46th Test Wing
F-35 on display during its first visit to Eglin and the 46th Test Wing
Active	1941–1944, 1975–1982, 1992–2012
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army  United States Air Force
Role	Developmental Test and Evaluation
Mottos	Custos LibertateLatin (Guardian of Liberty) 1942–1944 Support 1975–1983 Proof by Trial 1993–2012
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
46th Test Wing emblem[note 1][1]
Patch with 46th Aerospace Defense Wing emblem[note 2][2]
46th Bombardment Group emblem[note 3][3]

The46th Test Wing is an inactivewing of theUnited States Air Force last based atEglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing's 46th Test Group was a tenant unit atHolloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

The wing's history dates from 1941, when theArmy Air Forces (AAF) activated the46th Bombardment Group. The group served in the early period of the United States' involvement inWorld War II flyingantisubmarine missions over the Gulf of Mexico. It then served as a training unit until being disbanded in 1944 in a general reorganization of AAF units.

The46th Aerospace Defense Wing replaced the 4600th Air Base Wing to provide administrative and logistic support to headquarters elements ofAir Defense Command andNorth American Air Defense Command atEnt Air Force Base,Peterson Air Force Base, and theCheyenne Mountain Complex. It was inactivated in 1983.

The wing and group were consolidated into a single unit in 1984, but remained inactive until 1992, when the consolidated unit was activated at Eglin as the46th Test Wing. The wing managed test and development at Eglin and at Holloman until 2012 when its functions were combined with those of the96th Air Base Wing in a reorganization ofAir Force Materiel Command.

Media related to46th Test Wing (United States Air Force) at Wikimedia Commons

The wing executed developmental test and evaluation for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation, and guidance systems, command and control systems and Air Force special operations systems.^[4]

The wing was activated as the46th Bombardment Group (Light) and in 1941, equipped withDouglas A-20 Havoc aircraft.^[3] Its operationalsquadrons were the50th,^[5]51st,^[6] and 53d Bombardment Squadrons,^[7] and the 8th Reconnaissance Squadron.^[8] Shortly after activation in 1941, the 8th Reconnaissance Sq mission changed and it became the 87th Bombardment Squadron.^[8] The 46th participated inmaneuvers, including desert maneuvers,^[9] and flewanti-submarine warfare patrol and search missions over theGulf of Mexico in early 1942.^[3] It also served as an operational training unit,^[3] which involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres for "satellite groups."^[10] In late 1943 the group mission changed to replacement training of individualpilots andaircrews (RTU).^[3][10] Just before disbanding, the group began to convert toNorth American B-25 Mitchells.^[5][6][7][8] In 1944, the group was disbanded and its personnel, equipment and functions transferred to the 333d AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment)^[11] atMorris Field in a major reorganization of theArmy Air Forces in which RTUs were disbanded and training activities given to base units.^[12]

In March 1975,46th Aerospace Defense Wing was activated to replace the 4600th Air Base Wing atPeterson Field, where it took over the personnel, equipment, and of the 4600th and its mission of administering facilities ofNorth American Air Defense Command (NORAD),Aerospace Defense Command (ADC), and Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) located onEnt Air Force Base,Peterson Air Force Base, and theCheyenne Mountain Complex, plus various other nearby off-base facilities,^[13] which the 4600th wing had been performing fromEnt Air Force Base, then from Peterson Field since April 1958.^[14] Despite its name, the wing was a "disguised" air base wing.^[15] Although the provision of administrative andlogistics support was the wing's primary mission, its flying training squadron served NORAD and ADC mission requirements and provided flying training for cadets at theUnited States Air Force Academy until 1 October 1979,^[13] when ADC was inactivated and the wing transferred to the4th Air Division ofStrategic Air Command.^[1] In April 1983, the 46th was inactivated and replaced by the1st Space Wing.^[16]

The 46th was redesignated as the46th Test Wing and replaced the3246th Test Wing atEglin Air Force Base, Florida in October 1992.^[1] It designed and performed flight and ground developmental tests with uniquely modified aircraft and facilities for conventionalweapons andelectronic combat systems.^[1] The wing also supported otherDepartment of Defense components and numerous allied nations during test and exercises and managed the largest test range in the free world.^[1] Weapons systems recently tested by the wing include theSmall Diameter Bomb,Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System,Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Target Void Sensing Fuze,Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), and theTrident Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.^[17] The wing worked closely with the53d Wing ofAir Combat Command, which performed operational testing of many of the same weapons systems.^[17]

In February 2012, the wing relocated itsUH-1N helicopters from Eglin toDuke Field in anticipation of a 250 percent increase inhelicopter developmental test programs.^[18] The wing mission transferred to the96th Air Base Wing, which was redesignated as the 96th Test Wing on 18 July 2012.^[19] The 46th Test Wing was subsequently inactivated on 1 October 2012.

