42d Electronic Combat Squadron
Encyclopedia
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group
55th Electronic Combat Group
The 55th Electronic Combat Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, provides combat-ready EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational support to combatant commanders. The group is a geographically separated unit that falls under the command of the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, NE...
, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Mission
Provides the 55th Electronic Combat Group with combat ready EC-130H COMPASS CALL trained aircrews. Directs all EC-130H aircrew initial academic and flying qualification, difference and requalification training for 20 different aircrew specialties with more than 200 aircrew students trained annually. Provides registrar support to students. Maintains quality control for all aspects of contracted aircrew training and manages courseware development for 17 Air Combat Command syllabi. Provides the group with simulator support for both continuation and initial qualification training.History
Established under VIII Bomber CommandVIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
, Continental Air Forces as a very long-range strategic reconnaissance squadron. Equipped with B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombers converted into F-13 reconnaissance/mapping configuration. Was designated to operate from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, however squadron suffered from lack of personnel due to demobilization after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, never became fully operational and was inactivated in August 1946.
Cold War
Reactivated as part of the United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited 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...
in March, 1954 at Spangdahlem AB, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. Equipped with RB-26B Invader reconnaissance aircraft, painted in black to perform night reconnaissance which were transferred from the 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
The 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at RAF Alconbury, England...
when the 1st TRS received RB-57A Canberras. In 1956 the B-26s were sent to reclamation and the squadron was upgraded to the Douglas RB-66C Destroyer. The RB-66C was a specialized electronic reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures aircraft designed for jamming Soviet RADAR. It's mission was to fly with tactical fighter and fighter bomber aircraft and provide an aerial defense. An extensive suite of specialized equipment was fitted to locate and identify enemy radar emissions. Additional ECM equipment was carried in wingtip pods. Chaff dispensing pods could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles. In addition, it was fitted with a removable in flight refueling probe attached to the right side of the forward fuselage.
In 1959 the squadron moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as part of a USAFE realignment. The parent 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was assigned to RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
. A shortage of facilities at Alconbury led to the 42d being stationed at RAF Chelveston
RAF Chelveston
RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....
, about 20 miles west of Alconbury, where it remained as a detachment of the 10th TRW. In 1962 the runway at Chevelston was closed, and the squadron operated out of Toul-Rosieres AB, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where it operated for a few years as Det #1, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. On 10 March 1964, a 42d TRS RB-66C deployed to Toul was shot down over East Germany after it crossed over the border due to an instrument malfunction. The crew ejected and were taken prisoner briefly before being released.
These rotational deployments to France continued until October 1965 with the activation of the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing. Its last duty assignment was at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France.-History:...
at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base
Chambley-Bussieres Air Base
Chambley-Bussières Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, about ten miles west of the French city of Metz, and about one mile southwest of Chambley-Bussières, on the south side of the Départemental 901 ...
and the 42nd TRS being permanently assigned to the 25th TRW. With France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military organization in 1966, Chambley AB was closed and the 25th TRW was inactivated. The specially-equipped EB-66C's of the 42nd ECS and their aircrews were sent directly to 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...
for use over the skies of North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and the squadron was inactivated.
Reactivated in 1968 at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base under the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron carried out electronic warfare operations over North Vietnam, locating and identifying North Vietnamese radar sites that directed missiles and AAA fire, so that strike aircraft could avoid them. The RB-66C had no offensive capability, so it could not attack the radar sites directly. Squadron were transferred to Korat RTAFB in August 1970. Continued operations until the end of hostilities in January 1973, remained in Thailand until being inactivated in March 1974.
Reactivated in 1983 with EF-111A Ravens at RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
, England, the replacement for the Douglas EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft. Performed ECM operations for NATO aircraft. Provided electronic countermeasures to US Navy aircraft for combat in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, 15 April 1986 as part of Operation El Dorado Canyon
Operation El Dorado Canyon
The 1986 United States bombing of Libya, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps air-strikes against Libya on April 15, 1986. The attack was carried out in response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing.-Origins:Shortly after his...
. During that mission, the 42nd ECS provided three EF-111As plus two spare aircraft to jam the Libyan radar network.
Deployed flights to 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...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in 1991 as part of Operation Desert Shield; engaged in combat operations in 1991 as part of Operation Desert Storm. Eighteen EF-111A Ravens flew over 900 sorties. None were lost in combat, but one was lost in a non-combat related accident and both crew members were killed. The 42d ECS was even credited with a "kill" during Desert Storm. On the night of January 17, 1991, an Iraqi Mirage F.1 flew into the ground while chasing EF-111A serial number 66-0016. Even though the Raven was unarmed and had no air-to-air capability, the Raven crew was given credit for the kill.
Inactivated in 1992 as part of the post Cold War drawdown of the USAF, it's aircraft reassigned to the 429th ECS at Cannon AFB, New Mexico.
Modern era
Reactivated in 1994 specifically providing procedural air control via the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC).The EC-130E ABCCC consisted of seven aircraft that were used as an Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center. The EC-130E is a modified C-130 "Hercules"; aircraft designed to carry the USC-48 Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center Capsules (ABCCC III). While functioning as a direct extension of ground-based command and control authorities, the primary mission was to provide flexibility in the overall control of tactical air resources. In addition, to maintain positive control of air operations, ABCCC can provided communications to higher headquarters, including national command authorities, in both peace and wartime environments.
