26th Weapons Squadron

26th Weapons Squadron
26th WPS MQ-1 Predator UAV in flight
Active	1940–Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Training
Part of	USAF Weapons School
Garrison/HQ	Nellis AFB, Nevada
Tail Code	"WA"
Engagements	World War II (Asia-Pacific Theater)
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
26th Weapons Squadron emblem

The 26th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada

Overview

The 26th WPS is the first Unmanned Aircraft Systems Weapons Squadron, and will specialize in training and producing MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators. Missions for the 26th Weapons Squadron are flown from Nellis Air Force Base, as opposed to Creech Air Force Base, where most UAS operations are currently underway.

History

World War II

Activated at Hamilton Field, California in 1941 as a P-40 Pursuit Squadron to defend the West Coast. Deployed to the CBI in March 1942, initially arriving at Karachi, India moving via Australia and Ceylon. It was assigned to Tenth Air Force. The squadron defended the Indian terminus of the "Hump" airlift route over the Himalaya Mountains between India and China and airfields in that area, operating from the Assam Valley of northeast India. The squadron flew strafing, bombing, reconnaissance, and patrol missions in support of Allied ground troops during a Japanese offensive in northern Burma in 1943.

Moved to southeast China in October 1943, being assigned to Fourteenth Air Force. The squadron defended the Chinese end of the Hump route and air bases in the Kunming area. Attached Japanese shipping in the Red River delta of Indochina and supported Chinese ground forces in their late 1944 drive along the Salween River. Was reequipped with North American P-51D Mustangs in 1945 to defend the eastern end of the route over the Hump, and to guard air bases in the Kunming area.

They returned to India in the fall of 1945 and sailed for the United States in November. Inactivated on 13 December 1945.

Cold War

Reactivated at Yontan Air Base Okinawa in 1946 and moved to Naha AB when Yontan closed in 1947. The squadron was assigned to the Twentieth Air Force, 301st Fighter Wing. The squadron served as part of the occupation force and provided air defense for Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands until 1955, Pilots engaging in combat operations in Korean War, 1950-1953. Moved to Clark AB, Philippines in 1955, providing air defense of the Philippines until 1959 when inactivated due to budget restraints.

Modern era

MQ-9 Reaper in Afghanistan

Conducted undergraduate pilot training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, 1990–1992, flying T-38 Talons until inactivated as part of the post Cold War shutdown.

Reactivated in 2008 at Nellis AFB, Nevada as part of the USAF Weapons School, specializing in training and producing MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators.^[1]

Lineage

1950s 26th FIS Emblem

• Constituted as 26th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940

Activated on 15 Jan 1941

Re-designated: 26th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 12 Mar 1941

Re-designated: 26th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942

Re-designated: 26th Fighter Squadron on 1 Jun 1942

Inactivated on 13 Dec 1945

• Activated on 15 Oct 1946

Re-designated: 26th Fighter Squadron, Jet-Propelled, on 19 Feb 1947

Re-designated: 26th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 10 Aug 1948

Re-designated: 26th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 Feb 1950

Inactivated on 9 Apr 1959

• Re-designated 26th Flying Training Squadron on 13 Dec 1989

Activated on 19 Jan 1990. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1992

• Re-designated 26th Weapons Squadron on 18 Sep 2008

Activated on 30 Sep 2008.

Assignments

• 51st Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, January 15, 1941 – December 13, 1945
• 51st Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor) Group, October 15, 1946

Attached to: 6302d Air Base Group, September 20, 1950

Attached to: 6351st Air Base Wing, June 25, 1951

Attached to: Thirteenth Air Force, November 11, 1954

• Thirteenth Air Force, 1 October 1957
• 6200th Air Base Wing, June 5, 1958 – April 9, 1959.
• 71st Flying Training Wing, 19 Jan 1990
• 71st Operations Group, 15 Dec 1991-1 Oct 1992
• USAF Weapons School, 30 Sep 2008–Present

Stations

Hamilton Field, California, January 15, 1941 March Field, California, June 10, 1941 – January 11, 1942 Karachi Airport, India, March 13, 1942 Dinjan Airfield, India, October 10, 1942 Kunming Airport, China, c. October 7, 1943 Detachments operated from: Nanning Airfield, China, c. March 8 – November 1944 Detachments operated from: Liangshan Airfield, China, May – June 20, 1944 Detachments operated from: Kweilin Airfield, China, June 20–30, 1944 Detachments operated from: Poseh Airfield, China, January 1945 Detachments operated from: Liangshan Airfield, China, January and March 1945 Detachments operated from: Laohokow Airfield, China, January–February 1945

Nanning Airfield, China, August 1, 1945 Loping Airfield, China, September–November 1945 Fort Lewis, Washington, December 12–13, 1945 Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, October 15, 1946 Naha Airfield, Okinawa, May 22, 1947 Clark Air Base, Luzon, Philippines, July 11, 1955 – April 9, 1959. Vance AFB, Oklahoma, 19 Jan 1990-1 Oct 1992 Nellis AFB, Nevada, 30 Sep 2008–Present

Aircraft

P-40 Warhawk, 1941–1944 P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945 P-47 Thunderbolt, 1946–1947 F-80 Shooting Star, 1947–1954

F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1954–1959 T-38 Talon, 1990–1992 MQ-1 Predator, 2008–Present MQ-9 Reaper, 2008–Present

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

1. "26th weapons squadron reactivated". Retrieved 17 January 2012.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• AFHRA 26th Weapons Squadron Factsheet

External links