350th Electronic Systems Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 350th Electronic Systems Wing


caption= 350th Electronic Systems Wing emblem
dates= 200x-Present
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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garrison= Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts
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The United States Air Force's 350th Electronic Systems Wing is an electronic systems support unit located at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts.

Mission

The wing develops, acquires, fields and sustains systems for C2, ISR and communication capabilities for Air Force, joint and coalition operations. It services five major commands, three U.S. services, seven combatant commanders, three national agencies, NORAD and NATO.

The 350th ELSW delivers integrated, transformational capabilities and information dominance and executes $14 billion in programs

Units

The 350th ELSW consists of three groups:

* 350th Electronic Systems Group: Acquires, fields, modernizes, integrates, standardizes and sustains unit- and theatre-level C2 warfighting capabilities to the Combined Joint Forces Air Component Commander and foreign military customers, on time and within budget. Primarily located at Hanscom AFB, Mass., a contingent of the group is also located at Langley AFB, Va. The group administers a contract budget valued at $4.1 billion per fiscal year defense plan.

* 850th Electronic Systems Group: Based out of Peterson AFB, Colo, the group acquires, fields, and sustains the warfighter's global sensing, communication and decision-making capabilities, including missile warning and defense sensors, global command and control systems, space control sensors and battle management systems. Located primarily in Colorado, there are also operating locations at Offutt AFB, Neb., Scott AFB, Ill., and Dahlgren, Va. The group administers a contract budget valued at $6.4 billion fiscal year defense plan.

* 950th Electronic Systems Group: The group develops, acquires, and integrates ISR systems to provide information superiority, kill chain and information operations capabilities for the Air Force, joint and coalition combat operations. The group leads integration and transition and fielding of highly-classified technologies to meet warfighter requirements and administers a contract budget valued at $5.4 billion fiscal year defense plan.

History

The 350th ELSW, formerly the "Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems Wing", traces its history back to the early establishment of information superiority in the United States Army Air Forces. The newly defined role of the aircraft for reconnaissance purposes resulted in the birth of multiple observation groups in the USAAF.

The "26th Observation Group", the direct lineage of the 350 ELSW, was activated Sept. 1, 1941, and assigned to the 1st Air Force. The group, stationed at Fort Devens, Mass., flew various types of missions, including photographic, reconnaissance, tow target, and coast artillery spotting. This was done in cooperation with units along the Eastern seaboard.

The group was later re-designated the 26th Reconnaissance Group, and took part in the Carolina and Tennessee Maneuvers in the fall of 1941 and 1942 in support of Army field training exercises. In both exercises, observation aircraft were used to detail strategic ground positioning and provide an opportunity to train senior commanders and staff in the operational elements of combat.

With Pearl Harbor deeply entrenched in the minds of military leaders, it was clear there was a greater need for coastal surveillance and anti-submarine patrols. The 26th Reconnaissance Group, stationed out of Reading Army Airfield, Pa., was given that responsibility for the northeastern North American sector of the Atlantic Ocean.

Various aircraft, including the O-46 and O-52 Owl, flew anti-submarine patrols off the East Coast after the United States entered WWII. Other more notable aircraft that flew reconnaissance missions with modifications to their existing frames included the P-39 and B-25, which was designated as the F-10 after being modified for photographic reconnaissance work.

The 26th Reconnaissance Group was inactivated on June 27, 1949, at its station in Buffalo, N.Y., and then re-activated in the summer of 1985. The re-designation of the group to the 350th Tactical Electronics Group took place on June 31, 1985; however, it officially remained inactive until this year.

The group has now been re-designated as the 350th Electronics Systems Wing, delivering and sustaining transformational capabilities for operational-level command, control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information dominance.

The 350th Electronics Systems Group, formerly the Operational Command and Control Systems Group, acquires and sustains operational-level command and control assets including the Air and Space Operations Center and Theater Battle Management Core Systems.

The 850th Electronic Systems Group, formerly the Combatant Commanders Command and Control Systems Group, acquires, fields and sustains the warfighter’s global sensing, communication and decision-making capabilities, including missile warning and defense sensors, global command and control systems, space control sensors and battle management systems.

The 950th Electronic Systems Group, formerly the Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group develops, acquires, and integrates Network-centric intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance information and decision-support systems to fuse data at multiple security levels for Air Force, joint and coalition warfighters.

Assignments

Major command

*Air Force Materiel Command (200x-Present)

Previous designations

*350th Electronic Systems Wing (200x-Present)
*Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems Wing (???-???)

ubordinate Units assigned

*350th Electronic Systems Group
*850th Electronic Systems Group
*950th Electronic Systems Group

Bases stationed

*Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts (200x-Present)

Weapons Systems Supported

* (???-Present)

References

[http://www.hanscom.af.mil/Hansconian/Articles/2006Arts/04282006-03.htm Hansconian Article about 350 ELSW]

External links

* [http://www.hanscom.af.mil Hanscom AFB Website]
* [http://usafengineers.com/modules.php?name=Units&file=details&id=197&unit=Electronic 350th Electronic Systems Wing]