43d Electronic Combat Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 43d Electronic Combat Squadron (41 ECS) is a component of the United States Air Force
355th Operations Group, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
, Arizona
.
The squadron flies the EC-130H aircraft, a specially configured version of the Air Force’s proven C-130 transport. To execute its unique missions, the aircraft were modified with electronic countermeasures systems, specialized jamming equipment, the capability to aerial refuel, as well as upgraded engines and avionics. Modifications made to the aircraft vary between the two squadrons, to help each squadron meet its specific mission-oriented needs.
The squadron then switched yet again. As a combat mapping squadron, the unit's aircrews flew over Japanese held islands photographing and mapping the terrain and enemy positions. The 86th prepared the way for the taking of the Marshall Islands, Wake, Saipan. Guam, and Iwo Jima. Finally, in 1944, the squadron made the first photographic mosaics of Tokyo. The squadron was redesigned as the 43rd Reconnaissance Squadron (long range photographic) in 1945 then was deactivated in 1946. In January 1954, the 43rd was again activated, this time at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The squadron's aircrews flying RB-57 and RB-66 aircraft, accomplished a night photographic mission. The unit was deactivated in 1959.
Redesigned, the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, the unit was activated June 6, 1986, at Sembach Air Base, Germany. It served in Europe until 1991, then came to Davis-Monthan AFB and the 355th, May 1, 1992, as the sister squadron to the 41st. The 43rd earned a combat streamer for its duties in World War I and six more for missions flown in the Pacific during World War II.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
355th Operations Group, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Overview
Along with the 41st ECS, the unit accomplishes the Compass Call mission, providing vital capabilities in the realm of electronic warfare for the Air Force and are poised for immediate deployment to specific theater contingencies. The unit’s combat mission is to support tactical air, ground and naval operations by confusing the enemy’s defenses and disrupting its command and control capabilities.The squadron flies the EC-130H aircraft, a specially configured version of the Air Force’s proven C-130 transport. To execute its unique missions, the aircraft were modified with electronic countermeasures systems, specialized jamming equipment, the capability to aerial refuel, as well as upgraded engines and avionics. Modifications made to the aircraft vary between the two squadrons, to help each squadron meet its specific mission-oriented needs.
History
The 43rd ECS has a long and varied history beginning Aug. 17, 1917, as the 86th Aero Squadron. It served as part of the zone of advance in France during the latter part of World War I. Then in 1935, it was an observation squadron operating as part of the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama. Beginning Dec. 7, 1941, the squadron conducted patrols over the Hawaiian islands.The squadron then switched yet again. As a combat mapping squadron, the unit's aircrews flew over Japanese held islands photographing and mapping the terrain and enemy positions. The 86th prepared the way for the taking of the Marshall Islands, Wake, Saipan. Guam, and Iwo Jima. Finally, in 1944, the squadron made the first photographic mosaics of Tokyo. The squadron was redesigned as the 43rd Reconnaissance Squadron (long range photographic) in 1945 then was deactivated in 1946. In January 1954, the 43rd was again activated, this time at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The squadron's aircrews flying RB-57 and RB-66 aircraft, accomplished a night photographic mission. The unit was deactivated in 1959.
Redesigned, the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, the unit was activated June 6, 1986, at Sembach Air Base, Germany. It served in Europe until 1991, then came to Davis-Monthan AFB and the 355th, May 1, 1992, as the sister squadron to the 41st. The 43rd earned a combat streamer for its duties in World War I and six more for missions flown in the Pacific during World War II.
Lineage
- Organized as 86th Aero Squadron on 17 August 1917
- Demobilized on 26 May 1919
- Reconstituted, and consolidated (1 December 1936) with 86th Observation Squadron, which was constituted and activated on 1 March 1935
- Inactivated on 1 September 1936
- Activated on 1 February 1940
- Redesignated: 86th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 26 February 1942
- Redesignated: 86th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
- Redesignated: 86th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bomber) on 31 May 1943
- Redesignated: 86th Combat Mapping Squadron on 13 November 1943
- Redesignated: 43d Reconnaissance Squadron, Long Range, Photographic, on 16 June 1945
- Inactivated on 22 February 1946
- Redesignated 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night-Photographic, on 14 January 1954
- Activated on 18 March 1954
- Redesignated: 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo-Jet, on 8 April 1956
- Inactivated on 18 May 1959
- Redesignated 43d Electronic Combat Squadron on 6 June 1986
- Activated on 1 October 1986
- Inactivated on 31 July 1991
- Activated on 1 May 1992.
