498th Nuclear Systems Wing
Encyclopedia
The 498th Nuclear Systems Wing (498 NSW) is a wing
of the United States Air Force
based out of Kirtland Air Force Base
, New Mexico
. It was formerly known as the 498th Armament Systems Wing.
, and assigned to Second Air Force
. The unit was established in late 1943 at being formed as a B-29 Superfortress
Very Heavy bombardment Group. The unit was formed with four bomb squadrons (873d
, 874th
, 875th
and 876th
), all being newly-constituted.
It moved to Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas
in December 1943 to begin training. Due to a shortage of B-29s, the group was equipped with former II Bomber Command
B-17 Flying Fortresses already at Great Bend which were previously used for training heavy bomber replacement personnel. In the spring of 1944, it finally received newly-manufactured B-29 Superfortresses. In May shortages in aircraft and equipment led to the 876th Bomb Squadron being inactivated (10 May 1944), with its personnel being consolidated into other group squadrons (the 880th would be reactivated in August as part of the 383d Bombardment Group
).
The 498th Bombardment Group operated very heavy (B-29 Superfortress) bombardment aircraft against Japan as part of Twentieth Air Force
. It's aircraft were identified by a "T" and a square painted on the tail.
The group's assignments were:
(PTO) in September 1944, being assigned to the XXI Bomber Command
73d Bombardment Wing in the Northern Mariana Islands
. The Group was stationed at Isley Field, Saipan
. Upon arrival the group's personnel were engaged in Quonset hut construction. By mid-October most personnel were able to move into the huts from the initial tents in which they were accommodated on arrival. The group began operations with its first combat missions against Iwo Jima
and the Truk Islands. Took part in the first attack (24 November 1944) on Japan by AAF planes based in the Marianas. Conducted numerous attacks against industrial targets in Japan, flying in daylight and at high altitude to carry out these missions.
Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for striking an aircraft engine plant at Nagoya on 13 December 1944. Began flying missions at night in March 1945, operating from low altitude to drop incendiaries on area targets in Japan. The 498th BG received second DUC for incendiary raids. on urban industries near Kobe
and Osaka
during June 1945. Operations also included strikes against Japanese airfields during the Allied invasion of Okinawa
in April 1945. The group released propaganda leaflets over the Japanese home islands, July–August, continuing strategic bombing raids and incendiary attacks until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945.
After V-J Day, the 499th dropped supplies to Allied prisoners, participated in show-of-force missions, and flew over Japan to evaluate bombardment damage. In November 1945 the unit returned to the United States; initially being assigned to Continental Air Forces's (CAF) Fourth Air Force
at March Field, California. At March Field, the 514th Bombardment Squadron joined the group; it previously being a Fifteenth Air Force
B-24 Liberator
squadron based in Italy, having been returned to the United States in May and was undergoing B-29 Very Heavy Bomber upgrade training in Nebraska when its former assigned group, the 376th Bombardment Group, was inactivated.
In January 1945, the 498th was reassigned to the CAF Third Air Force
at MacDill Field, Florida. It later was transferred to the new Strategic Air Command
on 21 March 1946, being one of SAC's initial bombardment groups. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the group turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 4 August 1946. The 514th and 875th Bombardment Squadrons ended their service with the group that day. It's B-29 aircraft, personnel and equipment were retained, redesignated as the senior 307th Bombardment Group
. The 307th Bombardment Group
was activated at MacDill on the same day.
, Okinawa, on 16 Sep 1960. It was organized on 8 Feb 1961. It was equipped with the TM-76B Mace
Surface to Surface Missile (SSM). The Mace was a third-generation tactical USAF SSM, a follow-up of the MGM-1 Matador
which had been developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s from the World-War II-era Republic-Ford JB-2
. Two of the units World War II bomb squadrons were reactivated, the 873d and 874th Tactical Missile Squadrons to man and operate the missile sites. The Group was assigned directly to Pacific Air Forces.
The presence of the Mace missile was a sensitive matter between the United States and Japan, even though the United States still formally occupied Okinawa. The presence of the nuclear-armed Mace missile on Japanese soil was considered so sensitive that Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara directed in early 1962 that the existence of the TM-76B weapons system on Okinawa "was not to be publicized in any way." McNamara directed that the "missile, warhead section, and nose sections be transported to and from the launch sites under a canvas cover." Fearing political maneuvering and protests from Communist sympathizers on Okinawa and in Japan, the 498th TMG was directed to be "identified by initials only."
