26th Weapons Squadron

26th Weapons Squadron
Emblem of the 26th Weapons Squadron
Active	1940–Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	UAS Training

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

Lineage

• Constituted 26th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) November 20, 1940

Activated on January 15, 1941

Redesignated: 26th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on March 12, 1941

Redesignated: 26th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942

Inactivated On December 13, 1945

• Activated on October 15, 1946

Redesignated: 26th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on February 1, 1950

Inactivated on April 9, 1959.

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, i October 1957
• 6200th Air Base Wing, June 5, 1958 – April 9, 1959.

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California, January 15, 1941
• March Field, California, June 10, 1941 – January 11, 1942
• Karachi, India, March 13, 1942
• Dinjan, India, October 10, 1942
• Kunming, China, c. October 7, 1943

Detachments operated from: Nanning, China, c. March 8 – November 1944

Detachments operated from: Liangshan, China, May – June 20, 1944

Detachments operated from: Kweilin, China, June 20–30, 1944

Detachments operated from: Poseh, China, January 1945

Detachments operated from: Liangshan, China, January and March 1945

Detachments operated from: Laohokow, China, January–February 1945

• Nanning, China, August 1, 1945
• Loping, 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.

Aircraft

• P-40 Warhawk, 1941–1944
• P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1946–1947
• F-80 Shooting Star, 1947–1953
• F-86 Sabre, 1953–1959

Operational history

Combat in CBI, October 15, 1942 – August 1, 1945. Air defense for the Ryukyus, and replacement training, September 1950 – July 1953. Air defense of the Philippine Islands, 1955–1959.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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