53rd Wing
31st Test and Evaluation SquadronF-35 Lightning II[note 1]
Active	1941–1944; 1955–1960; 1963–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Operational test and evaluation
Size	2100
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Eglin Air Force Base
Motto	Defense by Offense (1941–1960)
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Organizational Excellence Award
Commanders
Current commander	Col. Daniel J. Lehoski
Deputy Commander	Col. Daniel J. Knerl
Command Chief Master Sergeant	CCM Randolph M. Crosslin Jr.
Notable commanders	Paul V. Hester Ronald Keys
Insignia
53d Wing emblem[note 2][1]

The53rd Wing is awing of theUnited States Air Force based atEglin Air Force Base, Florida. Thewing reports to theUnited States Air Force Warfare Center atNellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat Command.

The 53d Wing serves as the focal point for the combat air forces inelectronic warfare, armament andavionics,chemical defense,reconnaissance, and aircrew training devices. The wing is also responsible for operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) of new equipment and systems proposed for use by these air forces. Current wing initiatives include advanced self-protection systems for combat aircraft, aircrew life support systems,aerial reconnaissance improvements, new armament and weapons delivery systems, and improved maintenance equipment and logistics support. The 53d Wing, which consists of fourgroups, numbers almost 2,000 military and civilians at 17 locations throughout the United States.

The group was activated in 1941 as the53d Pursuit Group with the13th,^[3]14th,^[4] and15th Pursuit Squadrons^[5] assigned.^[6] The 53d trained fighter pilots withSeversky P-35 andCurtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft from its activation until December 1941.^[1][7] After the United States enteredWorld War II the group moved to thePanama Canal Zone to flypatrols in defense of thePanama Canal.^[1] In conjunction with the move, the group converted toBell P-39 Airacobra aircraft.^[7] There it was redesignated as the53d Fighter Group.^[6] The group returned to Florida in November 1942, where it became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) training replacementfighter pilots. RTUs were oversized units whose mission was to train individualpilots oraircrews.^[8] It used P-39s until June 1943 andRepublic P-47 Thunderbolts thereafter.^[7] In early 1943, the group added a fourth squadron, the438th Fighter Squadron.^[9]

The AAF found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.^[10] The group was disbanded in as a result of this reorganization in 1944^[1] and its personnel, equipment and mission were assumed by the 338th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter).^[11]

The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the53d Fighter Group (Air Defense) and activated^[6] to replace the521st Air Defense Group^[12] atSioux City Municipal Airport as part ofAir Defense Command's Project Arrow to bring back on the active list fighter units that had achieved memorable records in the two World Wars.^[13] The 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), already at Sioux City transferred from the 521st,^[4] while the 13th FIS moved to Sioux City to replace the519th FIS.^[3] Both squadrons flewrocket armed andradar equipped F-86D Sabres.^[14] Between August 1955 and April 1960 the 53d served as anair defense unit, participating inNorth American Air Defense Command (NORAD)exercises and testing automated air defense systems.^[1] It also was the host organization for the USAF and was assigned several support units to carry out this function.^{[15][16][17][18]} In the fall of 1957 both of the group's squadrons upgraded their Sabres to F-86L models withdata link for interception control through theSemi-Automatic Ground Environment system.^[14] In July 1959 the 13th FIS moved toGlasgow AFB, Montana and was reassigned. The group and its remaining components were inactivated in 1960.^[1] In 1985, the group was redesignated as the53d Tactical Fighter Group, but it was never active under that designation.^[1]

TheUSAF Tactical Air Warfare Center was activated in 1963 to improve use of USAF tactical aviation in support of ground forces by operationally testing weapon systems andtactics for the joint U.S. Strike Command. It employed a cross-section of tactical aircraft fromTactical Air Command (TAC) bases across the country.^[1] During theVietnam War it tested tactical weapons systems and tactics for use in Southeast Asia.^[1] After the war it continued operational testing of new tactical aviation weapon systems. In 1977 the center began an annual series of Air Force-wide exercises to improvecommand, control, communications, andintelligence (C3I) techniques.^[1] Around the same time it embarked on the electronic warfare evaluation program, and continued OT&E of aviation weapon systems for TAC and laterAir Combat Command, theDepartment of Defense, and theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization.^[1] From 1983 to present, responsible for the operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) of all Air Force aircraft/weapons systems, and providing range control for live-firing missile programs on theGulf range and aerial targets, using full scale and subscaledrones.^[1] In September 1995, the53d Tactical Fighter Group andUSAF Air Warfare Center were consolidated and the consolidated unit was redesignated as the53d Wing the following month.^[1]

In 2021 on the activation of the350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, the53rd Electronic Warfare Group was inactivated, broken up, and its units transferred to the new wing.

Group

• Constituted as the53d Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940

Activated on 15 January 1941

Redesignated as the53d Fighter Group on 15 May 1942

Disbanded on 1 May 1944

• Reconstituted and redesignated as the53d Fighter Group (Air Defense), on 20 June 1955

Activated on 18 August 1955

Discontinued on 1 April 1960

Redesignated as the53d Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 31, 1985

Consolidated with theUSAF Air Warfare Center on 25 September 1995 (consolidated unit designated the USAF Air Warfare Center)^[1]

Center

• Designated and organized as theUSAF Tactical Air Warfare Center on 1 November 1963

Redesignated as theUSAF Air Warfare Center on 1 October 1991

Consolidated with the53d Tactical Fighter Group on 25 September 1995^[1]

Consolidated Wing

• Redesignated as the53d Wing on 1 October 1995^[1]

• 22d Pursuit Wing, 15 January 1941
• 3d Interceptor (later III Fighter) Command, 2 October 1941
• Caribbean (later, Sixth) Air Force, 1 January 1942
• 26th Interceptor (later, 26th Fighter, XXVI Fighter) Command, 6 March 1942
• III Fighter Command, 26 November 1942 – 1 May 1944
• 31st Air Division, 18 August 1955
• 20th Air Division, 1 March 1956
• Kansas City Air Defense Sector, 1 January 1960 – 1 April 1960
• Tactical Air Command, 1 November 1963
• Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992
• United States Air Force Warfare Center, 1 October 1985 – present^[1]

• MacDill Field, Florida, 15 January 1941
• Dale Mabry Field,Tallahassee, Florida, 8 May 1941 – 8 December 1941
• Howard Field,Panama Canal Zone, 1 January 1942 – 10 November 1942
• Dale Mabry Field, Florida, 26 November 1942
• Drew Field,Tampa, Florida, 7 January 1943
• Fort Myers Army Air Field (laterPage Field, Florida, 6 February 1943 – 1 May 1944
• Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa, 18 August 1955 – 1 April 1960)
• Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 1 November 1963 – present^[1]

• 4485th Test Wing: 16 March 1964 – 30 June 1965

• 57th Test Group (later 53d Test Management): 1 November 1991 – 1 August 1997, 1 October 2002 – 1 October 2021^[2]
• 68th Electronic Combat Group (later 53d Electronic Warfare): 15 April 1993 - 25 June 2021
• 475th Weapons Evaluation Group (later 53d Weapons Evaluation): 23 January 1991 – present
• 753d Test and Evaluation Group: 1 October 2021 – present^[2]
• 4441st Tactical Training Group (Blue Flag) (later 41st Training Group): 1 March 1977 – 15 April 1993
• 4442d Tactical Control Group (later 505th Air Control, 505th Command and Control Evaluation): 1 March 1980 – 1 October 1997
• 4443d Test and Evaluation Group (later 79th Test and Evaluation, 53d Test and Evaluation): 1 July 1988 – present^[1]

Fighter Squadrons

• 13th Pursuit Squadron (later 13th Fighter Squadron, 13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 1 May 1944; 18 August 1955 – 1 July 1957.
• 14th Pursuit Squadron (later 14th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 1 May 1944; 18 August 1955 – 1 April 1960.
• 15th Pursuit Squadron (later 15th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 1 May 1944
• 438th Fighter Squadron: 20 February 1943 – 1 May 1944^[1]

Test Squadrons

• 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 15 April 1993
• 49th Test Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 15 April 1993
• 513th Test Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 15 April 1993
• 727th Tactical Control Squadron (Test): 1 October 1979 – 1 March 1980
• 3907th Systems Evaluation Squadron: 1 June 1992 – 15 April 1993
• 4484th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 1 October 1978 – 1 June 1984
• 4484th Test Squadron: 15 October 1983 – 1 August 1988
• 4485th Test Squadron: 12 April 1971 – 1 August 1988
• 4486th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 1 October 1985 – 1 August 1988, later 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron
• 4487th Electronic Warfare Aggressor (later 87th Electronic Warfare Aggressor) Squadron: 1 October 1990 – 15 April 1993^[1]

• 15th Test Flight: 1 March 2016 – 1 October 2021^[19]

• 53d USAF Infirmary^[15] (later 53d USAF Dispensary),^[16] 18 August 1955 – 1 April 1960
• 53d Air Base Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 1 April 1960
• 53d Materiel Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 1 April 1960^[18]
• 53d Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 8 July 1957 – 1 May 1959^[17]

Award streamer	Award	Dates	Notes
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 June 1998 – 31 May 2000	53d Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 June 2002 – 31 May 2004	53d Wing[1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 June 2004 – 31 May 2006	53d Wing[1]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 January 1981 – 1 January 1983	53d Wing[1]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	28 February 1984 – 28 February 1986	USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center[1]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 March 1986 – 28 February 1988	USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center[1]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 January 1989 – 31 December 1990	USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center[1]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 January 1992 – 31 December 1993	USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center[1]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 January 1994 – 30 April 1995	USAF Air Warfare Center[1]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Antisubmarine	7 December 1941 – 10 November 1942	53d Pursuit Group (later 53d Fighter Group)[1]

Explanatory notes

Citations

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

• Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1956.
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980).A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980(PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 23 November 2006. Retrieved4 May 2012.
• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955).The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.LCCN 48003657.
• Hagendorn, Dan (1995).Alae Supra Canalem: Wings Over the Canal. ingram Publishing Services.ISBN 978-1563111532.
• 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.LCCN 61060979. 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.LCCN 70605402.OCLC 72556. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Rogers, Brian (2005).United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications.ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

• 53d Wing Home Page

• Military units and formations in Florida
• Composite wings of the United States Air Force
• Military units and formations established in 1941
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
• Military units and formations established in 1955
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1960
• Military units and formations established in 1963

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