Bombardment Group

• Constituted as the46th Bombardment Group (Light) on 20 November 1940^[3]

Activated on 15 January 1941^[3]

Disbanded on 1 May 1944^[3]

• Reconstituted and consolidated with the46th Aerospace Defense Wing as the 46th Aerospace Defense Wing on 31 January 1984^[1]

Wing

• Constituted as the46th Aerospace Defense Wing on 10 February 1975^[13]

Activated on 15 March 1975^[13]

Inactivated on 1 April 1983^[13]

• Consolidated with the46th Bombardment Group (Light) on 31 January 1984^[1]
• Redesignated46th Test Wing on 24 September 1992^[1]

Activated on 1 October 1992.^[1]

Inactivated on 1 October 2012

• Air Force Combat Command, 15 January 1941^[1]
• V Air Support Command (later, Ninth Air Force), 1 September 1941^[1]
• Third Air Force, 18 April 1942^[1]
• XII Bomber Command, 2 May 1942^[1]
• III Bomber Command, 8 May 1942^[1]
• Second Air Force,ca. 8 July 1942^[1]
• I Ground Air Support Command, c. 10 November 1942^[1]
• III Air Support Command, 25 January 1943^[1]
• III Bomber Command, 6 August 1943 – 1 May 1944^[1]
• Aerospace Defense Command, 15 March 1975^[13]
• 4th Air Division, 1 October 1979 – 1 April 1983^[1]
• Air Force Development Test Center (later,Air Armament Center), 1 October 1992 – 1 October 2012 (attached toAir Force Test Center after 18 July 2012)^[1]

Groups

• 46th Logistics Group (later 46th Maintenance Group):ca. 8 September 1993 – 1 October 2012 (attached to 96th Test Wing after 18 July 2012)
• 46th Operations Group: 8 September 1993 – 1 October 2012 (attached to 96th Test Wing after 18 July 2012)^[20]
• 46th Range Group 11 May 2006 – 1 October 2012 (attached to 96th Test Wing after 18 July 2012)
• 46th Test Group: 1 October 1992 – 1 October 2012 (attached to 96th Test Wing after 18 July 2012)^[21]

Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico

• Army Air Base, Savannah, Georgia, 15 January 1941^[3]
• Bowman Field, Kentucky, 20 May 1941^[3]
• Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 2 February 1942^[3]
• Galveston Municipal Airport, Texas, 1 April 1942^[3]
• Blythe Army Air Base, California, 23 May 1942^[3][24]
• Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 10 November 1942^[3]
• Drew Field, Florida, 9 October 1943^[3]
• Morris Field, North Carolina, 6 November 1943 – 1 May 1944^[3]
• Peterson Field (later, Air Force Base), Colorado, 15 March 1975 – 1 April 1983
• Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 1 October 1992 – 18 July 2012

Award streamer	Award	Dates	Notes
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 July 1975–30 June 1977	46th Aerospace Defense Wing[13]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 July 1977–30 June 1979	46th Aerospace Defense Wing[13]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 1992-31 December 1992	46th Test Wing[1][note 4]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 1992–31 December 1993	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 1994–31 December 1994	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 1995–31 December 1995	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 1997–31 December 1997	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 1998–31 December 1999	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2001–31 December 2001	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2002–31 December 2002	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2000–31 December 2000	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2003–31 December 2003	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2004–31 December 2004	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2005–31 December 2005	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2006–31 December 2006	46th Test Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2008–31 December 2008	46th Test Wing[25]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2010 – 31 December 2010	46th Test Wing[25]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Antisubmarine	7 December 1941 – 23 May 42	46th Bombardment Group[3]

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955).The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.LCCN 48003657.
• Endicott, Judy G. (1998).Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995(PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ASIN B000113MB2. Retrieved2 July 2014.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-02-1. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-405-12194-6. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 August 2023.
• Mueller, Robert (1989).Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982(PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984).Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Wilson, Art (2008).Runways in the Sand. Blythe, California: Art Wilson.ISBN 978-0-615-21889-2.OCLC 316309702.LCC D769.85.C21 B598 2008

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