432nd Observation Group
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The 432nd Wing is a
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
unit assigned to
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
at
Creech Air Force Base Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe. ...
near
Indian Springs, Nevada Indian Springs is an unincorporated town and a census-designated place located on U.S. Route 95 next to Creech Air Force Base in northwestern Clark County and southern Nevada. The population was 912 at the 2020 census. History The communit ...
. It flies
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, one component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS)) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomi ...
and
RQ-170 Sentinel The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has ...
Unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...
s. The group operates unmanned reconnaissance aircraft which provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets. The 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional unit assigned to
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
and is the designation for components of the 432nd Wing when deployed into combat areas as part of the Global War on Terror.


Overview

The wing is the first
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
dedicated to
unmanned aircraft An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human Aircraft pilot, pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter H ...
systems:
MQ-9 Reaper The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, one component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS)) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomi ...
and
RQ-170 Sentinel The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has ...
. The wing stood up 1 May 2007 at
Creech Air Force Base Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe. ...
, Nevada. The wing has dual reporting responsibilities to
Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
and U.S. Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT) (as the 432nd AEW) at
Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina, as well as to
Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...
and
U.S. Air Forces Southern Command The United States Air Forces Southern Command is an inactive List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force. It was headquartered at Albrook Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, Canal Zone, being ...
at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...
, Arizona. The wing has flown intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in Operations Enduring and for the
War in Iraq This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states. , style="background:#F88" , Coalition of Gulf War, Coalition victory * Kuwait, State of Kuwait resumes self-governance over all Kuwaiti sovereign territory * Esta ...
, flown by pilots and sensor operators in the United States. The 432nd is authorized 160 Predator and 60 Reapers. As of May 2007, 6 Reapers and about 85 Predators have been delivered with half of the Predators deployed forward in the
United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilit ...
area of operations. The wing is expected to fly 12 combat air missions in Iraq and Afghanistan each day.


Units

the wing is made up of the following units: * 432nd Operations Group :
11th Attack Squadron The 11th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned aerial vehicles. In 1995 the 11th became ...
- MQ-9 Reaper :
30th Reconnaissance Squadron The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron (30 RS) is a reconnaissance test squadronCree ...
- RQ-170 Sentinel :
44th Reconnaissance Squadron The 44th Reconnaissance Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force's 432nd Wing, Air Combat Command stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, where it operates unmanned aerial vehicles. The squadron is assigned to the 432nd Operations ...
- RQ-170 Sentinel : 432nd Operations Support Squadron :
489th Attack Squadron The 489th Attack Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, and operating General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. It was active at Beale Air Fo ...
- MQ-9 Reaper *
732nd Operations Group The 732nd Operations Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to Air Combat Command's 432nd Wing. Stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, the unit operates MQ-9 Reaper drones. The unit was first activated on 10 Septem ...
:
15th Attack Squadron The 15th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing, 432d Wing, 732nd Operations Group at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned aerial vehicle, remote ...
- MQ-9 Reaper :
17th Attack Squadron The 17th Attack Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 432d Wing, and stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The 17th is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper. Overview The 17th conduct ...
- MQ-9 Reaper :
22nd Attack Squadron : ''See 46th Bomb Squadron for the Strategic Air Command squadron'' The 22nd Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General ...
- MQ-9 Reaper : 732nd Operations Support Squadron : 867th Attack Squadron - MQ-9 Reaper * 432nd Maintenance Group : 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron : 432nd Aircraft Communications Maintenance Squadron : 432nd Maintenance Squadron *
25th Attack Group The 25th Attack Group is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It was activated in February 2018 as a geographically separate unit to operate unmanned aerial vehicles and is assigned to the 43 ...
: 20th Attack Squadron - MQ-9 Reaper : 25th Operations Support Squadron : 42nd Attack Squadron (dormant) : 50th Attack Squadron - MQ-9 Reaper :
89th Attack Squadron The 89th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing as a tenant unit at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It has been active as a remotely piloted aircraft (drone) squadron there since 2011. The squadron ...
- MQ-9 Reaper : 482nd Attack Squadron - MQ-9 Reaper


History


World War II

The 432nd Observation Group was activated on 22 February 1943. It served as the operational training unit (OTU) of the USAAF School of Applied Tactics at Keystone Army Air Field, Florida. The group trained and provided reconnaissance to assist fighter, bombardment, and ground units with their training. Aircraft included
Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
fighter and
Aeronca L-3 Grasshopper The Aeronca L-3 group of observation and liaison aircraft were used by the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. The L-3 series were adapted from Aeronca's pre-war Tandem Trainer and Chief models. Design and development In 1941, the U ...
light observation aircraft. The group was disbanded on 1 November 1943.


