| 148th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 148th Fighter Squadron 4-aircraft F-16 formation | |
| Active | 1943-1945; 1947-1952; 1952-1967; 1985-present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch | Air National Guard |
| Role | Foreign Military Sales pilot training |
| Part of | 162d Fighter Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Tucson Air National Guard Base, Tucson, Arizona. |
| Nickname | "Kickin' Ass" |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation |
| Insignia | |
| 148th Fighter Squadron emblem |  |
| 148th Fighter Squadron emblem |  |
| 148th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem |  |
| Tail code | Arizona state flag tail stripe "AZ" |
The148th Fighter Squadron is a unit of theArizona Air National Guard162d Fighter Wing located atTucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona. The 148th is equipped with theBlock 20 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon. The squadron was first organized in England during World War II, moving to North Africa shortly after the invasion. It participated in combat in theMediterranean Theater of Operations, where it earned aDistinguished Unit Citation. The squadron returned to the United States afterV-E Day and was inactivated.
In 1946, the squadron was redesignated the148th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard. It was organized the following year. The squadron wasmobilized for theKorean War, serving as anair defense unit until 1952, when its personnel and equipment were transferred to a regular squadron and the unit returned to state control. In the mid-1950s, its home station proved too small to accommodate jet fighters, so its role changed toairlift and it became the140th Air Transport Squadron. The squadron moved toOlmsted Air Force Base, where it was stationed until 1967, when it was replaced by the193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron.
The 148th Fighter Squadron specializes in the training of F-16 pilots for foreign air forces which have purchased the aircraft via the Foreign Military Sales program.
The squadron was first activated as the347th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1942 atRAF Bushey Hall, England, moving toRAF Duxford for operations. It was initially part of toVIII Fighter Command, equipped with a mixture of United States personnel reassigned from the31st and52d Fighter Groups, and Americans transferred from theRoyal Air Force (RAF) who had volunteered to join the RAF prior to the United States entry into the European War.
Thesquadron was initially equipped with export/Lend-Lease version of theBell P-39 Airacobra, designated Airacobra I by the RAF, and P-400 by the AAF, with additional aircraft that had been sold to France that been impounded by the British after theFall of France. The squadron deployed to French Morocco and became part ofTwelfth Air Force where the unit engaged in combat during theNorth African Campaign. It was briefly equipped withLockheed P-38 Lightnings from June to Sept 1943. Each squadron of the350th Fighter Group was assigned two P-38s to intercept and destroy high flyingLuftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft sent to photograph the allied invasion fleet gathering along the North African coast for theOperation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.
The squadron re-equipped withRepublic P-47D Thunderbolts in January 1944 and engaged in combat during Italian campaign. It also covered Allied landings on Elba in June 1944 and supported theinvasion of southern France in August. Returned to Italy and fought in Po Valley, 1944–1945 until the end of the European War in May 1945.
The squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
In May 1946, the347th Fighter Squadron was redesignated the148th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine and allotted to thePennsylvania Air National Guard unit. The 148th was stationed atReading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania and equipped withNorth American F-51D Mustangs.
In February 1951 the squadron was called to active duty and redesignated the148th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. It was assigned to the113th Fighter-Interceptor Wing and moved toDover Air Force Base, Delaware[1] as part ofAir Defense Command (ADC) with an air defense mission for Southeastern Pennsylvania andPhiladelphia. In September the squadron upgraded to jet propelled and air interceptradar equippedLockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft.[1]
However, ADC was experiencing difficulty under the existingwing base organizational structure in deploying itsfighter squadrons to best advantage.[2] Accordingly, in February 1952, it inactivated the113th Wing and its elements and reassigned the 148th to the4710th Defense Wing,[3] which was organized on a regional basis. On 1 November 1952 the 148th was returned to the control of the State of Pennsylvania[1] and its personnel, equipment and mission were transferred to the46th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was simultaneously activated at Dover.[4]
The 148th returned to the Pennsylvania guard and its F-51s. With the end of the line for the Mustang in USAF service, theUnited States Air Force, in an effort to upgrade to an all jet fighter force, required Air National Guardair defense units to upgrade to jet-powered aircraft. The Reading Airport Commission and National Guard authorities found themselves in a conflict over the use of Reading Municipal Airport for tactical jet operations.
