312th Fighter Squadron

312th Fighter Squadron
312th Fighter Squadron
	312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron F-16D
Active	1942–1944; 1984–1991; 2023–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
Insignia
Patch with 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron emblem
312th Fighter Squadron emblem
1984–1991 Tail Code	LF

Last updated February 10, 2024

The 312th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Its last previous assignment was with the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke, where it was inactivated on 18 January 1991. Upon inactivation, the squadron's personnel, equipment and aircraft were transferred to the 311th Fighter Squadron.

History

World War II

The squadron was activated as part of the 338th Fighter Group at Dale Mabry Field, Florida in July 1942.^[1]^[2] The 312th initially flew the Bell P-39 Airacobra.^[1]

The squadron's mission was to act as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews following their graduation from flight school.^[3] In June 1943, the 338th Group began a split organization and the 312th and 441st Fighter Squadrons moved to Perry Army Air Field, Florida,^[1]^[4] while group headquarters and the other two squadrons remained at Dale Mabry Field.^[2]^[5]^[6] After September 1943, the group focused on Republic P-47 Thunderbolt training, although the squadron had some P-40s in 1944.^[1]^[2]

However, the Army Air Forces was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system for its training bases in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.^[7] The squadron was disbanded in May 1944,^[1] and its personnel, equipment and mission transferred to the 342d AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter).

Tactical Air Command

The 312th was reconstituted, designated the 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and reactivated by Tactical Air Command at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in October 1984^[8] as the first General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon training squadron in the USAF. The squadron once again acted as a replacement training unit. It was initially equipped with new Block 25 Fighting Falcons, but it converted to new Block 42 planes in 1990. Its aircraft carried "LF" tail code with a black tail stripe outlined in red. It was inactivated in 1991^[8] and most of its aircraft reassigned to 308th, 309th and 310th Fighter Squadrons.

Air Combat Command

On 1 June 2023, the squadron was activated and redesignated as the 312th Fighter Squadron as an F-35A Lightning II training unit, primarily training F-35 crew for the Belgian Air Component at Luke Air Force Base.^[8]

Lineage

Constituted as the 312th Fighter Squadron on 16 Ju1y 1942

Activated on 22 Ju1y 1942

Disbanded on 1 May 1944

Reconstituted and redesignated 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 May 1984

Activated 1 October 1984

Inactivated on 18 January 1991

Redesignated 312th Fighter Squadron on 2 May 2023

Activated on 1 June 2023^[8]

Assignments

338th Fighter Group, 22 July 1942 – 1 May 1944
58th Tactical Training Wing, 1 October 1984 – 18 January 1991
56th Operations Group, 1 June 2023 – present^[8]

Stations

Dale Mabry Field, Florida, 22 Ju1y 1942
Perry Army Air Field, Florida, 13 Jun 1943 – 1 May 1944
Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 October 1984 – 18 January 1991
Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 June 2023 – present^[8]

Aircraft

Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942–1943
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1944^[9]
General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 1984–1991
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, 2023 -

Related Research Articles

The 53rd Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat Command.

The 312th Aeronautical Systems Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active in June 2010 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where it was a component of Air Force Materiel Command.

The 61st Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, conducting Pilot training.

The 302d Fighter Squadron is part of the Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor conducting an air superiority mission.

The 311th Fighter Squadron (Sidewinders) is part of the 54th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico which is a geographically separated unit under the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training. The squadron previously operated the Fighting Falcon conducting advanced fighter training at Luke and was inactivated due to budget constraints after the end of the Cold War. It was recently reactivated at Holloman and the aircraft were received from the 309th Fighter Squadron.

The 170th Fighter Squadron is an inactive unit of the Air National Guard. It was last assigned to the 183rd Fighter Wing located of the Illinois Air National Guard at Capital Airport Air National Guard Station, Springfield, Illinois. The 170th last flew the Block 30 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. It was inactivated on 30 September 2008.

The 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force fighter squadron. Its last assignment was with the 405th Tactical Training Wing, being inactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on 19 November 1990.

The 418th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group, and stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where it was activated on 1 October 2021.

