Langley Air Force Base

Infobox Airport
name = Langley Air Force Base
nativename = Part of Air Combat Command

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image-width = 250
caption = Aerial view of Langley AFB


image2-width = 200
caption2 = Location of Langley Air Force Base
IATA = LFI
ICAO = KLFI
FAA = LFI
type = Military: Air Force Base
owner =
operator = United States Air Force
location = Hampton, Virginia
built = 1916
used =
commander = • Brig. Gen. Mark A. Barrett
• Col. James R. Marrs
• Col. Mark A. McCauley
occupants = • 1st Fighter Wing
• 480th Intelligence Wing
• 192nd Fighter Wing
elevation-f = 11
elevation-m = 3
coordinates = coord|37|04|58|N|076|21|38|W|region:US_type:airport
website = [http://www.langley.af.mil/ www.langley.af.mil]
r1-number = 8/26
r1-length-f = 10,000
r1-length-m = 3,048
r1-surface = Concrete
footnotes = Sources: official website [http://www.langley.af.mil/ Langley Air Force Base] , official site] and FAAFAA-airport|ID=LFI|use=PR|own=MA|site=25815.*A, effective 2008-06-05]

Langley Air Force Base airport codes|LFI|KLFI|LFI is located three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district of the city of Hampton, Virginia, United States. It is the home of the United States Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) and the 480th Intelligence Wing (480 IW). It also hosts Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC). The base is named for aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley.

1st Fighter Wing

The 1st Fighter Wing, under various designations, has been the host unit at Langley since moving from MacDill AFB Florida on 30 June 1975. Operational squadrons of the 1st Fighter Wing are:

* 27th Fighter Squadron (F-22A)
* 71st Fighter Squadron (F-15C/D)
* 94th Fighter Squadron (F-22A)

1st Fighter Wing F-22As and F-15Cs are all tail coded "FF".

The 1st Tactical Fighter Wing (1 TFW) was the first operational unit in the Tactical Air Command (TAC) to fly the F-15A/B Eagle. In May 2005, Langley became the home of 26 F-22 Raptors assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing. In December 2005, the 94th Fighter Squadron started to convert to the F-22A . The 27th FS flew the first F-22A operational mission in January 2006 in support of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE).

On 7 August 1990, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield, was the first USAF unit to establish air superiority over Saudi Arabia. Throughout both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the wing flew more than 6,200 sorties and nearly 25,000 flying hours. The wing also recorded an aerial victory when Capt Steve Tate of the 71 FS shot down an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1.

From the end of Operation Desert Storm until the commencment of Operation Iraqi Freedom, squadrons of the 1 FW routinely deployed to Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch, or to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the northern and southern "No Fly" zones over Iraq. In 2003, the 1 FW deployed again to Southwest Asia in order to provide air superiority during actual combat operations. Deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the wing flew over 360 training and combat sorties.

Other historical firsts for the 1st Fighter Wing are:

* The first U.S. group-level unit to enter air combat.
* The first U.S. unit to destroy enemy aircraft in World War I.
* The parent unit of the first recipient of the Medal of Honor for aerial combat.
* The parent unit of the two highest scoring U.S. aces in World War I.
* The first fighter unit to deploy en masse over the North Atlantic.
* The first U.S. unit to destroy a German aircraft in World War II.
* The first U.S. jet fighter unit.

480th Intelligence Wing

At Langley, the 480th Intelligence Wing is the Air Force lead wing for Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) operations, geospatial intelligence and intelligence products for combat mission planning and execution. The 497th Intelligence Group is a warfighting unit leveraging the most robust national/DoD intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance air, space and ground systems architecture. The 497 IG also operates Deployable Ground Station-1 of the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System, projecting global vigilance and providing persistent world-class timely and tailored multi-discipline intelligence analysis to the warfighter while directing reachback/distributed operations.

History

Overview

Langley Air Force Base is the first military base built in the United States specifically for air power, having been acquired by the fledgling Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in December 1916. Major base operating units at Langley have been:

United States Air Force

Tactical Air Command
* 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 15 August 1947
** 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-80)
** 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-80)
** 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-26)

Continental Air Command
* 4th Fighter Wing, 26 April 1949 (F-80, F-86)

Tactical Air Command
* 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 September 1950
** 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-26)
* 47th Bombardment Wing, 12 March 1951 (B-26, B-45)
* 4430th Air Base Wing, 12 February 1952
* 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 May 1953 (B-26, B/RB-57, F-100)
* 4505th Air Refueling Wing, 15 January 1958 (KB-29, KB-50)
* 463rd Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1963 (C-130)
* 316th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 January 1966 (C-130)

Military Airlift Command
* 316th Tactical Airlift Wing 1975 (C-130)

Tactical Air Command / Air Combat Command
* 1st Fighter Wing, 15 April 1977 - Current (F-15A/B/C/D, F-22A)

Headquarters, Tactical Air Command (TAC) was established at Langley on 1 May 1946. Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC) replaced Tactical Air Command when TAC inactivated on 1 June 1992.