The existence of the 498th TMG was destined to be a short one, as in 1965, Secretary McNamara decided that the Army's MGM-31 Pershing missile should replace the USAF's Mace, mainly because of the Pershing's high-speed launch ability. The unit was inactivated on 8 July 1969, and the missiles returned to the United States and were expended as full-size target drones. Air Force Historical Research Agency
records give the final formal date of inactivation as 31 December 1969.
. It is responsible for sustainment of nuclear munitions
and cruise missile
s, including operation of two munitions maintenance and storage complexes (at Kirtland AFB and Nellis AFB, Nevada
) and the 498th Missile Sustainment Group at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
. This encompasses the entire scope of nuclear weapon system support functions to include sustainment, modernization and acquisition support activities for both the United States Department of Defense
and United States Department of Energy
.
The wing's groups and divisions are the 498th Missile Sustainment Division, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., the 498th Nuclear Systems Division, Kirtland AFB, the 498th Munitions Maintenance Group, Whiteman AFB, Mo., and the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
The 498th Munitions Maintenance Group squadrons perform in-depth maintenance on Air Force and Department of Energy assets from around the world. Their objective is to deliver all munitions and support to the correct location on time and in prime operating condition.
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the United States Air Force
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...
based out of Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, 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...
. It was formerly known as the 498th Armament Systems Wing.
Superfortress operations 1943-1946
The wing was initially established as the 498th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943. The group was activated on 20 Nov 1943. The group was established at Clovis Army Air Field, New MexicoNew 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...
, and assigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The 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....
. The unit was established in late 1943 at being formed as a 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...
Very Heavy bombardment Group. The unit was formed with four bomb squadrons (873d
873d Tactical Missile Squadron
The 873d Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 498th Tactical Missile Group stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.-History:...
, 874th
874th Tactical Missile Squadron
The 874th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 498th Tactical Missile Group stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.-History:...
, 875th
875th Bombardment Squadron
The 875th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 498th Tactical Missile Group stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.-History:...
and 876th
876th Bombardment Squadron
The 876th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 383d Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at Camp Anza, California on 29 December 1945.-History:...
), all being newly-constituted.
It moved to Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas 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...
in December 1943 to begin training. Due to a shortage of B-29s, the group was equipped with former II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
B-17 Flying Fortresses already at Great Bend which were previously used for training heavy bomber replacement personnel. In the spring of 1944, it finally received newly-manufactured B-29 Superfortresses. In May shortages in aircraft and equipment led to the 876th Bomb Squadron being inactivated (10 May 1944), with its personnel being consolidated into other group squadrons (the 880th would be reactivated in August as part of the 383d Bombardment Group
383d Bombardment Group
The 383d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Azna, California. It was inactivated on 3 January 1946....
).
The 498th Bombardment Group operated very heavy (B-29 Superfortress) bombardment aircraft against Japan as part of Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
. It's aircraft were identified by a "T" and a square painted on the tail.
The group's assignments were:
- 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....
, 20 November 1943 – 13 July 1944
- Attached to 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Very Heavy), 13 April – 13 July 1944
- 73d Bombardment Wing (later 73d Air Division)73d Air DivisionThe 73d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.-World War II:...
, 6 September 1944 – 4 August 1946
- 73d Bombardment Wing (later 73d Air Division)
World War II
As a three squadron group, the 498th Group was deployed to the Pacific Theater of OperationsPacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
(PTO) in September 1944, being assigned to the XXI Bomber Command
XXI Bomber Command
The XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in Guam for strategic bombing during World War II.- Lineage:* Constituted as XXI Bomber Command on 1 Mar 1944, and activated the same day.-Assignments:...
73d Bombardment Wing in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
. The Group was stationed at Isley Field, Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. Upon arrival the group's personnel were engaged in Quonset hut construction. By mid-October most personnel were able to move into the huts from the initial tents in which they were accommodated on arrival. The group began operations with its first combat missions against Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and the Truk Islands. Took part in the first attack (24 November 1944) on Japan by AAF planes based in the Marianas. Conducted numerous attacks against industrial targets in Japan, flying in daylight and at high altitude to carry out these missions.
Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for striking an aircraft engine plant at Nagoya on 13 December 1944. Began flying missions at night in March 1945, operating from low altitude to drop incendiaries on area targets in Japan. The 498th BG received second DUC for incendiary raids. on urban industries near Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
during June 1945. Operations also included strikes against Japanese airfields during the Allied invasion of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
in April 1945. The group released propaganda leaflets over the Japanese home islands, July–August, continuing strategic bombing raids and incendiary attacks until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945.
After V-J Day, the 499th dropped supplies to Allied prisoners, participated in show-of-force missions, and flew over Japan to evaluate bombardment damage. In November 1945 the unit returned to the United States; initially being assigned to Continental Air Forces's (CAF) Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
at March Field, California. At March Field, the 514th Bombardment Squadron joined the group; it previously being a Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The 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....
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
squadron based in Italy, having been returned to the United States in May and was undergoing B-29 Very Heavy Bomber upgrade training in Nebraska when its former assigned group, the 376th Bombardment Group, was inactivated.
In January 1945, the 498th was reassigned to the CAF Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
at MacDill Field, Florida. It later was transferred to the new Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
on 21 March 1946, being one of SAC's initial bombardment groups. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the group turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 4 August 1946. The 514th and 875th Bombardment Squadrons ended their service with the group that day. It's B-29 aircraft, personnel and equipment were retained, redesignated as the senior 307th Bombardment Group
307th Bombardment Group
The 307th Air Refueling Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 47th Air Division, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California...
. The 307th Bombardment Group
307th Bombardment Group
The 307th Air Refueling Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 47th Air Division, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California...
was activated at MacDill on the same day.
Pacific Air Forces 1961-1969
In the 1960s, the unit was redesignated and reactivated as the 498th Tactical Missile Group at Kadena Air BaseKadena 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, on 16 Sep 1960. It was organized on 8 Feb 1961. It was equipped with the TM-76B Mace
MGM-13 Mace
-See also:-External links:* * * * * * *...
Surface to Surface Missile (SSM). The Mace was a third-generation tactical USAF SSM, a follow-up of the MGM-1 Matador
MGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
which had been developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s from the World-War II-era Republic-Ford JB-2
Republic-Ford JB-2
The Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon was a United States copy of the German V-1 flying bomb. Developed in 1944, and planned to be used in the United States invasion of Japan , the JB-2 was never used in combat. It was the most successful of the United States Army Air Forces Jet Bomb projects during...
. Two of the units World War II bomb squadrons were reactivated, the 873d and 874th Tactical Missile Squadrons to man and operate the missile sites. The Group was assigned directly to Pacific Air Forces.
The presence of the Mace missile was a sensitive matter between the United States and Japan, even though the United States still formally occupied Okinawa. The presence of the nuclear-armed Mace missile on Japanese soil was considered so sensitive that Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara directed in early 1962 that the existence of the TM-76B weapons system on Okinawa "was not to be publicized in any way." McNamara directed that the "missile, warhead section, and nose sections be transported to and from the launch sites under a canvas cover." Fearing political maneuvering and protests from Communist sympathizers on Okinawa and in Japan, the 498th TMG was directed to be "identified by initials only."
The existence of the 498th TMG was destined to be a short one, as in 1965, Secretary McNamara decided that the Army's MGM-31 Pershing missile should replace the USAF's Mace, mainly because of the Pershing's high-speed launch ability. The unit was inactivated on 8 July 1969, and the missiles returned to the United States and were expended as full-size target drones. Air Force Historical Research Agency
Air Force Historical Research Agency
The Air Force Historical Research Agency is the repository for United States Air Force historical documents.The Agency's collection, begun during World War II in Washington, D.C., moved in 1949 to Maxwell Air Force Base, the site of Air University, to provide research facilities for professional...
records give the final formal date of inactivation as 31 December 1969.
Nuclear weapons surety 2006-present
The wing was redesignated as 498 Armament Systems Wing on 14 Feb 2006. It was activated on 31 Mar 2006. Redesignated as 498 Nuclear Systems Wing on 1 April 2009. Today the 498 NSW is a reporting unit of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons CenterNuclear Weapons Center
-Mission:The center's mission is to ensure safe, secure, and reliable nuclear weapon systems to support the National Command Structure and the United States Air Force warfighter.-History:...
. It is responsible for sustainment of nuclear munitions
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
and cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
s, including operation of two munitions maintenance and storage complexes (at Kirtland AFB and Nellis AFB, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
) and the 498th Missile Sustainment Group at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. This encompasses the entire scope of nuclear weapon system support functions to include sustainment, modernization and acquisition support activities for both the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
.
The wing's groups and divisions are the 498th Missile Sustainment Division, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., the 498th Nuclear Systems Division, Kirtland AFB, the 498th Munitions Maintenance Group, Whiteman AFB, Mo., and the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
The 498th Munitions Maintenance Group squadrons perform in-depth maintenance on Air Force and Department of Energy assets from around the world. Their objective is to deliver all munitions and support to the correct location on time and in prime operating condition.