However, the National Guard Bureau's and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's desire to retain the unit brought a new mission and a numeric designation to the organization, the squadron was redesignated the140th Air Transport Squadron on 1 July 1956 using propeller-drivenCurtiss C-46 Commando aircraft. In 1961, the squadron moved toOlmsted Air Force Base, assuming anaeromedical evacuation mission and converted toLockheed C-121 Constellations. In the Spring of 1964, the 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron's mission and designation changed to 140th Air Transport Squadron and the Air National Guard operation at Olmsted expanded to agroup, with the formation of the 168th Air Transport Group. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 168th Material Squadron (later replaced by the 168th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 168th Supply Squadron), 168th Support Squadron, and the 168th USAF Dispensary. These units were located atOlmsted Air Force Base and operated theLockheed C-121 Constellation. In 1966 the group became the 168th Military Airlift Group.
Threatened by the closure of Olmsted (now Harrisburg Air National Guard Base) and by the downsizing of all conventionally powered transport aircraft, the National Guard Bureau volunteered the unit for a psychological warfare capability named "Coronet Solo" in 1967.[5][6] The 168th Military airlift Group and its components were inactivated and its resources were transferred to the new193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Group, becomingTactical Air Command's first tacticalelectronic warfare unit that was not an active duty unit. Tactical Air Command replacedMilitary Airlift Command as its mobilization gaining command, although the unit continued to operate the C-121s of the old 168th Group until November 1977, when its last C-121C was flown to theMilitary Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center atDavis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.[7]
Designation transferred by theNational Guard Bureau to theArizona Air National Guard on 15 October 1985 and redesignated as the148th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron.
Assigned to the162d Tactical Fighter Training Group atTucson International Airport, Arizona. The 148th TFTS was tasked with pilot training for the foreign air forces as part of theForeign Military Sales program, although the squadron has also been tasked with training F-16 crew for the USAF and the Air National Guard both advanced and beginner training. Through the years numerous countries have detached personnel to receive advanced training by the squadron.
The first to make use of these was theRoyal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). Training used a mix of USAF F-16 as well as some Dutch F-16s. Eventually a total of eight RNLAF F-16s were on hand. These Dutch aircraft were hard to tell apart from the USAF as they had the same markings and were the same blocks. In 1991, the squadron was officially tasked with a NATO F-16 training mission which was not much of a departure from the norm. The squadron was re-designated as the 148th Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1992 and the training role continued. By May 1995 all the RNLAF F-16s had departed Tucson for their native country.
In 2003 another contract was signed that included detaching foreign F-16s. These new F-16s would be the E/F models of theUnited Arab Emirates Air Force. It wasn't until 2 September 2004 that UAE students were able to train with the F-16E/F when it arrived at Tucson. Most pilots came fromMirage 2000 or the Hawk. The first class of graduates was made complete in April 2005. During the course of 2010 these aircraft returned to the UAE to form a new fighter squadron. The relationship ended on 20 October 2010 with over 100 UAE F-16 pilots trained. The last aircraft departed for UAE during December.
2010 saw a new contract with the RNLAF. The Dutch already had a detachment with the162d Fighter Squadron of theOhio Air National Guard. This unit was to lose its F-16 task and so the Dutch needed to search for another training site. The USAF then proposed the 148th FS. So an influx of Dutch F-16AM/BM airframes began December 2010. The first class of about ten pilots graduated in late April 2011.
The Dutch contingent left during August 2022 heading toBrussels South Charleroi Airport, aSABCA site atCharleroi, Belgium for storage.[8]
List of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