Tactical Air Command

On 23 March 1953, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at
Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina. The new group's mission was to assume the reconnaissance training mission previously carried out by the
363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing The 363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The wing is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The wing cond ...
. The group initially conducted training with two squadrons (20th, 29th) flying the
Republic RF-84F Thunderflash The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak is an American swept-wing turbojet-powered fighter-bomber. The RF-84F Thunderflash is variant of the F-84F that was designed for photo reconnaissance. The design was originally intended to be a relatively simple ...
and two squadrons (41st, 43rd) flying the
Martin RB-57A Canberra The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric ...
. In 1957, the group upgraded the 20th and 29th to the
McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration fighter) ...
, and the 41st and 43rd transitioned to the electronic warfare Douglas EB-66 Destroyer. When elevated to the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 8 February 1958, the wing operated the USAF Advanced Flying Training School, Tactical Reconnaissance. With the elevation to wing status, the 432nd TFW was realigned to a four squadron RF-101C wing (17th, 18th, 20th, 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons). From 8 February 1958 to 18 June 1959 the wing was supervised by the 837th Air Division. To reduce costs, the 432nd TRW was inactivated on 8 April 1959. The RF-101C equipped 17th and 18th TRSs were deployed to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
, being reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France and the 20th and 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons continued their training missions under the 363rd TRW.


