United States Air Force Warfare Center

United States Air Force Warfare Center
Emblem of the United States Air Force Warfare Center < Part of Air Combat Command
Active	1966-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Warfare Training
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Nellis AFB, Nevada

The United States Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, reports directly to Air Combat Command. The Center was founded 1 September 1966, as the U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center. It was renamed the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center in 2005.^[1]

Contents 1 Overview 2 Units 3 History 3.1 Lineage 3.2 Assignments 3.3 Units assigned 3.4 Aircraft flown 4 References

Overview

The United States Air Force Warfare Center manages advanced pilot training and integrates many of the Air Force's test and evaluation requirements. It was established in 1966 as the USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center which concentrated on the development of forces and weapons systems that were specifically geared to tactical air operations in conventional (non-nuclear) war and contingencies. It continued to perform this mission for nearly thirty years, undergoing several name changes in the 1990s. In 1991, the center became the USAF Fighter Weapons Center, and then the USAF Weapons and Tactics Center in 1992.^[1]

The Air Warfare Center uses the lands on Nellis Air Force Range Complex - which occupies about three million acres (12,000 km²) of land, the largest such range in the United States, and another five-million-acre (20,000 km²) military operating area which is shared with civilian aircraft. The center also uses Eglin AFB, FL, range, which adds even greater depth to the center's capabilities, providing over water and additional electronic expertise to the center.^[1]

The Air Warfare Center oversees operations of the 57th Wing, the 98th Range and 99th Air Base Wings at Nellis AFB, Nevada; the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and the 505th Command and Control Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida.^[1]

Units

• 53d Wing

The 53d Wing serves as the focal point for the combat air forces in electronic combat, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance, command and control, and aircrew training devices.

• 57th Wing

The 57th Wing is responsible for a variety of activities, such as Red Flag, which provides realistic training in a combined air, ground and electronic threat environment for U.S. and allied forces.

• 98th Range Wing

The 98th Range Wing provides command and control of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR).

• 99th Air Base Wing

The 99th Air Base Wing is the host wing at Nellis AFB and manages the day-to-day operations of the base.

• 505th Command and Control Wing

The 505 CCW is dedicated to improving warfighter readiness through integrated training, tactics, and testing for operational-level command and control of air, space, and cyber power. It hosts the Air Force's only Air Operations Center Formal Training Unit (FTU).^[1]

History

The Vietnam War had begun by the mid 1960s, and Tactical Air Command needed to improve technical and operational skills for the widening war. TAC established the Tactical Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis Air Force Base, NV in 1966, for fighter operations. Nellis had been the "Home of the Fighter Pilot" since the Korean War days of the early 1950s, and conducted postgraduate fighter training and operational testing and evaluation of fighter weapons systems. Additionally, the Nellis range, largest in the free world, complemented the new Center's mission.

Lineage

• Established as the USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center in 1966

Resesignated: USAF Fighter Weapons Center in 1991

Resesignated: USAF Weapons and Tactics Center in 1992

Redesignated: USAF Warfare Center in 2005.

Assignments

• Tactical Air Command, 1966–1992
• Air Combat Command, 1992–present

Units assigned

Operational units assigned to the USAFWC have been:^[2]

Wing

• 4545th Fighter Warfare Wing, 1966 - 22 August 1969
• 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, 22 August 1969 - 1 April 1977

Redesignated: 57th Tactical Training Wing, 1 April 1977 - 1 March 1980

Redesignated: 57th Fighter Wing, 1 October 1991 - 15 June 1993

Redesignated: 57th Wing, 15 June 1993 - present

Groups

• 57th Fighter 1 November 1991–present
• 57th Test: 1 November 1991-1 October 1996
• 4440th Tactical Fighter Training (Red Flag)

Attached 1 October 1979-28 February 1980

Assigned 1 March 1980-1 November 1991

• 4443d Tactical Training: 26 January 1990-1 November 1991

Squadrons

• 64th Fighter Weapons (later, 64th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor; 64th Aggressor): 15 October 1972-5 October 1990.
• 65th Fighter Weapons (later, 65th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor; 65th Aggressor): 15 October 1969-7 April 1989.
• 66th Fighter Weapons: 15 October 1969-30 December 1981
• 414th Fighter Weapons: 15 October 1969-30 December 1981
• 422d Fighter Weapons (later, 422d Test and Evaluation): 15 October 1969-1 November 1991
• 431st Fighter Weapons (later, 431st Test and Evaluation): 1 October 1980-1 November 1991
• 433d Fighter Weapons: 1 October 1976-30 December 1981
• 4460th Helicopter: 1 November 1983-1 June 1985
• 4477th Test and Evaluation Flight (later, 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron): 1 April 1977-15 July 1990
• USAF Air Demonstration: 15 February 1974–present

Aircraft flown

A-7 Corsair II, 1969–1975 F-4 Phantom II, 1969–1985, 1992–present F-4G Wild Weasel, 1993-1995 F-100 Super Sabre, 1969 F-105 Thunderchief, 1969–1975 General Dynamics F-111, 1969–1995 T-38 Talon, 1972–1990

Northrop F-5, 1975–1989 F-15 Eagle, 1976–present A-10 Thunderbolt II, 1977–present F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1980–present UH-1 Iroquois, 1981–1985 B-1 Lancer, 1993–1999 B-52 Stratofortress, 1993–1999 MQ-1 Predator, 1995–present

source^[2]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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