82nd Aerial Targets Squadron

82nd Aerial Targets Squadron
82nd Aerial Targets Squadron emblem
Active	1942-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Aerial target operation
Garrison/HQ	Tyndall Air Force Base

U.S. Air Force ships of the "Tyndall Navy"

Det. 1 82nd ATRS McDonnell Douglas QF-4E-61-MC Phantom 74-1626 (AF-309) at The Wings Over Houston Airshow October 2007. This aircraft was originally retired on 24 May 1990

Det. 1 82 ATRS McDonnell Douglas QF-4E-52-MC Phantom 72-0162 (AF-310) "SCAT XXVII" at The Wings Over Houston Airshow October 2007. This aircraft was flown by Col. Robin Olds during his tour at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand and has four red stars, representing the 4 North Vietnamese MiGs shot down by Olds during the Vietnam War. It was originally retired on 16 November 1990

General Ronald E. Keys, the commander of Air Combat Command, and Lt. Col. J.D. Lee fly an 82nd ATRS McDonnell Douglas QF-4E-54-MC Phantom (72-1478, AF-312) aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean September 28, 2007, during the final flight of Key's military career.

Pilots of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, 1945

82 FIS (Air Defense Command)

The 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron (82 ATRS) is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group and stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

Overview

The 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron is the last USAF unit which flies the F-4 Phantom II, flying the QF-4C/E/G/R versions in the role of an aerial target. The 82nd ATRS also has a Detachment at Holloman AFB to fly QF-4s in support of DoD testing in the White Sands Missile Range Complex

The squadron also maintains three 120-foot drone recovery vessels and two smaller vessels to recover aerial targets and support range safety, patrol, and salvage operations. Squadron members also operate the Air Force’s only two E-9A nicknamed "Widget", the commercial version is called the de Havilland Canada DHC-8, or Dash 8.

History

The 82nd Fighter Squadron saw combat in the ETO, 13 April 1943-25 April 1945. Training, maneuvers, and air defense, April–September 1945. Part of the occupation forces in Germany, August 1946-June 1947. Air defense in United States, January 1949-March 1953 and October 1954-February 1966.

It was a fighter squadron based at Travis Air Force Base, California until 1966, when it was deployed to Naha Air Base, Okinawa. The prime aircraft of the squadron was the F-102 Delta Dagger, or "Deuce", which was the more common nickname. In order to deploy to Naha, each plane was configured with refueling probes and required extensive training. This was one of the few times, it was done to a relatively short-ranged fighter jet. In January 1968, the 82nd was scrambled to South Korea in response to the Pueblo Incident, where North Korea had seized the USS Pueblo. By late 1968, most of the unit had been deactivated.

On 1 July 1981 the 82nd Tactical Aerial Target Squadron was assigned to the 325th Fighter Weapons Wing. On 15 October 1983 the 82nd Tactical Aerial Target Squadron was transferred to the 475th Weapons Evaluation Group . It is now part of the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group.

The 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron is very unusual by the type of aircraft it operates. This squadron is the only unit left in the USAF to fly the venerable F-4 Phantom II reduced to the role of aerial targets. Located at Tyndall AFB, Fla., the 82nd ATRS is a subordinate of the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group assigned to Air Combat Command's 53rd Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla. The 53 WEG is responsible for conducting the USAF Air-to-Air Weapons System Evaluation Program known as Combat Archer from Tyndall AFB and the Air-to-Ground version known as Combat Hammer from Eglin AFB. Both bases located at short distances from each other in the Florida panhandle. During these exercises, the 82d provides drone targets such as the QF-4 in the Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) role next to the MQM-107 Streaker and BQM-34 Firebee as Sub-Scale Aerial Targets (SSAT). To perform surveillance and gather telemetry data during shooting over the Gulf of Mexico, the units uses the only two E-9A in the USAF inventory. The E-9A is a special version of the civilian DASH-8 specially equipped with a large phased-array antenna on the right side of the fuselage. The E-9A can record all data onboard and can retransmit it in real time to the ground control station. Also called "Tyndall Navy" is the Watercraft Branch of the 82 ATRS. It comprises three 120 ft drone recovery vessels designated MR-120 and two smaller vessels. These vessels are used for providing direct sea support to recover aerial targets like the MQM-107 and BQM-34, range safety patrols and salvage operations. The 82 ATRS also has a Detachment at Holloman AFB which is responsible for FSAT operations at the White Sands Missile Range near Holloman AFB, NM.

Modifications to the airframe and installation of major systems to transform the F-4 takes about four months. This includes installation of the primary and back-up Automatic Flight Control System, Command/Telemetry System, VDOPS Scoring System, Flight Termination System, Visual Enhancement System and Ancillary Subsystems.