Vietnam War

On 18 September 1966, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was activated at
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (Udorn RTAFB) is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of 23rd Wing Air Command. It is in the city of Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand and is the main airport serving the city and province. The RTAF 23 ...
, Thailand as a
RF-4C Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...
wing. The wing assumed the personnel, aircraft and equipment of the 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing, which was simultaneously discontinued. At Udon, it became one of the most diversified units of its size in the Air Force. The mission of the wing was to provide intelligence information about hostile forces through tactical reconnaissance and use its fighter elements to destroy the targets earmarked by the intelligence data provided. The wing had numerous missions in the support area. The 432nd TRW accounted for more than 80 percent of all reconnaissance activity over North Vietnam. In addition to the reconnaissance mission, the 432nd also had a tactical fighter squadron component, with two ( 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron,
555th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 555th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It operates General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting multirole air and ground missions. The squadron (aviation), squadron was first acti ...
) F-4C/D squadrons assigned. The squadrons flew strike missions over
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
and the pilots and weapon systems officers of the 13 TFS and 555 TFS were credited with MiG kills. In 1968, the
7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron The 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron is part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It operates the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, conducting airborne command and control missions. The squadron has ...
, flying specialized
Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
aircraft, became part of the 432nd. The squadron had been attached to the wing as a temporary duty unit from
Da Nang Air Base Da Nang Air Base () (1930s–1975) (also known as Da Nang Airfield, Tourane Airfield or Tourane Air Base) was a French Air Force and later Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) facility located in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam. During the Vietnam ...
, South Vietnam. Another unit assigned was the 4th Special Operations Squadron flying various (
Douglas AC-47 Spooky The Douglas AC-47 ( "Puff, the Magic Dragon") was the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium ground-attack aircra ...
and
Fairchild AC-119 Stinger The Fairchild AC-119G Shadow and AC-119K Stinger were twin-engine piston-powered gunships developed by the United States during the Vietnam War. They replaced the Douglas AC-47 Spooky and operated alongside the early versions of the Lockheed AC- ...
) gunships that supported ground units. On 19 March 1969, the wing proposed a new
forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
program to
7th Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
. Calling for photo reconnaissance in conjunction with Fast FACs, it offered the advantage of speedier fresher
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...
from aerial photo interpretation. The mission was approved, and the Wing's volunteers were trained by "Misty" and "Stormy" FACs. The first combined FAC/photo mission was flown on 26 April 1969. The Fast FAC used call sign "Falcon"; the photo recce plane used "Atlanta". The call signs "Laredo" and "Whiplash" were also sometimes used. By July, they were asked to augment the efforts of the "Tiger" FACs in the
Operation Barrel Roll Operation Barrel Roll was a covert interdiction and close air support campaign conducted in the Kingdom of Laos by the U.S. Air Force 2nd Air Division and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 between 5 March 1964 and 29 March 1973, concurrent with th ...
area of
Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
. While supporting
Operation About Face Kou Kiet (translation: Redeem Honor; also called Operation About Face) was a major Laotian Civil War victory for the anti-communist troops of the Kingdom of Laos. Patterned after prior Operation Raindance, it depended upon extensive air strikes bl ...
, they improvised mass bombings by 16 to 20
fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
s three times in September 1969. One of these mass raids inflicted heavy casualties on a concentration of about 1,000 communist troops. In November, they discovered 102 new targets; the following month, they found 172 more. To do this, they pressed lower than 4,000 feet altitude. In the last quarter of 1969, 21 of their aircraft suffered battle damage. They were then ordered to remain above 4,500 feet altitude to escape ground fire. Regardless of their operating altitude, their
bomb damage assessment Bomb damage assessment (BDA), also known as battle damage assessment, is the practice of assessing damage inflicted on a target from a stand-off weapon, most typically a bomb or air launched missile. It is part of the larger discipline of combat ...
record was triple the average for 7th Air Force units. In the fall of 1970 the wing was phased down as part of the overall U.S. withdrawal from the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
; however, in 1972 tactical fighter strength was augmented by deployed
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
CONUS-based tactical fighter squadrons being attached to the 432nd in response to the North Vietnamese invasion of South Vietnam. In addition, the
421st Tactical Fighter Squadron The 421st Fighter Squadron is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the most decorated fighter squadrons in the ...
was reassigned from
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility in central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province. Units Takhli is the home of the Royal Thai ...
. During
Operation Linebacker Operation Linebacker was the codename of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against North Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War. Its purpose was to halt or slow th ...
, between May and October 1972, the 432nd TRW had seven F-4 tactical fighter squadrons assigned or attached, (
13th In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the Musical note, note thirteen scale degrees from the root (chord), root of a chord (music), chord and also the interval (music), interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is m ...
, 56th, 308th, 414th, 421st, 523rd and 555th) making it the largest wing in the USAF. The three Vietnam era Airforce Aces all came from the 432nd – two from the 555th and one from the 13th. The CONUS-based squadrons returned to the United States in the fall of 1972. As a result of the
Paris Peace Accords The Paris Peace Accords (), officially the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam (), was a peace agreement signed on January 27, 1973, to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War. It took effect at 8:00 the follo ...
of 1973, the numbers of USAF personnel and aircraft at Udorn were reduced. The 421st TFS was inactivated in August and the 555th moved to
Luke Air Force Base Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States., effective 20 December 2007 It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, Arizona, Glendale, and west of Phoenix, Arizona, P ...
in 1974. By the spring of 1975, two operational squadrons remained, the
14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and F ...
(RF-4C) and the 13th TFS (F-4D/E). Forces from the 432nd participated in the SS ''Mayaguez'' action in May 1975, sinking two Cambodian Khmer Rouge ships. By 1975, the political climate between Washington and Bangkok had become sour and the Royal Thai Government wanted the USAF out of Thailand by the end of the year. Palace Lightning was the plan under which the USAF would withdraw its aircraft and personnel from Thailand. The 432nd TFW was inactivated on 23 December 1975. The 13th TFSs F-4E aircraft and some support personnel were reassigned to the 3rd TFW at
Clark AB Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located west of Angeles City, and about northwest of Metro Manila. It was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and, before that, the U.S. Army, from 1903 to 1991. The base cove ...
, Philippines and the F-4D aircraft and support personnel to the 18th TFW at
Kadena Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: DNA, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: RODN) is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena, Okinawa, Kadena and Chatan, Okinawa, Chatan and the ...
,
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. The 14th TRS was inactivated and the RF-4Cs were sent to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The last USAF personnel departed Udorn RTAFB on 8 January 1976.


