19th Electronic Warfare Squadron | |
|---|---|
 SquadronRB-66 Destroyer in 1957[note 1] | |
| Active | 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1953–1970; 2021–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | electronic warfare |
| Part of | United States Air Forces in Europe |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations[1] |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron emblem[note 2][2] | _emblem.jpg) |
The19th Electronic Warfare Squadron[3] is an activeUnited States Air Force unit, stationed inBann, Germany as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe Warrior Preparation Center. It was first activated duringWorld War II as the19th Photographic Mapping Squadron. During the war, thesquadron remained in the United States and mapped areas of North America. However, starting in 1944, the air echelon of the squadron deployed to North Africa to map that area. AfterV-E Day, the squadron moved to England and mapped large areas of Europe until October 1945, when it began to stand down for inactivation. It was briefly active in thereserve from 1947 to 1949 as the19th Reconnaissance Squadron.
Redesignated the19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, the squadron reactivated in July 1953, moving to Europe the following year. In Europe, it trained and flew night photographic reconnaissance forNATO until 1966, when it returned to the United States to perform reconnaissance training. Its mission changed toelectronic warfare training as the19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron in October 1967 and it was inactivated atShaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in October 1970. The squadron was reactivated in its current role in ay 2021.
The squadron specializes in training United States service members andNATO partners to support transient fourth and fifth generation electronic warfare aircraft. It became a separatesquadron to increase manning, resources and further their combat readiness.[4]
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The 19th Photographic Mapping Squadron was activated atPeterson Field on 14 July 1942, as part of the4th Photographic Group. It was equipped withLockheed F-4 Lightnings. the group trained for overseas duty.
Reassigned to the1st Photographic Group, the squadron transferred toBradley Field,Connecticut. It deployed to Mexico to perform photographic mapping over Central and South America with long rangeBoeing F-9 Flying Fortress andConsolidated F-7 Liberator aircraft. It also performed photographic mapping of the United States while assigned to the11th Photographic Group.
Reassigned to the311th Reconnaissance Wing, the squadron moved overseas, being attached to theRoyal Air Force. It was first deployed to Africa, the squadron photographed airfields and created maps of western and central Africa in support ofAir Transport Command, developing logistical supply routes across the dark continent. It was later assigned to Egypt, mapping the Middle East with long-range aircraft including someConsolidated OA-10 Catalinas, photographing airfields, coastal defenses and ports.
Reassigned to England in April 1945, the squadron took bomb-damage assessment photographs of airfields, marshalling yards, bridges and other targets. It remained in the theater after combat ended, performing photo-mapping of Western Europe. It was inactivated atFoggia Airfield, Italy in December 1945.
The squadron was activated as the19th Reconnaissance Squadron in thereserve underAir Defense Command (ADC) atNewark Airport, New Jersey, and assigned to the66th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in November 1947.[2] It trained under the supervision of the 114th AAF Base Unit (Reserve Training) (later the 2231 Air Force Reserve Flying Training Center). It is not clear whether or not the squadron was fully staffed or equipped with tactical aircraft.[5] In 1948Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve andAir National Guard units from ADC.[6] PresidentTruman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[7] and the 19th was inactivated[2] and not replaced as reserve flying operations at Newark ceased.
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The 19th was reactivated atShaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in July 1953 as the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, part of theNinth Air Force. It was equipped withNorth American RB-45 Tornados. It trained in the United States until it was deployed toRAF Sculthorpe, England in May 1954. It was assigned toUnited States Air Force in Europe'sThird Air Force and attached to the47th Bombardment Wing. It performed tactical reconnaissance and photo-mapping missions over Western Europe and North Africa. It also conducted classified deep penetration and reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union.
The squadron upgraded toDouglas RB-66 Destroyers and replaced the obsolescent RB-45s from February 1957. It became the primary night photographic reconnaissance squadron of the USAFE, being assigned to bases in West Germany, England and France. It returned to the United States after the French withdrawal from the NATO military alliance in 1966 and became a replacement training unit for RB-66 aircrews.
In 1968, the squadron was re-equipped with EB-66B electronic countermeasures aircraft. The reconnaissance equipment was removed and replaced by electronic jamming equipment. The tail turret was also removed, automatic jamming equipment was fitted in its place. Numerous antennae protruded from the aircraft, and chaff dispensing pods were carried. Redesignated the 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron and deployed toPacific Air Forces), it was assigned to the18th Tactical Fighter Wing first in Japan, later inOkinawa. The unit flew missions over North Vietnam as electronic warfare aircraft, joining strike missions to jam enemy radar installations.
The squadron was inactivated in 1970 atKadena Air Base, Okinawa as part of the draw-down of USAF forces in Southeast Asia.
The squadron's most recent activation came in May 2021, when it replaced United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Warfare Center Detachment 3 atBann, Germany. The detachment had been established in 2019. The unit operates systems supportingPolygone, a multinationalelectronic warfare range on the German-French border. The squadron mission includesmilitary exercise participation with partner countries.[4]