46th Test Wing explained

Unit Name:46th Test Wing
Dates:1941–1944, 1975–1982, 1992–2012
Country: United States
Branch:
Role:Developmental Test and Evaluation
Motto:Custos Libertate Latin (Guardian of Liberty) 1942–1944
Support 1975–1983
Proof by Trial 1993–2012
Decorations:Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Identification Symbol Label:46th Test Wing emblem[1] [2]
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Patch with 46th Aerospace Defense Wing emblem[3] [4]
Identification Symbol 3 Label:46th Bombardment Group emblem[5] [6]

The 46th Test Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force last based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing's 46th Test Group was a tenant unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

The wing's history dates from 1941, when the Army Air Forces (AAF) activated the 46th Bombardment Group. The group served in the early period of the United States' involvement in World War II flying antisubmarine missions over the Gulf of Mexico. It then served as a training unit until being disbanded in 1944 in a general reorganization of AAF units.

The 46th Aerospace Defense Wing replaced the 4600th Air Base Wing to provide administrative and logistic support to headquarters elements of Air Defense Command and North American Air Defense Command at Ent Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It was inactivated in 1983.

The wing and group were consolidated into a single unit in 1984, but remained inactive until 1992, when the consolidated unit was activated at Eglin as the 46th Test Wing. The wing managed test and development at Eglin and at Holloman until 2012 when its functions were combined with those of the 96th Air Base Wing in a reorganization of Air Force Materiel Command.

Mission

The wing executed developmental test and evaluation for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation, and guidance systems, command and control systems and Air Force special operations systems.[7]

History

World War II

The wing was activated as the 46th Bombardment Group (Light) and in 1941, equipped with Douglas A-20 Havoc aircraft.[6] Its operational squadrons were the 50th,[8] 51st,[9] and 53d Bombardment Squadrons,[10] and the 8th Reconnaissance Squadron.[11] Shortly after activation in 1941, the 8th Reconnaissance Sq mission changed and it became the 87th Bombardment Squadron.[11] The 46th participated in maneuvers, including desert maneuvers,[12] and flew anti-submarine warfare patrol and search missions over the Gulf of Mexico in early 1942.[6] It also served as an operational training unit,[6] which involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres for "satellite groups."[13] In late 1943 the group mission changed to replacement training of individual pilots and aircrews (RTU).[6] [13] Just before disbanding, the group began to convert to North American B-25 Mitchells.[8] [9] [10] [11] In 1944, the group was disbanded and its personnel, equipment and functions transferred to the 333d AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment)[14] at Morris Field in a major reorganization of the Army Air Forces in which RTUs were disbanded and training activities given to base units.[15]

Cold War

In March 1975, 46th Aerospace Defense Wing was activated to replace the 4600th Air Base Wing at Peterson Field, where it took over the personnel, equipment, and of the 4600th and its mission of administering facilities of North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), Aerospace Defense Command (ADC), and Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) located on Ent Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, plus various other nearby off-base facilities,[16] which the 4600th wing had been performing from Ent Air Force Base, then from Peterson Field since April 1958.[17] Despite its name, the wing was a "disguised" air base wing.[18] Although the provision of administrative and logistics support was the wing's primary mission, its flying training squadron served NORAD and ADC mission requirements and provided flying training for cadets at the United States Air Force Academy until 1 October 1979,[16] when ADC was inactivated and the wing transferred to the 4th Air Division of Strategic Air Command.[2] In April 1983, the 46th was inactivated and replaced by the 1st Space Wing.[19]

Test Operations

The 46th was redesignated as the 46th Test Wing and replaced the 3246th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in October 1992.[2] It designed and performed flight and ground developmental tests with uniquely modified aircraft and facilities for conventional weapons and electronic combat systems.[2] The wing also supported other Department of Defense components and numerous allied nations during test and exercises and managed the largest test range in the free world.[2] Weapons systems recently tested by the wing include the Small Diameter Bomb, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Target Void Sensing Fuze, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), and the Trident Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.[20] The wing worked closely with the 53d Wing of Air Combat Command, which performed operational testing of many of the same weapons systems.[20]

In February 2012, the wing relocated its UH-1N helicopters from Eglin to Duke Field in anticipation of a 250 percent increase in helicopter developmental test programs.[21] The wing mission transferred to the 96th Air Base Wing, which was redesignated as the 96th Test Wing on 18 July 2012.[22] The 46th Test Wing was subsequently inactivated on 1 October 2012.

Lineage

Bombardment Group

Activated on 15 January 1941[6]

Disbanded on 1 May 1944[6]

Wing

Activated on 15 March 1975[16]

Inactivated on 1 April 1983[16]

Activated on 1 October 1992.[2]

Inactivated on 1 October 2012

Assignments

Components

Groups

Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico

Operational Squadrons

Support Units

Stations

Aircraft and Launch Vehicles Operated

Awards and campaign

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
Citations

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Approved 9 December 1993.
  2. Web site: Factsheet 46 Test Wing (AFMC) . Robertson . Patsy . 2008-09-22 . Air Force Historical Research Agency. 26 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130104183212/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9694 . 4 January 2013 .
  3. Approved 25 March 1975. This emblem was originally approved for the 4600th Air Base Wing on 13 July 1961. Ravenstein, p. 75.
  4. Endicott, p. 125. Ravenstein claims the emblem was used without authorization upon activation. Ravenstein, p. 75.
  5. Approved 14 July 1942.
  6. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 104–105
  7. http://www.eglin.af.mil/units/46thtestwing/index.asp 46th Test Wing Home Page
  8. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 214–215
  9. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.227
  10. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp.220–221
  11. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 299
  12. Web site: Abstract, History of 46th Bomb Gp 1941–1944. Air Force History Index. 26 June 2012.
  13. Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi
  14. See Web site: Abstract, History of Morris Field, 1940–1944. Air Force History Index. 26 June 2012.
  15. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 7
  16. Ravenstein, p. 75
  17. Web site: Abstract, History of 4600th Air Base Wing, Jan–Jun 1971. Air Force History Index. 26 June 2012.
  18. Ravenstein, p. viii
  19. Web site: Abstract, History of 46th Aerospace Defense Wing, Jan–Mar 1983. Air Force History Index. 26 June 2012.
  20. Web site: 46th Test Wing garners Air Force award. No byline. 12 December 2011. Air Force History Index. 4 August 2019.
  21. Web site: The 46th Test Wing's Hueys relocated to Eglin's Duke Field. No byline. 6 March 2012. Air Force History Index. 2 August 2019.
  22. Web site: AFMC prepares for 5-center transition. No byline. 19 June 2012. Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120701215707/http://www.eglin.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123306464 . 1 July 2012. 2 August 2019.
  23. Web site: Factsheet 46 Operations Group (AFMC). Robertson. Patsy. 4 September 2008. Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 August 2019.
  24. Web site: Factsheet 46 Test Group (AFMC). Robertson. Patsy. 5 June 2009. Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 August 2019.
  25. Web site: Factsheet 40 Flight Test Squadron. Haulman. Daniel L.. 22 October 2018. Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 August 2019.
  26. Mueller, p. 474
  27. Wilson, p. 128

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