Origins

In 1916, the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor to NASA, established the need for a joint airfield and proving ground for Army, Navy and NACA aircraft. NACA determined that the site must be near water for over-water flying, be flat and relatively clear for expansion and the landing and take-off of aircraft and near an Army post. Fifteen locations were scouted before the site near Hampton was selected. In 1917, the new proving ground was designated Langley Field.

Several buildings had been constructed on the field by late 1918. Aircraft at the base at that time included the JN-4 Curtis Jenny, used by Langley's School of Aerial Photography, and the de Havilland DH-4 bomber, both used during World War I. Although short-lived, hydrogen-filled dirigibles played an important role in Langley's early history and a portion of the base is still referred to as the LTA (lighter-than-air) area.

Brigadier General Billy Mitchell led bombing runs from Langley over war prize German warships anchored off the coast of Virginia. These first successful tests set the precedent for the airplane's new role of strategic bombardment.

At the outbreak of World War II, Langley began to develop special detector equipment used in antisubmarine warfare.

On 25 May, 1946 the headquarters of the newly formed Tactical Air Command were established at Langley. The arrival of Tactical Air Command and jet aircraft marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the field, and in January 1948 Langley Field officially became Langley Air Force Base.

On 1 June, 1992, Langley became the headquarters of the newly formed Air Combat Command.

F-22 Raptor Demo Team

In addition to its usual complement of aircraft, Langley AFB is also home to the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team. This team, who travels all over the world performing different maneuvers used in air combat, is used to help recruit for the United States Air Force. Performing in airshows and other special events all around the world, the squadron is the only demonstration team in the world to use the F-22 Raptor.

Airpower over Hampton Roads

Airpower over Hampton Roads is a yearly airshow held at Langley Air Force Base each spring. Many demonstrations take place, including the F-22 Raptor Demonstration, Aerobatics, and parachute demos.

BRAC 2005

The BRAC 2005 commission recommended an expansion of Langley Air Force Base.

* The 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska would distribute 24 of 42 assigned F-15C/D aircraft to the 1st Fighter Wing.

* BRAC 2005 recommended the closure of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (ARS), NY. The Air Force Reserve Command's 914th Airlift Wing's headquarters would then move to Langley AFB as a result of this closure. This recommendation was later reversed and as of Jan 2008, the Niagara Falls ARS will remain open as home to the 914 AW and the 107th Air Refueling Wing (107 ARW) of the New York Air National Guard. Commencing in mid-2008, the 107th will change its mission to that of an airlift wing and transition from the KC-135 to the C-130H, sharing aircraft with the 914 AW.

* A realignment of base-level F-15 avionics intermediate maintenance from Langley AFB to Tyndall AFB, FL, by establishing a Centralized Intermediate Repair Facility (CIRF) at Tyndall AFB for F-15 avionics.

* DoD would establish a Combat Air Force Logistics Support Center at Langley Air Force Base by realigning Regional Supply Squadrons positions from Hickam Air Force Base and Sembach Air Base, Germany (non-BRAC programmatic) as well as base-level Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) positions from Luke Air Force Base.

* DoD would realign Fort Eustis, VA, by relocating the installation management functions to Langley AFB.

See also

* Eastern Air Defense Force (Air Defense Command)
* Virginia World War II Army Airfields

References

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/langley.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Langley AFB] (source for history)
* [http://www.langley.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3709 1st Fighter Wing fact sheet]
* [http://www.langley.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3710 1st Operations Group fact sheet]

;Bibliography
* Endicott, Judy G., "USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995". Office of Air Force History
* Maurer Maurer, "Air Force Combat Units Of World War II", Office of Air Force History, 1983
* Ravenstein, Charles A., "Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977", Office of Air Force History, 1984
* "Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982" USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989

External links

* [http://www.langley.af.mil/ Langley Air Force Base Official Homepage]
* [http://www.langleyfighter.com/ Langley Fighter] , unofficial Langley AFB newspaper
* [http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123010517 News of Langley AFB at "af.mil"]
* [http://www.langleyafb.us/ Langley Air Force Base Information] , unofficial site
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