The 460th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active
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. It was previously assigned to
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 ...
's
325th Fighter Weapons Wing at
Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (3 ...
, Florida, where it was inactivated on 15 October 1982. On 11 August 2023, it was reactivated and assigned to the 926th Operations Group,
926th Wing at Nellias AFB, Nevada.
History
World War II
Established in late 1942 as a ground support squadron. Deployed to the
Pacific Theater of Operations in 1943 to Australia where the unit functioned as a ground support unit at
Sydney Airport
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport or Mascot Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district, in the subu ...
, then at Dobodura in New Guinea. Converted to a
P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
operational combat unit, engaged in fighter-bomber operations against Japanese positions in
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
, Netherlands East Indies and also during the Philippines Campaign (1944–1945). Moved to
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 ...
, then Japan after the Japanese Capitulation as part of the Occupation Force, inactivated in 1946.
Air defense

Reactivated in 1954 as part of the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the 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 origins to 1 ...
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
, stationed at
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
, for
air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
of the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1943, the laboratory is sponsored by the United Sta ...
and
TVA
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
dams in
eastern
Eastern or Easterns may refer to:
Transportation
Airlines
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. Moved to
Portland AFB, Oregon, and flew air defense missions over the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
, later to
southern California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
in 1968 at
Oxnard AFB, which closed a year later; it then moved to
Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks.
The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat ...
,
North Dakota
North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
, until inactivated as part of the drawdown of ADC in 1974.
Fighter training
Reactivated briefly in early 1982 as an air defense training squadron at
Tyndall AFB
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (3 ...
, Florida; inactivated late the same year.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 1st Airdrome Squadron on 7 November 1942
: Activated on 20 November 1942
: Redesignated 460th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 14 July 1944
: Inactivated on 20 February 1946
* Redesignated 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 23 March 1953
: Activated on 18 March 1954
[Lineage, including assignments, stations and aircraft through 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 567–568]
: Discontinued on 25 March 1966
* Activated on 1 September 1968 (not organized)
: Organized on 30 September 1968
: Inactivated on 30 July 1974
* Redesignated 460th Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron on 1 October 1980
: Activated on 15 November 1980
: Inactivated on 15 October 1982
* Redesignated 460th Test and Evaluation Squadron on 2023
: Activated on 11 August 2023
Assignments
*
Air Service Command
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
, 20 November 1942
*
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, 28 December 1942
*
16th Bombardment Training Wing, c. 15 February 1943
*
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 ...
, c. 1 June 1943 (attached to
310th Bombardment Wing, 1 February 1944;
85th Fighter Wing, c. 16 May–14 July 1944
*
V Fighter Command, 14 July 1944
*
348th Fighter Group, 23 September 1944 – 20 February 1946
*
516th Air Defense Group
The 516th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 35th Air Division at McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.
The group was originally activated as a ...
, 18 March 1954
*
337th Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 – 25 March 1966
[
* ]414th Fighter Group
The 414th Fighter Group is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 944th Fighter Wing of Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
The ...
, 1 September 1968
* 408th Fighter Group
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
Evolution of the Hi ...
, 1 December 1969
* 25th Air Division
The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord Air ...
, 1 October 1970 – 30 July 1974
* Air Defense, Tactical Air Command, 15 November 1980
* 325th Fighter Weapons Wing, 15 August 1981 – 15 October 1982
* 926th Operations Group, 11 August 2023
Stations
* Syracuse Army Air Base
Hancock Field Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, co-located with Syracuse Hancock International Airport. It is located north-northeast of Syracuse, New York, at 6001 East Molloy Road in Mattydale, New York, Mattydale.
The ...
, New York, 20 November 1942
* Biggs Field
Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas.
History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47)
On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...
, Texas, 2 February – 17 April 1943
* Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, New South Wales, Australia, 21 May 1943
* Dobodura Airfield Complex
Girua Airport is an airport serving Popondetta, a city in the Oro (or Northern) province in Papua New Guinea.
History
Girua Airport is located near Dobodura, to the north-east of the Embi Lakes, north-east of Inonda. To the south is Mt. Laming ...
, (Papua) New Guinea, 20 June 1943
* Gusap Airfield
Gusap Airport is a general aviation airport in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. located at the base of the Finisterre Range. It has no scheduled commercial airline service. It is currently in use, and maintained by Ramu Agri Industries Ltd. ( ...