Inactivated in 2002. Reactivated in 2006 as part of the Global War on Terror. Provided 'schoolhouse training' for EC-130E Compass Call squadrons at Davis-Monthan AFB.
The ABCCC provided unified and theater commanders the capability for combat operations during war, contingencies, exercises, and other missions. A highly trained force of mission ready crew members and specially equipped EC-130E aircraft to support worldwide combat operations. Mission roles include airborne extensions of the Air Operations Center (AOC) and Airborne Air Support Operations Center (ASOC) for command and control of Offensive Air Support (OAS) operations; and airborne on-scene command for special operations such as airdrops or evacuations.
Lineage
- Constituted as 42d Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, on 24 October 1945
- Activated on 7 November 1945
- Inactivated on 19 August 1946
- Redesignated 42d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronics and Weather, on 11 December 1953
- Activated on 18 March 1954
- Redesignated 42d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronic, on 1 July 1965
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 22 August 1966
- Redesignated 42d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, and activated, on 15 December 1967
- Organized on 1 January 1968
- Inactivated on 15 March 1974
- Redesignated 42d Electronic Combat Squadron on 23 May 1983
- Activated on 1 July 1983
- Inactivated on 1 July 1992
- Redesignated 42d Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 24 June 1994
- Activated on 1 July 1994
- Inactivated on 30 September 2002
- Redesignated 42d Electronic Combat Squadron on 9 March 2006
- Activated on 10 March 2006.
Assignments
- VIII Bomber CommandVIII Bomber CommandThe VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
, 7 November 1945 - 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing17th Training WingThe 17th Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas...
, c. 31 January 1946 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 18 February 1946 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 31 March-19 August 1946 - 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group10th Air Base WingThe 10th Air Base Wing is a non-flying United States Air Force unit that is the host wing for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Components:...
, 18 March 1954 - 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing10th Air Base WingThe 10th Air Base Wing is a non-flying United States Air Force unit that is the host wing for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Components:...
, 8 December 1957 - 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group25th Tactical Reconnaissance WingThe 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing. Its last duty assignment was at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France.-History:...
, 1 July 1965 - 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing25th Tactical Reconnaissance WingThe 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing. Its last duty assignment was at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France.-History:...
, 1 October 1965-22 August 1966 - Pacific Air Forces, 15 December 1967
- 355th Tactical Fighter Wing355th Fighter WingThe 355th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force. It is stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where in operates the A-10 Thunderbolt II...
, 1 January 1968
- Attached to 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, c. 21 September-14 October 1970
- 388th Tactical Fighter Wing388th Fighter WingThe 388th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force. The unit is stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.-Mission:...
, 15 October 1970-15 March 1974 - 20th Tactical Fighter Wing20th Fighter WingThe 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
, 1 July 1983 - 66th Electronic Combat Wing66th Air Base WingThe 66th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Electronic Systems Center, stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
- Attached to 20th Tactical Fighter Wing20th Fighter WingThe 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
, 1 June 1985- 20th Tactical Fighter (later, 20th Fighter) Wing20th Fighter WingThe 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
, 25 January 1991-1 July 1992 - 355th Operations Group355th Fighter WingThe 355th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force. It is stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where in operates the A-10 Thunderbolt II...
, 1 July 1994-30 September 2002 - 55th Electronic Combat Group, 10 March 2006–present
- 20th Tactical Fighter (later, 20th Fighter) Wing
Stations
- Smoky Hill AAF, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 7 November 1945-19 August 1946 - Spangdahlem AB, West Germany, 18 March 1954
- RAF ChelvestonRAF ChelvestonRAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....
, England, c. 20 August 1959 - Toul-Rosières Air BaseToul-Rosieres Air BaseToul-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 August 1962
- Deployed at Chambley-Bussières Air BaseChambley-Bussieres Air BaseChambley-Bussières Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, about ten miles west of the French city of Metz, and about one mile southwest of Chambley-Bussières, on the south side of the Départemental 901 ...
, France, 15 May-9 October 1963
- Chambley-Bussières Air BaseChambley-Bussieres Air BaseChambley-Bussières Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, about ten miles west of the French city of Metz, and about one mile southwest of Chambley-Bussières, on the south side of the Départemental 901 ...
, France, 1 July 1965-22 August 1966 - Takhli RTAFB, ThailandThailandThailand , 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...
, 1 January 1968 - Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 22 September 1970-15 March 1974
- RAF Upper HeyfordRAF Upper HeyfordRAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
, England, 1 July 1983-1 July 1992 - Davis-Monthan AFB, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, 1 July 1994-30 September 2002; inactivated
Aircraft
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1945–1946 - RB-26 Invader, 1954–1957
- T/WT-33 Shooting Star 1955-1957
- RB-66 Destroyer 1956-1965
- WB-66 Destroyer 1957-1960
- B-66 Destroyer 1960-1966
- EB-66 Destroyer 1968-1974
- EF-111 Raven 'Spark-Vark' 1984-1992
- EC-130E ABCCC 1994-2002
Additional reading
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.