Assignments
- Unknown, 17 August 1917-September 1918
- Advanced Air Service Depot, September 1918-March 1919
- Unknown, March-26 May 1919
- Air Corps Tactical School, 1 March 1935-1 September 1936
- Hawaiian Department, 1 February 1940
- Hawaiian (later, Seventh) Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, November 1940 - AAF, Pacific Ocean Areas (later, US Army Strategic Air Forces), 24 October 1944
- Attached to VI Air Service Area Command, 24 October 1944-14 September 1945
- Detachment attached to 4th Reconnaissance Group4th Reconnaissance GroupThe 4th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force and was stationed at Clark Field, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 January 1946....
, June-August 1945
- US Army Forces, Middle Pacific, 14 September 1945
- Attached to 7th Fighter Wing to 22 February 1946
- Twentieth Air ForceTwentieth Air ForceThe Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
, 18 September 1945 - Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, 1 January-22 February 1946 - 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 March 1954
- 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958-18 May 1959
- Twentieth Air Force
- Attached to 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, c. 1 February-7 April 1959
- 66th Electronic Combat Wing, 1 October 1986-31 July 1991
- 355th Operations Group, 1 May 1992–present
Stations
- Kelly Field, TX, 17 August 1917
- Scott FieldScott Air Force BaseScott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
, IL, 24 September 1917 - Garden City, New YorkGarden City, New YorkGarden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
, 26 February-5 March 1918 - Shoreham by Sea, England, 25 March-11 August 1918
- St Maixent, France, 15 August 1918
- RomorantinRomorantinRomorantin is a traditional French variety of white wine grape, that is a sibling of Chardonnay. Once quite widely grown in the Loire, it has now only seen in the Cour-Cheverny AOC. It produces intense, minerally wines somewhat reminiscent of Chablis....
, France, c. 25 August 1918 - VavincourtVavincourtVavincourt is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, France, 4 September 1918 - BehonneBehonneBehonne is a commune in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in north-eastern France....
, France, 18 September 1918 - BordeauxBordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France, c. 9 March 1919-unkn - Camp Lee, VA, c. 23–26 May 1919
- Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, AL, 1 March 1935-1 September 1936 - Wheeler Field, TH, 1 February 1940
- Bellows Field, TH, 15 March 1941
- Hilo Airport, TH, June 1942
- Wheeler Field, TH, 17 August 1942-c. 28 June 1944
- Detachment operated from KwajaleinKwajaleinKwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
, May-June 1944, and from Eniwetok, June-August 1944- SaipanSaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, 8 July-6 November 1944
- Saipan
- Air echelon, less Eniwetok detachment, at Wheeler Field, TH, to October 1944, and at Kahuka AAB, TH, from October 1944
- Kahuka AAB,(Hawaii, Northern Oahu Island) TH, 24 November 1944
- Detachment operated from Puerta Princesa, PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, June-August 1945- Wheeler Field, TH, February-22 February 1946
- Shaw AFB, SC, 18 March 1954-18 May 1959
- Sembach AB, Germany, 1 October 1986-31 July 1991
- Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1 May 1992–present
Aircraft
- Included O-19 during period 1935-1936
- In addition to O-47, 1940–1943,
- B-18 BoloB-18 BoloThe Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
, 1942–1943, - included Martin B-12, 1940–1942,
- O-49, 1941–1942;
- and A-20 Havoc, A-24 Banshee, Taylorcraft L-2Taylorcraft L-2-External links:***-See also:...
, Aeronca L-3Aeronca L-3|-See also:-External links:* * *...
, Culver PQ-8, and AT-23 Marauder, 1943 - Principally F-7?, 1944–1945
- RB-57, 1954–1956
- RB-66, 1956–1959
- EC-130H Compass CallEC-130H Compass Call-See also:- External links :* * * * * *...
, 1987–1991; 1992–present