425th Fighter Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 425th Fighter Squadron


caption= 425th Fighter Squadron Patch
dates= 1 December 1943 - 25 August 1947
15 October 1969 - 1 September 1989
30 December 1992 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Fighter Training
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Education and Training Command
19th Air Force
56th Fighter Wing
56th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= Luke Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=


* World War II: European Campaign (1944-1945)
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
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The 425th Fighter Squadron (425 FS) is part of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.

Mission

History

Constituted as the 425th Night Fighter Squadron on 23 November 1943, and activated on 1 December, the 425th was originally assigned to the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, Orlando Air Base, Florida. The unit was reassigned, beginning on 30 January 1944, to bases in California before arriving at its first European station at RAF Chormy Down, England, 26 May 1944 as a unit of 9th Air Force. After being reassigned to various bases in England, the 425th settled at its first home base on the European Continent at Vannes, France on 18 August 1944. During the air war in Europe, the 425th flew the YP-61, A-20, P-61, and P-70 aircraft. The unit was at several locations in California between 8 September 1945 and 1 September 1946, before arriving at McChord Field, Washington. The 425th was inactivated on 25 August 1947. [http://www.luke.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5003 56 OG Fact Sheet] ]

The unit was reactivated at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona on 15 October 1969 as the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and was assigned to the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The squadron's new mission was to train aircrews from friendly nations to fly and fight in the F-5. The first F-5E Tiger II was delivered to the 425th on 6 April 1973. The 425 TFTS was reassigned to the 405th Tactical Training Wing as of 29 August 1979 and the unit was activated at Luke. In June 1989, the squadron's F-5 training program terminated after having produced 1,499 graduates and 425th was inactivated 1 September 1989.

The squadron was reactivated under the designation 425th Fighter Squadron on 30 December 1992. The squadron's current mission is to provide advanced weapons and tactics continuation training for Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16 pilots and maintenance personnel. RSAF pilots and maintenance personnel are assigned to the 425th for two years, during which they receive advanced tactics training, participate in Red Flag, shoot live missiles at Combat Archer, and deploy to locations throughout the United States to participate in composite operations and dissimilar air combat exercises.

=Operations [http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12005 AFHRA 425 FS Page] ] =

*World War II

=Lineage=

*425th Night Fighter Squadron (1943 - 1969)
*425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (1969 - 1992)
*425th Fighter Squadron (1992 - Present)

=Assignments=

*481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group (1943 - 1944)
*9th Air Force (1944, 1945 - 1946)
*IX Air Defense Command (1944)
*471st Fighter Wing (1944)
*XIX Tactical Air Command (1944 - 1945)
*Air Defense Command (1946)
*4th Air Force (1946 - 1947)
*58th Tactical Training Wing (1969 - 1979)
*405th Tactical Training Wing (1979 - 1989)
*58th Fighter Wing (1992 - 1994)
*56th Fighter Wing (1994 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Orlando Air Base, Florida (1943 - 1944)
*Hammer Field, California (1944)
*Visalia Municipal Airport, California (1944)
*RAF Charmy Down, England (1944)
*RAF Scorton, England (1944)
*RAF Stoneman Park, England (1944)
*Vannes, France (1944)
*Le Moustoiris, France (1944)
*Coulommiers, France (1944)
*Prosnes, France (1944)
*Étain, France (1944 - 1945)
*Frankfurt, Germany (1945)
*Furth, Germany (1945)
*Crepy-en-Laommis, France (1945)
*Saint-Victoret, France (1945)
*Lemoore Army Air Field, California (1945)
*Camp Pinedale, Sicily (1945 - 1946)
*March Field, California (1946)
*McChord Field, Washington (1946 - 1947)
*Williams Air Force Base, Arizona (1969 - 1989)
*Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (1992 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*YP-61 (1944)
*P-61 Black Widow (1944 - 1947)
*A-20 Havoc (1944)
*P-70 (1944)
*F-5 Freedom Fighter (1969 - 1989)
*F-16 Fighting Falcon (1993 - Present)

References

* [http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12005 USAF 425th Fighter Squadron History]
* [http://www.luke.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5003 56th Operations Group Fact Sheet]
* Northrop P-61 Black Widow--The Complete History and Combat Record, Garry R. Pape, John M. Campbell and Donna Campbell, Motorbooks International, 1991.

External links