Tactical Drone Group

The 432nd was reactivated at Davis–Monthan AFB, Arizona on 1 July 1976 as the 423nd Tactical Drone Group. The 432nd performed photographic reconnaissance to support tactical air and surface forces with tactical drones. Used AQM-34L/M/V drones, DC-130 launch vehicles, and CH-3 recovery helicopters. The group conducted follow-on testing and evaluation of the AQM-34V model drone and the initial operational testing and evaluation and developmental testing and evaluation of the DC-130H "mother ship." The 432nd also supported testing and evaluation of the BQM-34C drone at
Hill AFB Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...
,
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
. The group was inactivated in April 1979.


Pacific Air Forces

In July 1984 the 432nd was again reactivated as the 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing at
Misawa Air Base is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), List of United States Air Force installations, the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Aomori, in the northern p ...
, Japan. The 432nd controlled two
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
squadrons (13th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Squadron) and the
39th Rescue Squadron The 39th Rescue Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit of the 920th Rescue Wing (920 RQW) at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. Until December 2019, it operated the Lockheed HC-130P/N Combat King aircraft conducting search and rescue a ...
, flying the HH-60 "Pave Hawk" helicopter. The 432nd was replaced by the
35th Fighter Wing The 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The wing (military aviation unit), wing is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)'s Fifth Air Force. The wing was first activat ...
on 1 October 1994 at Misawa and again became inactive.


Air Combat Command

The wing was reactivated at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, on 1 May 2007 as the Air Force's first unmanned aircraft systems wing. It was renamed the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing in May 2008. In support of relief for the victims of the
2010 Haiti earthquake The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake that struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (departm ...
, on 27 January 2010 the wing began flying two
RQ-1 Predator The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the Predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ...
orbits over
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The me ...
with six Predators from a training unit flying out of
Rafael Hernández Airport Rafael Hernández Airport () , also referred to as the Rafael Hernández International Airport (), is an airport located in the municipality of Aguadilla in northwestern Puerto Rico. Named after the composer Rafael Hernández Marín, it is th ...
, a civilian airport in Puerto Rico, by a detachment of about 50 wing members. An additional operations group for the wing, the
732nd Operations Group The 732nd Operations Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to Air Combat Command's 432nd Wing. Stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, the unit operates MQ-9 Reaper drones. The unit was first activated on 10 Septem ...
, was constituted on 9 August 2012, and subsequently activated on 10 September 2012. It initially included three reconnaissance squadrons, the 17th, 22nd, and 30th, two of which later became attack squadrons.


Lineage

; 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group * Established as the 432nd Observation Group on 18 February 1943 : Activated on 22 February 1943 : Redesignated: 432nd Reconnaissance Group on 2 April 1943 : Redesignated: 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 11 August 1943 : Disestablished on 1 November 1943 * Reestablished on 14 January 1954 : Activated on 18 March 1954 : Inactivated on 8 February 1958 * Consolidated with the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 31 January 1984 ; 432nd Wing * Established as the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 23 March 1953 : Activated on 8 February 1958 : Inactivated on 18 June 1959 * Activated on 19 August 1966 (not organized) : Organized on 18 September 1966 : Redesignated 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing on 15 November 1974 : Inactivated on 23 December 1975 * Redesignated 432nd Tactical Drone Group on 24 May 1976 : Activated on 1 July 1976 : Inactivated on 1 April 1979 * Consolidated with the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 31 January 1984 * Redesignated 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing on 5 June 1984 : Activated on 1 July 1984 : Redesignated 432nd Fighter Wing on 31 May 1991 : Inactivated on 1 October 1994 * Redesignated 432nd Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 16 January 2002 * Returned to permanent status and redesignated 432nd Fighter Wing on 16 February 2007 * Redesignated 432nd Wing and activated on 1 May 2007


Assignments

* Air Support Department,
Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...
, 22 February – 1 November 1943 *
Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
, 18 March 1954 (attached to:
363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing The 363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The wing is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The wing cond ...
until 30 October 1955 and after 10 December 1955, attached to: 6 Air Army (Sagebrush), 31 October – 10 December 1955) * 837th Air Division, 8 February 1958 – 18 June 1959 *
Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...
, 19 August 1966 (not organized) *
Thirteenth Air Force The Thirteenth Expeditionary Air Force (13 EAF) is a provisional numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam on the island of Oahu, ...
, 18 September 1966 (attached to
Seventh Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
until c. 15 August 1973, United States Support Activities Group/Seventh Air Force until 30 June 1975) *
17th Air Division The 17th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1976. History The air division w ...
, 1 July – 23 December 1975 *
Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...
, 1 July 1976 * Tactical Training, Davis–Monthan, 1 August 1978 – 1 April 1979 *
Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...
, 1 July 1984 – 1 October 1994 * Pacific Air Forces to activate or inactivate at any time after 16 January 2002 * Twelfth Air Force, 1 May 2007 – 20 August 2020 *
Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...
, 20 August 2020 – present


Components

* Group **
25th Attack Group The 25th Attack Group is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It was activated in February 2018 as a geographically separate unit to operate unmanned aerial vehicles and is assigned to the 43 ...
: 27 February 2018 – present ** 432nd Operations Group: 31 May 1991 – 1 October 1994. 1 May 2007 – present **
732nd Operations Group The 732nd Operations Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to Air Combat Command's 432nd Wing. Stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, the unit operates MQ-9 Reaper drones. The unit was first activated on 10 Septem ...
: 10 September 2012 – present ** 4411th Combat Crew Training Group: attached 8 April – 17 May 1959 * Squadron ** 3rd Observation (later, 3rd Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron: attached 27 March – 1 November 1943 **
4th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 4th Fighter Squadron, "Fighting Fuujins" is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft, which replaced the unit's General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons in August ...
: attached 29–30 October 1972, assigned 31 October 1972 – 23 December 1975 (not operational, 7–23 December 1975) **
7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron The 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron is part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It operates the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, conducting airborne command and control missions. The squadron has ...
: 31 October 1968 – 30 April 1972 (detached entire period) ** 11th Tactical Reconnaissance, Photographic-Jet (later, 11th Tactical Reconnaissance; 11th Tactical Drone) Squadron: 25 October 1966 – 10 November 1970; 1 July 1976 – 1 April 1979 ** 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 21 October – 14 November 1967; assigned 15 November 1967 – 30 June 1975; 1 June 1985 – 31 May 1991 ** 14th Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 14th Tactical Fighter) Squadron: attached 28 October – 5 November 1967, assigned 6 November 1967 – 30 June 1975; 1 January 1987 – 31 May 1991 ** 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet: attached 8 January – 7 February 1958, assigned 8 February 1958 – 10 May 1959 (detached 6 September – 9 December 1958) ** 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet: attached 8 January – 7 February 1958, assigned 8 February 1958 – 1 June 1959. ** 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet (later, 20th Tactical Reconnaissance): 18 March 1954 – 18 May 1959 (detached 8 April – 17 May 1959); 18 September 1966 – 1 November 1967 **
22nd Tactical Drone Squadron The 22d Intelligence Squadron (22 IS) is a non-flying squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The 22 IS is one of the oldest un ...
: 1 July 1976 – 1 April 1979 **
25th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 25th Fighter Squadron is part of the US Air Force's 51st Operations Group, 51st Fighter Wing, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions. Mission ...
: 5 July 1974 – 18 December 1975 **
29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 029 may refer to: * IBM 029, a keypunch machine * 029, the telephone area code of Xi'an and Xianyang * Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a popula ...
, Photographic-Jet: 18 March 1954 – 18 May 1959 (detached 8 April – 17 May 1959) ** 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic (later, 41st Tactical Reconnaissance, Photographic-Jet; 41st Tactical Reconnaissance; 41st Tactical Electronic Warfare) Squadron: 18 March 1954 – 8 February 1958 (detached 20 October-c. 6 December 1955 and 8 January – 8 February 1958); 18 September 1966 – 15 August 1967 (detached 8–15 August 1967) ** 43rd Tactical Reconnaissance, Night Photographic (later, 43rd Tactical Reconnaissance, Night Photographic-Jet) Squadron: 18 March 1954 – 8 February 1958 (detached 8 January – 8 February 1958); attached c. 1 February – 7 April 1959 ** 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 9 May – 14 October 1972 **
307th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 307th Fighter Squadron is a McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle unit and is part of Air Force Reserve Command's 414th Fighter Group stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The mission of the 307 FS is to assist the 4th ...
: attached c. 29 July – 28 October 1972 **
308th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 308th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where it trains pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-35A. History World War II Initially established und ...
: attached c. 9 May-c. 29 July 1972 **
421st Tactical Fighter Squadron The 421st Fighter Squadron is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the most decorated fighter squadrons in the ...
: 31 October 1972 – 23 December 1975 (detached 14–23 December 1975) **
523rd Tactical Fighter Squadron The 523d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 27th Operations Group stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 17th Bombardment Squa ...
: attached 9 April – 25 October 1972 **
555th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 555th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It operates General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting multirole air and ground missions. The squadron (aviation), squadron was first acti ...
: attached 28–31 May 1968; assigned 1 June 1968 – 5 July 1974 ** 6460th Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 6460th Tactical Electronic Warfare) Squadron; 18 September 1966 – 15 August 1967 (detached 8–15 August 1967) ** 6461st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet: 18 September – 8 November 1966 (not operational, 25 October-8 Nov 1966)


