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 the first Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) squadron in the Air Force.[5]

11th Attack Squadron
Active1942-1946; 1947-1949; 1953-1960; 1966-1971; 1971-1979; 1991-1994; 1995-present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAerial reconnaissance
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQCreech Air Force Base
Motto(s)We Let You Know Before You Go (1953-1966)
EngagementsVietnam War[2]
DecorationsPresidential Unit Citation; Air Force Meritorious Unit Award; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award; Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm[2]
Insignia
11th Attack Squadron emblem
11th Reconnaissance Squadron emblem (approved 20 July 1966)[2]
11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron emblem (approved 28 December 1953)[3]
11th Observation Squadron emblem (approved 26 October 1942)[4]

Overview

The 11th Attack Squadron was the U.S. Air Force's first MQ-1B Predator formal training unit that conducts 5 basic and advanced training courses: Initial Qualification, Instructor Upgrade Training, Foreign Officer Course, Senior Officer Course, and Launch & Recovery Course.[6] The 11th conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operating the flies MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.

History

World War II

The squadron was first activated as the 11th Observation Squadron at Wheeler-Sack Field in early 1942. It initially operated in the southeastern United States under Third Air Force flying antisubmarine patrols along the Gulf Coast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The unit was reassigned to Fourth Air Force in Southern California during early 1942, flying reconnaissance, mapping, artillery adjustment, bombing, dive-bombing, and strafing missions to support Army ground units in training at the Desert Training Center or on maneuvers. It trained personnel in aerial reconnaissance, medium bombardment, and fighter techniques.

With the closure of the Desert Training Center in late 1943, the unit returned to Third Air Force becoming a reconnaissance training unit for Army forces at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Fort Polk, Louisiana, Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After the war it was assigned to Shaw Field, South Carolina, and was never fully equipped or manned. The unit inactivated March 1946.[2]

Cold War

The 11th was reactivated at Langley Field, Virginia in 1947 and equipped with Douglas RB-26 Invaders and Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Stars as a photo-reconnaissance squadron. It was reassigned to Twelfth Air Force and moved to March Air Force Base, California. Budget constraints, though, resulted in the unit's inactivation in March 1949.

The squadron operated as part of Far East Air Forces after the Korean War, engaging in photographic and weather reconnaissance missions over South Korea as well as the Japanese Home Islands and the adjacent waters along the Korean peninsula and Chinese/Soviet Pacific coasts until 1960. In 1957 the squadron received twelve Douglas RB-66C Destroyer electronic intelligence gathering planes.[7]

Vietnam war

It was activated as a McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II reconnaissance squadron in 1966 under Tactical Air Command. The squadron deployed to Thailand shortly after formation, flying tactical reconnaissance missions primarily over North Vietnam and selected locations in Laos and Cambodia. The squadron provided much of the aerial photographic intelligence obtained during the Vietnam War, especially that from North Vietnam. In the fall of 1970 the squadron's parent wing was phased down as part of the overall American withdrawal from the Vietnam War, returned to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina where the unit was inactivated in early 1971.[2]

The unit was reactivated at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base later in 1971 as a Ryan AQM-34 Firebee unmanned tactical reconnaissance drone squadron. Performed photographic reconnaissance to support tactical air and surface forces with tactical drones manufactured by Ryan Aeronautical. It used AQM-34L/M/V drones, Lockheed DC-130 Hercules launch vehicles, and Sikorsky 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 unit was inactivated in 1979.[2]

Modern era

The squadron Provided real-time intelligence support to the 11th Tactical Control Wing and Eleventh Air Force from 1992 to 1994. In 1996 it became the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadron in the USAF. It provided deployable, long-endurance, aerial reconnaissance and surveillance while flying the Predator UAV, 1996-2002. It began to conducte flying training in the Predator in 2003.

Reactivated on 29 July 1995, at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nevada,[8] under command of the 57th Operations Group, 57th Wing. In May 2016, the squadron was redesignated 11th Attack Squadron.[2] The squadrons of the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base took over the MQ-9 Reaper training role in 2010.[9] The MQ-1 Predator was retired from United States Air Force service on 9 March 2018.[10]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 11th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 5 February 1942
Activated on 2 March 1942
Redesignated 11th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
Redesignated 11th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943
Redesignated 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943
Redesignated 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic on 25 January 1946
Inactivated on 31 March 1946
  • Activated on 19 May 1947
Redesignated 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic on 14 June 1948
Inactivated on 28 March 1949
  • Redesignated 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 12 August 1953
Activated on 18 September 1953
Redesignated 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronics and Weather on 25 November 1953
Discontinued and inactivated on 8 March 1960
  • Redesignated 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet and activated on 3 November 1965 (not organized)
Organized on 1 April 1966
Redesignated 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966
Inactivated on 24 January 1971
  • Redesignated 11th Tactical Drone Squadron on 18 May 1971
Activated on 1 July 1971
Inactivated on 1 April 1979
  • Redesignated 11th Tactical Intelligence Squadron on 26 June 1991
Activated on 15 July 1991
  • Redesignated 11th Air Intelligence Squadron on 27 January 1992
Inactivated on 1 July 1994
  • Redesignated 11th Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 July 1995
Activated on 29 July 1995
Redesignated 11th Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016[2]

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

See also

References

Notes
  1. Serial 97-3034
  2. Dollman, TSG Davis (16 October 2016). "Factsheet 11 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  3. Maurer, pp. 62-63
  4. Hubbard, p. 719; Endicott, p. 422
  5. "America's oldest RPA unit celebrates 75 years". Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  6. "11TH ATKS". Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  7. Knaack, p. 444
  8. Whittle, Richard, "Predator's Big Safari", Mitchell Institute Press, Air Force Association, Arlington, Virginia, 2011, page 10.
  9. "U.S. Air Force Begins Training on New MQ-9 Reaper Block 5". Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  10. "Sun setting the MQ-1 Predator: The final salute". Retrieved 24 March 2020.

Bibliography

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

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