, (Papua) New Guinea, 23 October 1943
* Nadzab Airfield Complex
Officially named Nadzab Tomodachi International Airport, Nadzab Airport is a regional airport located at Nadzab outside Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea along the Highlands Highway. It is served by both private and regional aircraft with do ...
, (Papua) New Guinea, 23 July 1944
* Kornasoren Airfield, Noemfoor Island, New Guinea (Irian Jaya), Netherlands East Indies, 23 September 1944
* Tacloban Airfield, Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has been ...
, Philippines, 10 November 1944
* Tanauan Airfield
Tanauan Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Tanauan in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.
History
The airfield was built by the Americans shortly after landing on Leyte in November 1944. It was used b ...
, Leyte, Philippines, 12 December 1944
* San Marcelino Airfield
San Marcelino Airfield is a World War II airfield located in Zambales province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It was closed after the war.
History
San Marcelino Airfield was built before the war by the Americans. On ...
, Luzon
Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
, Philippines, 6 February 1945
* Floridablanca Airfield
Cesar Basa Air Base, or simply Basa Air Base (formerly known as Floridablanca Airfield) , is an airbase currently operated by the Philippine Air Force. It is located at Floridablanca, Pampanga about northwest of Metro Manila in the Philippines. ...
, Luzon, Philippines, 15 May 1945
* Ie Shima Airfield
is a training facility, managed by the United States Marine Corps and a former World War II airfield complex on Ie Shima, an island located off the northwest coast of Okinawa Island in the East China Sea. The airfield as such was inactivated ...
, 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 ...
, 12 July 1945
* Itazuke Army Air Base, Japan, 24 November 1945 – 20 February 1946
* McGhee Tyson Airport
McGhee Tyson Airport is a public/military airport south of Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville,. Federal Aviation Administration. effective April 17, 2025. in Alcoa, Tennessee. It is named for United States Navy pilot Charles McGhee Tyson, who wa ...
, Tennessee, 18 March 1954
* Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil–military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of the state's passenger air travel and more than 95% of its air cargo. It is within Portland's city li ...
, Oregon, 18 August 1955 – 25 March 1966[
* ]Oxnard Air Force Base
Oxnard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, in the city of Camarillo, California.
History
Camarillo Airport was established in 1942, when the California State Highway Department built an auxiliary landing field with a runw ...
, California, 1 September 1968
* Kingsley Field Kingsley may refer to:
People
*Kingsley (given name)
* Kingsley (surname)
Places Australia
* Kingsley, Western Australia
Canada
* Rural Municipality of Kingsley No. 124, Saskatchewan
England
* Kingsley, Cheshire
* Kingsley, Hampshire
* Kingsley ...
, Oregon, 31 December November 1969 – 1971
* Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks.
The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat ...
, North Dakota, 1 April 1971 – 15 July 1974
* Peterson Field
Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a United States Space Force base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home t ...
, Colorado, 15 November 1980
* Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (3 ...
, Florida, 15 August – 15 October 1982
* Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloquialism, colloq.) is a United States Air Force military installation, installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts Aerial warfare, air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exerc ...
, Nevada, 11 August 2023 - present
Aircraft
* 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 ...
, 1944
* P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
, 1944–1945
* P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
, 1945–1946
* F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1954–1955
* F-89 Scorpion
The Northrop F-89 Scorpion is an all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the first jet-powered aircraft to be designed for the interceptor role f ...
, 1955–1958
* F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger is an interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair. A member of the Century Series, the F-102 was the first operational supersonic interceptor and delta-wing fighter op ...
, 1958–1966; TF-102, 1982
* F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart is an all-weather interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair.
The F-106 was designed in response to the 1954 interceptor program. Envisioned as an imagined "Ultimate In ...
, 1968–1974
References
; Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 460TH FIGHTER SQUADRON PRESENTED DURING THE MEMORIAL DEDICATION CEREMONY AT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE MUSEUM WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, 20 MAY 1991
460th Fighter Interceptor Squadron pdf
External links
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed
0460
Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force
Aerospace Defense Command units
1942 establishments in the United States
Test and evaluation squadrons of the United States Air Force