The 338th Bombardment Group is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was last active with Continental Air Command at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois on 27 June 1949. It was first activated during World War II as the 338th Fighter Group and served primarily as a training unit until it was disbanded in 1944. The group was reconstituted in the reserves in 1947, but was inactivated when military spending was reduced in 1949.

The 560th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 12th Flying Training Wing of the United States Air Force based at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. It operates the Northrop T-38 Talon.

The 15th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida and assigned to the 753rd Test and Evaluation Group. It was first activated in the expansion of the United States military forces prior to World War II as the 15th Pursuit Squadron. It moved to Panama in 1942, where it participated in the defense of the Panama Canal. It returned to the United States, where it was a Replacement Training Unit for fighter pilots until 1944, when it was disbanded as the 15th Fighter Squadron in a reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944

<span class="mw-page-title-main">562nd Flying Training Squadron</span> Military unit

The 562nd Flying Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was part of the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, where it operated the Boeing T-43 Bobcat conducting navigator training from 1993 until inactivating on 19 November 2010.

The 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Hahn Air Base, Germany. The squadron was inactivated on 15 May 1991.

The 461st Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron, assigned to the 412th Operations Group of Air Force Materiel Command, and is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The Squadron performs flight testing on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

The 387th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 312th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it was inactivated on 18 February 1959.

The 477th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was assigned to the 312th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cannon Air Force Base. New Mexico, where it was inactivated on 18 February 1959, when it transferred its personnel and equipment to another squadron. It flew North American F-100 Super Sabres and deployed to support NATO forces in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">388th Electronic Combat Squadron</span> Inactive US Air Force unit

The 388th Electronic Combat Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 366th Fighter Wing, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

The 338th Combat Training Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 55th Operations Group, stationed at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska. The 338 CTS performs the initial, requalification, and upgrade training as the RC-135 "Rivet Joint", "Cobra Ball", and "Combat Sent" Formal Training Unit (FTU).

The 314th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 54th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it was activated on 6 July 2015.

The 441st Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was formed by the consolidation of the 941st Forward Air Control Squadron, which was attached to the 507th Tactical Control Group at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina until 12 January 1954 and the 441st Fighter Squadron, a Replacement Training Unit that operated in Florida during World War II, until it was disbanded in a reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944.

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

↑ Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16D Block 25 Fighting Falcon, serial 83-1175. Although marked as "F-16D No. 1", it was the second Block 25 F-16D. The plane was later transferred to the Arizona Air National Guard. Baugher, Joe (10 June 2023). "1983 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
↑ Approved 17 February 1944. Description: On a medium blue disc, border yellow, edged black, a caricatured red scorpion, holding and firing forward three aerial machine gunsproper while leaving a curved vapor trail light turquoise blue stretching back to sinister chief, all in front of a large white cloud formation, edged black in chief and a smaller white cloud formation in sinister base.

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 379
1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 217–218
↑ Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p 546
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 369
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 370
↑ Goss, p. 75
1 2 3 4 5 6 Lahue, Melissa (11 June 2023). "Factsheet 312 Fighter Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
↑ Aircraft through 1944 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 217–218

Bibliography

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

Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Goss, William A. (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Rogers, Brian. (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16D Block 25 Fighting Falcon, serial 83-1175. Although marked as "F-16D No. 1", it was the second Block 25 F-16D. The plane was later transferred to the Arizona Air National Guard. Baugher, Joe (10 June 2023). "1983 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 22 July 2023.

[2] Approved 17 February 1944. Description: On a medium blue disc, border yellow, edged black, a caricatured red scorpion, holding and firing forward three aerial machine gunsproper while leaving a curved vapor trail light turquoise blue stretching back to sinister chief, all in front of a large white cloud formation, edged black in chief and a smaller white cloud formation in sinister base.

[Maurer312FS-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 379

[Maurer338FG-4] 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 217–218

[5] Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi

[Maurer441FS-6] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p 546

[Maurer305FS-7] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 369

[Maurer306FS-8] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 370

[9] Goss, p. 75

[312FSfacts-10] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lahue, Melissa (11 June 2023). "Factsheet 312 Fighter Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 21 July 2023.

[11] Aircraft through 1944 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 217–218

[lower-alpha 1]

[lower-alpha 2]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]