3200th Proof Test Group

3200th Proof Test Group
	Republic XR-12 Rainbow 44-91002 being tested by the 3200th Proof Test Group
Active	1948-1953
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Testing

Last updated March 05, 2019

The 3200th Proof Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active with the Air Armament Center, based at Eglin AFB, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 July 1953.

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 September 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the fourth in order of precedence. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. The Air Force articulates its core missions as air and space superiority, global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

The Air Armament Center (AAC) was an Air Force Material Command (AFMC) center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, responsible for development, acquisition, testing, and deployment of all air-delivered weapons for the U.S. Air Force. Weapon systems maintained by the center included the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, High-speed anti-radiation missile, HARM Targeting System, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Joint Direct Attack Munition, Miniature Air-Launched Decoy, Sensor Fuzed Weapon, and the Small Diameter Bomb. The Air Armament Center was inactivated as an AFMC center on July 18, 2012, and its functions merged into the former 96th Air Base Wing at Eglin AFB. The new organization was renamed as the 96th Test Wing the same day as a subordinate command of the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

History

Established by the Air Armament Center at Eglin AFB in 1948, being formed from the 3200th Air Transport Test Squadron, and taking over the mission of the World War II 1st Proving Ground Group. During its existence, the units mission was heavily classified. Mission was service testing, training and demonstrations of weapons systems under development. Was equipped with B-50 Superfortress, F-80 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet, F-86 Sabre, B-45 Tornado, Hughes XF-11, Republic XF-12 Rainbow, SA-16 Albatross, C-119 Flying Boxcar, Hughes XH-17 Helicopter and other systems. The group operated a climate-controlled hangar to test aircraft in arctic cold conditions to desert and subtropical humid heat.

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

The 1st Proving Ground Group is a disbanded United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last active with the Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, based at Eglin Field, Florida, where it was disbanded on 1 April 1944. The unit's personnel/equipment/mission was taken over by the 610th Army Air Forces Base Unit and 611th AAF Base Unit.

The Hughes XF-11 was a prototype military reconnaissance aircraft, designed and flown by Howard Hughes and built by Hughes Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces. Although 100 F-11s were ordered in 1943, only two prototypes and a mockup were completed. During the first XF-11 flight in 1946, Howard Hughes crashed the aircraft in Beverly Hills, California. The production aircraft had been canceled in May 1945, but the second prototype was completed and successfully flown in 1947. The program was extremely controversial from the beginning, leading the U.S. Senate to investigate the F-11 and the Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat in 1947–1948.

In the spring of 1949 launched Republic-Ford JB-2 missiles from underneath the wings of B-36 Peacemaker aircraft. About a year later, JB-2s were tested as aerial targets for experimental infrared gunsights, being launched from Wagner Field (Formerly: Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #1) as part of project MX-544.

The Republic-Ford JB-2, also known as the KGW and LTV-N-2 Loon, was a United States copy of the German V-1 flying bomb. Developed in 1944, and planned to be used in the United States invasion of Japan, the JB-2 was never used in combat. It was the most successful of the United States Army Air Forces Jet Bomb (JB) projects during World War II. Postwar, the JB-2 played a significant role in the development of more advanced surface-to-surface tactical missile systems such as the MGM-1 Matador and later MGM-13 Mace.

Wagner Field,, is a component of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It is located northeast of the main base, 13.9 miles northeast of Valparaiso, Florida.

The fourth F-82B Twin Mustang (44-65163) was fitted with retractable pylons under the outer wings capable of mounting 10 High-Velocity Air Rockets (HVAR) each, which folded into the wing undersurface when not in use. This installation was not adopted on later models, the standard "tree" being used instead. The 13th aircraft (44-65171). was experimentally fitted with a center wing mounted pod housing an array of recon cameras, and was assigned to the 3200th Photo Measurement and Analysis Squadron, being designated, unofficially, the RF-82B (the aircraft designation changed to F-82 in 1948).^[1]

An F-84 Thunderjet was modified by the 3200th Fighter Test Squadron to carry 32 six-inch HVARs and was used for ground attack tests on concrete structures, armored vehicles and bridges.

Other testing included operational suitability of TM-61 Madador guided missile for tactical operations, testing of YH-12 helicopter to develop tactics and techniques to be used in assault helicopter operations, and tests involving operational suitability of B-47 Stratojets. Participated in the National Air Race at Detroit, Michigan in 1951, winning the Bendix Trophy flying an F-86 Sabre.

Inactivated in July 1953, mission, personnel and equipment reassigned to new 3206th Test Group.

Lineage

Established as 3200th Proof Test Group and activated, 1 July 1948

Inactivated on 1 July 1953.

Assignments

Air Armament Center, 1 July 1948
550th Guided Missiles Wing, 26 April-11 December 1950
3200th Proof Test Wing, 1 April 1951
Air Armament Center, 1 July 1952 – 1 July 1953

Components

3200th Air Transport Test Squadron, 16 January 1948

Re-designated 3201st Base Flight Squadron, 1–9 July 1948

3200th Fighter Test Squadron, 1 July 1948 – 1 July 1953
3200th Light Bomber Test Squadron, 1 July 1948 – 1 July 1953
3200th Medium and Heavy Bomber Test Squadron, 1 July 1948 – 1 July 1953
3200th Photo Measurement and Analysis Squadron, 1 July 1948 – 1 April 1951
3200th Photo Test Squadron, 1 April 1951 – 1 July 1953
3200th Electronics Test Squadron, 1 September 1949 – 1 July 1953
3200th Drone Squadron, 26 April 1950 – 1 July 1950; 1 December 1950 – 1 June 1951
3200th Air Base Squadron, 12 July 1951 – 1 July 1953
3200th Armament Test Squadron, 1 April 1951 – 1 July 1953
3200th Measurement and Data Reduction Squadron, 1 April 1951 – 1 July 1953

Stations

Eglin AFB, Florida, 1 July 1948 – 1 July 1953

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References

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

↑ Fighters of the United States Air Force, Robert F. Dorr and David Donald, Temple Press Aerospace, 1990.

Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989
AFHRA History 3200th Proof Test Group

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[1] Fighters of the United States Air Force, Robert F. Dorr and David Donald, Temple Press Aerospace, 1990.