| 148th Fighter Wing | |
|---|---|
_(37815136312).jpg) 148th Fighter Wing F-16C Falcon | |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Minnesota |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Minnesota Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota |
| Nickname(s) | Bulldogs |
| Tail Code | Duluth |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Nathan P. Aysta |
| Insignia | |
| 148th Fighter Wing emblem |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F-16C/D Block 50 Fighting Falcon |
The148th Fighter Wing is a unit of theMinnesota Air National Guard located atDuluth Air National Guard Base,Minnesota. The 148th is unit equipped with theGeneral Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by theUnited States Air ForceAir Combat Command.
The federal mission of the 148 FW in accordance withTitle 10 USC is to maintain wartime readiness and the ability to mobilize and deploy expeditiously to carry out tactical air missions or combat support activities in the event of a war or military emergency. More specifically, the wing specializes in the Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). The MNANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U.S. military and is fully integrated with the active duty U.S. Air Force to perform its military mission.
The wing flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-seat, multipurpose fighter with the ability to fly at up to twice the speed of sound. It is capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground tactical missions. The 148th flew the F-16A from 10 March 1990, to the end of 2003. On 27 April 2010 the wing transitioned to the single seat F-16C Block 50 (and a small number of twin seat F-16D Block 50).
The MNANG's state mission underTitle 32 USC is to respond to the call of theGovernor of Minnesota in the event of natural disasters or domestic disturbances within the state of Minnesota.[1]
Today's 148th Fighter Wing can trace its roots to the 393rd Fighter Squadron, initially flying P-38Js during World War II. The 393rd flew its last mission of the war in 1945 and was inactivated.[2]
The unit was reactivated on 17 September 1948 as the 179th Fighter Squadron in the Minnesota Air National Guard at Duluth, Minn. and has grown from the original 50 members into the 148th Fighter Wing that we know today. The unit has changed aircraft several times over the years from the F-51D Mustang (flown until 1954) to the most current Block 50 F-16CM Fighting Falcon.[2]
The 148th Fighter Group was formed on July 1, 1960, when it was integrated with the179th Fighter Squadron that was previously under the command of the 133rd Fighter Wing. The same time the 148th gained alert status for the Air Defense Command mission of Duluth.[2]
From 1967 to 1983, the 148th Fighter Group transitioned from the F-102A Delta Dagger replacing the F-89J. The F-102A was upgraded to the F-101B in 1971, and the fighter remained in use until 1976.
In 1976 the 148th Fighter Group was redesignated to the 148th Tactical Reconnaissance Group after gaining F-4C Phantom II Mach-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The wing lost their old mission of air defense and changed to all weather and conditions reconnaissance. In October 1983, the 148th found itself transitioned back to the air defense role, and was renamed the 148th Fighter Interceptor Group. During this period the 148th received new aircraft from the Vietnam War, the F-4D Phantom II, tactical fighter.
On March 10, 1990, saw the wing receive their first F-16A fighters. In 1995, the 148th Fighter Group received its wing status with the addition of a detachment on alert status atTyndall AFB.[3] At the end of 2003, the 148th Fighter Wing converted to the newer Block 25 F-16C/D and end the alert detachment at Tyndall AFB.
Pilots from the 148th Fighter Wing flewcombat air patrol missions over Washington DC and New York after the terrorist attacks onSeptember 11, 2001.[4]
In April 2010, the 148th Fighter Wing received their first Block 50 F-16's from the 22nd Fighter Squadron atSpangdahlem Air Base when the squadron disbanded.[5] The wing became the first ANG wing to convert to Block 50 F-16 Falcons.[6]
During August 2012 the 148th Fighter Wing deployed toKandahar Airfield, Afghanistan for a two-month deployment in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom.[7] August 2015, the 148th deployed eight F-16s and over 120 personnel to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska for RED FLAG-Alaska 15–3.[8]
During May/June 2014 the wing sent F-16s toGraf Ignatievo Air Base,Bulgaria for the joint U.S.-Bulgarian Exercise Thracian Star.[9] April 2016 saw the wing deploy 12 aircraft and about 300 airmen to Osan Air Base for nearly four months as part of a theater security package.[10][9]
During February 2018, the wing's F-16s were responsible for providingcombat air patrols over Minneapolis duringSuper Bowl LII.[11] On April 13, 2018, the 148th deployed F-16s and personnel to an undisclosed location inSouthwest Asia for anOperation Inherent Resolve deployment. The squadron's F-16s flew more than 600 combat sorties and nearly 3,500 hours.[12][13] Aircraft and personnel returned toDuluth Air National Guard Base on July 21, 2018.[14]
In April 2019 the 148th Fighter Wing deployed nearly 180 Air National Guard Airmen and several aircraft to Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands forExercise Frisian Flag 2019.[15]
In September 2019, the wing won the National Guard Association "Spaatz trophy" and the Air Force Association's Outstanding Air National Guard Flying Unit award for the most outstanding airmanship.[16]
At 2:42pm on February 12, 2023, an F-16C operated by the 148th Fighter Wing downed anunidentified object floating above Lake Huron with an AIM9x Sidewinder missile. The aircraft was temporarily based out ofTruax Field, near Madison, Wisconsin.[17]
[18]The 148th Fighter Wing consists of the following units:
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