Stations

*
Alachua Army Air Field Alachua Army Airfield, was a World War II United States Army Air Force airfield, located northeast of Gainesville, Florida. History Construction of the Gainesville Municipal Airport began in April 1940 as a Works Project Administration (WPA) ...
, Florida, 22 February 1943 * Keystone Army Air Field, Florida, March-1 November 1943 * Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 18 March 1954 – 18 June 1959 * Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 18 September 1966 – 23 December 1975 * Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 July 1976 – 1 April 1979 * Misawa Air Base, Japan, 1 July 1984 – 1 October 1994 * Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, 1 May 2007 – present


Aircraft

*
Douglas A-20 Havoc The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
, 1943 * Douglas DB-7, 1943 * Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943 *
Aeronca L-3 Grasshopper The Aeronca L-3 group of observation and liaison aircraft were used by the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. The L-3 series were adapted from Aeronca's pre-war Tandem Trainer and Chief models. Design and development In 1941, the U ...
*
Douglas RB-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...
, 1954–1956 * Martin RB-57A Canberra, 1954–1956 *
Lockheed RF-80A Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star is the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, two p ...
, 1954–1955 * Republic RF-84F Thunderflash, 1955–1958 * Douglas RB-66C Destroyer, 1956–1959 * McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo, 1957–1959; 1966–1967 *
EB-66C Destroyer The Douglas B-66 Destroyer is a light bomber that was designed and produced by the American aviation manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company. The B-66 was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) and is derivative of the United States Na ...
, 1966–1967 *
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowers ...
, 1966–1975 * McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, 1966–1975 * Douglas RC-47, 1966–1969 * Douglas AC-47 Spooky, 1969–1970 * BQM-34 (drone), 1976–1979 *
Lockheed DC-130 Hercules The Lockheed DC-130 is a variant of the C-130 Hercules modified for drone control. It can carry four Ryan Firebee drones underneath its wings. Development Origin of the design Since World War I, many nations' air forces have investigated ...
, 1976–1979 *
RC-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designe ...
, 1976–1978 *
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
, 1985–1994 *
General Atomics MQ-1 Predator The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the Predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ...
, 2007–2018 *
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, one component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS)) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomi ...
, 2007–present *
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has ...
, 2012–present


References

; Notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * (Secret, declassified 15 August 2006) {{USAAF 3rd Air Force World War II Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations in Nevada Indian Springs, Nevada 0432 1943 establishments in Florida