There are two kinds of QF-4s. The first is NULLO Full-scale Aerial Targets which keep the above basic drone conversions. For the 82d, NULLO means Not Under Live Local Operation. A NULLO flight always requires at least three drones, the ones to be shot down, a spare and a manned QF-4 flying as chase plane. The second one is the manned full-scale drones fitted with advanced countermeasure systems installed by the USAF. While some of the twin-stick QF-4s retain their dual control system as trainer and both ejection seats in working orders, the other manned QF-4s have the rear cockpit ejection seat removed. All NULLO aircraft have both ejection seats removed. Noticeable differences between the twos are the six antennas from the VDOPS scoring system, the hump on top of the fuselage, a crude box on the left intake and a fairing in the left forward Sparrow well.

Lineage

• Constituted 82nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 13 January 1942

Activated on 9 February 1942

Redesignated: 82nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 22 April 1942

Redesignated: 82nd Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942

Redesignated: 82nd Fighter Squadron on 1 March 1943

Inactivated on 18 October 1945

• Redesignated 82nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine c. July 1946

Activated on 20 August 1946

Redesignated: 82nd Fighter Squadron, Jet c. November 1948

Redesignated: 82nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950

Inactivated on 31 May 1971

• Redesignated 82nd Flying Training Squadron on 14 April 1972

Activated on 1 December 1972

Inactivated on 15 June 1976

• Redesignated 82nd Tactical Aerial Target Squadron on 17 June 1981

Activated on 1 July 1981

Redesignated: 82nd Tactical Aerial Targets Squadron on 30 September 1982

Redesignated: 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron on 1 November 1991.

Assignments

• 78th Pursuit (later, 78th Fighter) Group, 9 February 1942-18 October 1945
• 78th Fighter (later, 78th Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 20 August 1946
• 4703rd Defense Wing, 6 February 1952
• 4704th Defense Wing, 13 March 1952
• 4702nd Defense Wing, 16 February 1953
• 65th Air Division, 1 April 1953
• Iceland Air Defense Force, 8 March 1954
• 528th Air Defense Group, 25 October 1954
• 28th Air Division, 18 August 1955

Attached to 78th Fighter Group, 18 October 1956-1 July 1960

• San Francisco Air Defense Sector, 1 July 1960
• Portland Air Defense Sector, 1 August 1963

Attached to 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 17 February 1966

• 26th Air Division, 1 April 1966

Remained attached to 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing to 25 June 1966

• 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 25 June 1966-31 May 1971

Attached to 314th Air Division, 30 January-20 February 1968

• 78th Flying Training Wing, 1 December 1972-15 June 1976
• 325th Fighter Weapons Wing, 1 July 1981
• 475th (later, 53rd) Weapons Evaluation Group, 15 October 1983-Current

Stations

• Baer Field, Indiana, 9 February 1942
• Muroc AAF, California, 30 April 1942
• San Diego Airport, California, 8 May 1942
• March Field, California, 3–10 November 1942
• RAF Goxhill, England, 1 December 1942
• RAF Duxford, England, 1 April 1943-11 October 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey 16–18 October 1945
• Straubing AAB, Germany, 20 August 1946-25 June 1947
• Mitchel Field, New York, 25 June 1947
• Hamilton AFB, California, 24 November 1948
• Larson AFB, Washington, 6 February 1952-7 March 1953
• Keflavik Airport, Iceland, 1 April 1953-October 1954
• Presque Isle AFB, Maine, 22 October 1954
• Travis AFB, California, 18 August 1955-25 June 1966

Deployed at Naha AB, Okinawa, 17 February-24 June 1966

• Naha AB, Okinawa, 25 June 1966-31 May 1971

Deployed at Suwon AB, South Korea, 30 January-20 February 1968

• Webb AFB, Texas, 1 December 1972-15 June 1976
• Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1 January 1978–present

Aircraft

• P-38 Lightning, 1942–1943
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944
• P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945
• F-51 Mustang, 1949–1951
• F-84D Thunderjet, 1949–1952
• F-94 Starfire, 1952–1954
• F-89D Scorpion, 1954–1955
• F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1955–1958

• F-102 Delta Dagger, 1957–1971
• T-37 Tweet, 1972–1976
• F-101 Voodoo, 1973–1982
• PQM-102 Delta Dagger (Drone), 1981–1984
• QF-102 Delta Dagger (Drone), 1981–1984
• QF-100 Super Sabre (Drone), 1983–1993
• QF-106 Delta Dart (Drone), 1991–1996
• QF-4 Phantom II (Drone), 1996–present

References

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

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982.
• USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).
• USAFHRA information sheet, 82d Aerial Targets Squadron

External links

• www.tyndall.af.mil — U.S. Air Force Fact sheet which covers the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron.