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21st Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1944–1946; 1954–1959; 1972–1991; 1991–1993; 1996–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter Training |
| Part of | Air Education and Training Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Morris Air National Guard Base |
| Nickname(s) | Black Panthers (before 1959) Gamblers (after 1972) |
| Colors | Red & Black |
| Engagements | Pacific Ocean Theater |
| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt Col Javier "Ponch" Antuña[citation needed] |
| Insignia | |
| 21st Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 18 March 2008)[2] |  |
| 21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron emblem |  |
| 21st Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 5 January 1946)[3] |  |
The21st Fighter Squadron is part of the56th Operations Group atLuke Air Force Base, Arizona, however it is separately based atMorris Air National Guard Base.[4] It is aUnited States Air Force squadron that operatesTaiwan-ownedGeneral Dynamics F-16V Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting fighter and maintenance training for the pilots and maintainers of theRepublic of China Air Force.[1][5]
Prior to reforming at Luke in 1997, the 21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron operatedMcDonnell F-4E Phantom IIs atGeorge Air Force Base, California until 1993.
The 21st Fighter Squadron, 'The Gamblers', operate both the Block 20 F-16A/B and the F-16V for theRepublic of China Air Force, under a three-year pilot training program called 'Peace Fenghuang' (Chinese for Phoenix). This was the only squadron atLuke Air Force Base to operate the original F-16 variant, which are unusual in being 93 fiscal year serial new build Block 20 aircraft.
The squadron is to:[citation needed]
The unit was activated in October 1944 as a very long rangeRepublic P-47N Thunderbolt fighter-escort squadron forB-29 Superfortress units engaged in the strategic bombardment of theJapanese Home Islands. It trained under theThird Air Force in the southeast United States and deployed to thePacific Ocean Theater, moving toOkinawa in May 1945.[6]
The squadron began operations fromIe Shima Airfield in June. It engaged in dive-bombing and strafing attacks on factories, radar stations, airfields, small ships and other targets in Japan. It made several attacks on shipping and airfields in China during July. The unit flew its only escort mission on 8 August 1945 when it escorted B-29s during a raid againstYawata, Kyoto, Japan.[6]
After the end of combat in the Pacific, it remained on Okinawa as a part of the air defense and occupation force for theRyukyu Islands after the war. The unit was inactivated on Okinawa on 15 October 1946.[6]
Reactivated in August 1954 underTactical Air Command and equipped withNorth American F-86 Sabres atGeorge Air Force Base, California, the unit was re-equipped with theNorth American F-100 Super Sabre in 1956 and trained in operational proficiency as a Tactical Fighter Squadron, its aircraft carried a blue marking motif. The squadron was inactivated on 15 March 1959 for budgetary reasons, its aircraft were reassigned to the incoming31st Tactical Fighter Wing being moved fromTurner Air Force Base, Georgia.[6]
The unit was reactivated in 1972 as awild weasel tactical fighter training radar detection and suppression outfit at George, replacing the 4535th Combat Crew Training Squadron. It trained in Wild Weasel operations withMcDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs carrying the tail code "GA", upgrading to the F-4E in 1975 for aircrews who were newly assigned to the aircraft or who were returning to the aircraft from staff positions. The squadron was tasked with training pilots forPacific Air Forces and continued to do so until 1991. It was inactivated in June 1991 as part of the close of George.[6]
It was reactivated atShaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in November 1991, where it receivedFairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt IIs from the inactivating354th Fighter Wing atMyrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, the aircraft being redesignated as the OA-10A Thunderboltforward air control. It was inactivated in December 1993 along with the363d Fighter Wing when the20th Fighter Wing moved back to the United States fromRAF Upper Heyford, England, assuming the assets of the 363d FW.[6]
The squadron was reactivated in August 1996 to train ROCAF F-16A/B crews. Its outfit was correspond with the 21st Squadron, 455th Wing inChiayi Air Base, Taiwan, which was the first ROCAF unit equipped with F-16.[7] ROCAF personnel assigned to the 21st was trained at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Empty hangars were refurbished and aircrews were pulled-in from other units on base. By January 1997 several F-16A/B block 20s had been delivered and the first training flights began for the Republic of China Air Force crews. The program became known as Peace Fenghuang which is Chinese for 'Phoenix.' Twenty of these aircraft were initially made available, but the numbers have fluctuated over the years, mostly less aircraft for training.[6]
Although flying what could be considered an older version of the F-16, it is more advanced than most other Falcons being flown from Luke. As the first block 20 was only rolled off the production line atFort Worth, Texas in July 1996, these aircraft had not been tested like other blocks before going to an active training unit. Two aircraft were sent toEdwards Air Force Base, California, for testing while training continued at Luke. Because of this, in the early years the unit liaised withLockheed frequently.[citation needed]
Training in the 21st Fighter Squadron is a combination of classroom time and flying. For students, the flying involves amassing fifty flights, starting with basic maneuvers to more advanced combat in both aerial engagements and bombing tactics. A program to train instructor pilots is also in place. The first class of pilots graduated in July 1997 and the first instructor pilots graduated in June 1998.[2]
On 18 March 2008, emblem of the squadron was approved.[2] Its concept of design can be traced back to the emblem of ROCAF 21st Squadron in the mid-1950s when the unit was equipped withF-84G. MajorChen Hsing-ling, then commander of the squadron and laterChief of the ROC General Staff, came up with the idea to resemble the unit with thecard suit ofTwenty-One.[7]
The unit moved toMorris Air National Guard Base during 2022.[4]
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