2 Apr 1990
  • 27th Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991-12 Oct 1995; 15 Sept 1998-5 Jul 2005
  • 366th Operations Group
    366th Operations Group
    The 366th Operations Group is the flying component of the 366th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.-Overview:...

    , 18 May 2009-Present

Operational Components

  • Detachments: 1 (Nellis AFB, NV): 20 Jan 1968-1 Jan 1969
Detached and deployed at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 17 Mar-c. 21 Nov 1968

Stations

  • Glendale Airport, California, 1 August 1943
  • Van Nuys Airport
    Van Nuys Airport
    Van Nuys Airport is a public airport located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley section of the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States. No major commercial airlines fly into this airport; it is used by private, chartered, and small commercial aircraft...

    , California, 11 October 1943
  • Oxnard Flight Strip, California, 5 January – 6 February 1944
  • RAF Warmwell
    RAF Warmwell
    RAF Warmwell was a Royal Air Force station near Warmwell in Dorset, England from 1937 to 1946, located about 5 miles east-southeast of Dorchester; 100 miles southwest of London....

     (AAF-454), England, 12 March 1944
  • Saint-Lambert Airfield
    Saint-Lambert Airfield
    Saint-Lambert Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-Lambert in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....

     (A-11), France, 6 August 1944
  • Saint Marceau Airfield
    Saint Marceau Airfield
    Saint Marceaul Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-Marceau in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France....

     (A-43), France, 29 August 1944
  • Peronne Airfield (A-72), France, 6 September 1944
  • Florennes/Juzaine Airfield (A-78), Belgium
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

    , 1 October 1944
  • Strassfeld Airfield
    Strassfeld Airfield
    Strassfeld Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located in Germany, about 5 miles east-northeast of Euskirchen ; approximately 310 miles southwest of Berlin.-History:...

     (Y-59), Germany, 22 March 1945
  • Langansalza Airfield (R-2), Germany, 22 April 1945
  • AAF Station Schweinfurt, Germany, 16 June 1945
  • AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen, Germany, 25 October – 21 November 1945
  • Camp Kilmer
    Camp Kilmer
    Camp Kilmer, New Jersey 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 Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...

    , New Jersey
    New Jersey
    New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

    , 6–8 December 1945
  • Misawa AB, Japan, 10 July 1952
  • Kunsan Air Base
    Kunsan Air Base
    Kunsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is at the town of Gunsan about 150 miles south of Seoul. The town can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan...

     (K-8), South Korea
    South Korea
    The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

    , 10 July 1952
  • Taegu Air Base (K-2), South Korea
    South Korea
    The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

    , 1 April 1953 – 22 November 1954

  • Clovis AFB, New Mexico
    New Mexico
    New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

    , 13 December 1954 – 15 November 1966
Deployed to: Toul-Rosières Air Base
Toul-Rosieres Air Base
Toul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...

, France (1 April - 28 September 1957)
Deployed to: Incirlik Air Base
Incirlik Air Base
The Incirlik Air Base is located in İncirlik, five miles east of Adana, Turkey's fifth largest city, and from the Mediterranean Sea.The U.S...

, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 (16 February - 19 June 1959)
Deployed to: Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...

, Okinawa (31 May - 23 June 1960)
Deployed to: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey (2 October 1961 - 15 February 1962)
Deployed to: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey (9 January - 14 April 1963)
Deployed to: Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 (12 February - 8 May 1964)
Deployed to: Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...

, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...

 (24 November 1964 - 13 March 1965)
  • Nellis AFB, Nevada, 15 Sep 1968-30 Jul 1973
Deployed to: Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, (8 January - 29 July 1973)
  • Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 30 Jul 1973-12 Jul 1974
  • Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 12 Jul 1974-21 Jun 1975
  • Nellis AFB, Nevada, 21 Jun 1975-30 Sept 1989
Deployed at Ramstein AB, West Germany, 27 Aug-26 Sept 1987
  • Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 11 Sept 1992-22 Jun 1993
  • Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 2 Apr 1990-12 Oct 1995, 5 Sept 1998-5 Jul 2005
  • Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 18 May 2009-Present


Aircraft

  • P-38 Lightning
    P-38 Lightning
    The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...

    , 1943-1945
  • F-84 Thunderjet
    F-84 Thunderjet
    The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...

    , 1952-1954
  • F-86 Sabre
    F-86 Sabre
    The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...

    , 1955-1957
  • F-100 Super Sabre
    F-100 Super Sabre
    The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...

    , 1957-1965
  • General Dynamics F-111
    General Dynamics F-111
    The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...

    , 1969-1977

  • F-4 Phantom, 1977-1982
  • F-16 Fighting Falcon
    F-16 Fighting Falcon
    The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

    , 1982-1989, 1998-2005
  • General Dynamics F-111
    General Dynamics F-111
    The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...

    , 1990-1995
  • F-15SG Strike Eagle, 2009-Present
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK