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453d Electronic Warfare Squadron

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453d Electronic Warfare Squadron
Boeing T-43 as flown by the squadron in the 1990s
Active1942-1945; 1949-1951; 1955-1957; 1973-1993; 2000–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleElectronic Warfare
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQKelly Field Annex, Lackland Air Force Base, TX
Motto(s)Every Crow a Tiger
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
453d Electronic Warfare Squadron emblem[a][1]
453d Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem[b][2]
453d Bombardment Squadron emblem[3]

The 453d Electronic Warfare Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 850th Spectrum Warfare Group and is stationed at Joint Base Lackland-San Antonio, Texas.

The squadron was first activated in August 1942 as the 453d Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to England, and later continental Europe, where it engaged in combat until the spring of 1945, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions during the Battle of the Bulge. Following V-E Day, it served in the occupation forces until returning to the United States, where it was inactivated in December 1945 upon arriving at the Port of Embarkation.

The squadron was activated in the reserves in June 1949. In March 1951 it was called to active duty for the Korean War. it was inactivated shortly thereafter and its personnel and equipment were used to fill out other units.

The squadron was redesignated the 453d Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated at Bunker Hill Air Force Base in August 1955. It was inactivated in September 1957, when Bunker Hill was transferred from Tactical Air Command to Strategic Air Command.

The squadron was activated in May 1973 as the 453d Flying Training Squadron, training navigators at Mather Air Force Base. It was inactivated in May 1993, in preparation for the closure of Mather as navigator training was transferred to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. It was again activated with its current designation and at its current location in July 2000.

Mission[edit]

The 453d provides electronic warfare (EW) support to Department of Defense and coalition warfighters. It provides EW support through four flights, operating to provide radio frequency (RF) and other EW analyses and create a realistic training environment for the warfighter. Its products and services are utilized in a variety of areas, including mission planning, training, and exercises.

  • The Flagging Analysis flight provides tactical comparison of current expectations to current reality to prepare warfighters to deploy and operate. It monitors worldwide threat environment to detect and identify of new or changed threat radars that may impact the performance of aircraft EW systems.
  • The Operations flight analyses active and passive RF-based Sensor, EW & Command, Control & Communications and Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance systems' performance in support of operational, acquisition, and training activities. Its Improved Many-on-Many (IMOM) family of analysis tools support mission planners with comprehensive EW & Command, Control & Communications and Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance analyses, including radar detection, threat engagement, communications & jamming, Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance collection, psychological operations broadcast, and passive detection capabilities. Additionally, the flight provides computer-based EW target sets and various other modeling and simulation-based training scenarios.
  • In 2015, The squadron's Data flight became a part of the 57th Intelligence Squadron. It developed and maintained the Combat Support Database, Blue Airborne Target Signatures Database, US Electromagnetic Systems Database, Commercial Emitter Database, and the Next-Generation Electronic Warfare Integrated Reprogramming Database.

History[edit]

World War II[edit]

Organization and training in the United States[edit]

The squadron was first activated as the 453d Bombardment Squadron at Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina on 4 August 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 323d Bombardment Group. After Phase I training at MacDill Field, Florida with Martin B-26 Marauders, the squadron trained for combat at Myrtle Beach Bombing Range, South Carolina until late April 1943, when the ground echelon departed Myrtle Beach for England, sailing on the RMS Queen Elizabeth on 5 May. The air echelon of the squadron had moved to Baer Field, Indiana in February. At Baer, it received new B-26Cs, then proceeded to the United Kingdom via the south Atlantic ferry route by June.[1][4][5]

Combat in Europe[edit]

323d Bomb Group B-26s

The squadron began operations with Eighth Air Force in July 1943 as part of the first medium altitude raid[c] on the European continent by B-26s.[5] When Ninth Air Force moved to the United Kingdom in the fall of 1943, the squadron became part of it. It attacked airports, industrial factories, marshalling yards and military targets in France and the Low Countries. During Big Week the squadron attacked Leeuwarden and Venlo Airfields. The squadron also attacked V-weapons launch sites in France.[4]

In preparation for Operation Overlord, the Invasion of Normandy, the 453d attacked coastal defenses and other targets in northwestern France. on D-Day it attacked lines of communication and fortifications on the coast. It was part of the aerial barrage during the opening stage of Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo.[4]

In late August 1944, the squadron left England for Lessay Airfield, an advanced landing ground in France. From the continent, it began flying night missions, with its first night mission against batteries near Saint-Malo. It also carried out night missions against ammunition dumps and fuel storage areas. In September, it attacked fortifications near Brest, France, and as allied forces advanced across France, toward the Siegfried Line shifted its operations primarily to targets in eastern France. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for striking transportation hubs used by the Wehrmacht to bring reinforcements to the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.[4]

The 453d flew interdiction missions in the Ruhr as the Allies drove across Germany and attacked enemy communications. It flew its last combat in April 1945, then moved to Kempten, Germany, where it participated in the program to disarm Germany. It returned to the United States in November and was inactivated at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, the port of embarkation, a day later.[1][4]

Air Force Reserve[edit]

The squadron was reactivated under Continental Air Command (ConAC) as a reserve unit at Tinker Air Force Base in June 1949, when ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system.[1] At Tinker, it trained under the supervision of ConAC's 2592d Air Force Reserve Training Center.[6] The squadron flew a mix of trainers and Douglas A-26 Invaders.[7] The unit was manned at only 25% of its normal strength.[8] All reserve combat units were mobilized for the Korean war.[9] The squadron was mobilized on 10 March 1951. Its personnel and aircraft were used as fillers for other organizations and the squadron was inactivated a week later.[1][10]

Flying training[edit]

Reformed as the 453d Flying Training Squadron at Mather Air Force Base California in 1973.[1] As part of the 323d Flying Training Wing, the 453d provided electronic warfare officer (EWO) training to newly-winged or transitioning USAF navigators destined for EWO assignments in the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Rockwell B-1 Lancer, General Dynamics EF-111 Raven, Republic F-105D Wild Weasel, McDonnell F-4G Wild Weasel IV and V, Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint, Boeing RC-135S Cobra Ball and Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent, Lockheed AC-130 Spectre, Lockheed MC-130 Combat Talon and Combat Shadow; Lockheed EC-130E Airborne Battle Command & Control Center and Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call, or other selected USAF aircraft. In 1989, the base closure commission recommended that Mather be closed. The Air Force moved its navigator training to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas and the squadron was inactivated on 31 May 1993 as Mather drew down in preparing for closing on 1 October 1993.[1][11]

Current role[edit]

The 453d Electronic Warfare Squadron is the fusion of the core EW functions from the original AF Electronic Warfare Center. It was formed from the AF Special Communications Center of Excellence's EW Effectiveness Analysis Mission (Comfy Coat).

Lineage[edit]

  • Constituted as the 453d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942
Activated on 4 August 1942
Redesignated 453d Bombardment Squadron, Medium c. 9 October 1944
Inactivated on 14 December 1945
Redesignated 453d Bombardment Squadron, Light on 10 May 1949
Activated in the reserve on 27 June 1949
Ordered to active service on 10 March 1951
Inactivated on 17 March 1951
Redesignated 453d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 9 May 1955
Activated on 8 August 1955
Inactivated on 1 September 1957
Redesignated 453d Flying Training Squadron on 28 July 1972
Activated on 1 April 1973
Inactivated on 31 May 1993
Redesignated 453d Electronic Warfare Squadron on 17 July 2000
Activated 1 August 2000[1]

.

Assignments[edit]

  • 323d Bombardment Group, 4 August 1942 – 12 December 1945
  • Unknown (probably 14th AAF Base Unit (Air Section, Boston Port of Embarkation)), 12–14 December 1945
  • 323d Bombardment Group, 27 June 1949 – 17 March 1951
  • 323d Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 August 1955 – 1 September 1957
  • 323rd Flying Training Wing, 1 April 1973 – 15 December 1991
  • 323d Operations Group, 15 December 1991 – 31 May 1993
  • 318th Information Operations Group, 1 August 2000
  • 53d Electronic Warfare Group, 18 August 2009
  • 850th Spectrum Warfare Group 25 June 2021 – present[1]

Stations[edit]

Aircraft[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Modified 8 April 2019 to put motto on top and unit designation on bottom scroll.
  2. ^ Approved 1 February 1957. Description: Over a black disc bordered Air Force yellow, a red V-shaped wedge pointing to dexter base; within the V-shaped wedge a smaller black V-shaped wedge, surmounting the wedge shaped figures and facing to dexter base, a snarling tiger's head, proper colors.
  3. ^ The 322d Bombardment Group had made two disastrous raids on targets in the Netherlands in May 1943, after which it was withdrawn from combat and trained for medium altitude operations. Freeman, p. 35.
  4. ^ Time at the Port of Embarkation is omitted in Maurer. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 559.
  5. ^ Maurer gives station as Augsburg, Germany. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 559. Gablingen Airfield is in Augsburg.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lahue, Melissa (18 April 2002). "Factsheet 453 Electronic Warfare Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  2. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 558-559
  3. ^ Watkins, pp. 100-101
  4. ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 203-204
  5. ^ a b Freeman, p. 249
  6. ^ See Mueller, p. 549 (training center station).
  7. ^ a b c d See Ravenstein, pp. 174-176 (323d Wing aircraft).
  8. ^ Cantwell, p. 74
  9. ^ Cantwell, p. 87
  10. ^ Cantwell, pp. 97, 137
  11. ^ Manning, et al., pp. 260, 277, 286
  12. ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 20.
  13. ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 25.
  14. ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 28.
  15. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 15.
  16. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 17.
  17. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 20.
  18. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 22.
  19. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 40.
  20. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 59.
  21. ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 49.
  22. ^ Station information in Laue, Factsheet, except as noted.
  23. ^ Aircraft prior to May 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 558-559, except as noted.

Bibliography[edit]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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